Virus gives Hard Drive Failure message

changsn · 05-15-2011, 12:51 PM

Hi - I am new to the forum and just got my computer infected when I opened a file I shouldn't have. Several days later, I began getting a "Hard Drive Failure" dialog box. The internet connection disappeared and my desktop lost all its files. No programs appear in the Start Menu. I am running XP Sp3.
When this happened, I pulled my hard drive and replaced it, but now I find there are 1-2 files which I didn't back up. When I connect the infected hard drive through the USB port, I can see the folders, but no files are shown when the folder is opened. The 'Properties' show files and folder size, but I can't see file names. I am currently running Malwarebytes on the hard drive, but it hasn't found anything.
Is there a way to make the file names reappear? I'm assuming that my new hard drive is not at significant risk since the infected drive is now the slave and the files I want are unlikely to be infected.
Thanks,
Sam

nasdaq · 05-17-2011, 06:54 AM

Hello, Welcome to TSF.
I'm nasdaq and will be helping you.

You may wish to Subscribe to this thread (Thread Tools > Subscribe to this thread) so that you are notified when you receive a reply.

Please read these instructions carefully and then print out or copy this page to Notepad in order to assist you when carrying out the fix.

Note that the fix may take several posts. Please continue to respond to my instructions until I confirm that your logs are clean. Remember that although your symptoms may vanish, this does NOT mean that your system is clean.

If there is anything you don't understand, please ask BEFORE proceeding with the fixes.

Please ensure that you follow the instructions in the order I have them listed.

Please do not install or uninstall any programs, or run any other scanners or software, unless I specifically ask you to do so. Also please copy and paste logs into the thread, rather than add them as attachments.

To make your files visible again, please download the following program to your desktop:

Unhide.exe

Once the program has been downloaded, place it in the infected drive, double-click on the Unhide.exe and allow the program to run. This program will remove the +H, or hidden, attribute from all the files on your hard drives. If there are any files that were purposely hidden by you, you will need to hide them again after this tool is run.

This may take sometime, please let if finish.

Keep me posted.

changsn · 05-18-2011, 09:25 AM

Hi - Appreciate the help, but I have pulled the original infected drive out of the computer. It is now an external drive and I have formatted/installed a new hard drive. I suspect that to use the 'Unhide' program, I would have to reinstall the infected drive so that it boots up. Is that correct?
Sam

nasdaq · 05-18-2011, 10:34 AM

Do you see the external drive My Computer (explorer)?

If so copy the unhide.exe in the root of the external drive and run it from there.

changsn · 05-19-2011, 09:09 AM

Worked like a charm and I was able to view and transfer the files I needed. I will probably wipe the infected drive and reformat so I can use it as a backup drive.
Many Thanks
Sam

nasdaq · 05-19-2011, 10:50 AM

Glad we could help.

**Clark76** · 05-31-2011, 10:26 AM

Since this issue appears to be resolved, this topic will now be closed. If you need continued support, please begin a new thread, and provide a link to this topic. This applies only to the original topic starter. Everyone else please begin a New Topic, after following the steps outlined here:
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