Antivirus has deleted all the files

Asked By anonymous 7060 points N/A Posted on - 08/28/2011

I have an external hard disk. I used to take my system backup into the external hard disk. For some reasons, my friend took the hard disk and after returning I scanned the hard disk with Microsoft essential security antivirus.

I found that the hard disk is virus corrupted. I quarantine the virus and found that all data was gone but in the properties of the hard disk it shows the exact size of the hard disk.

Now I wonder where the data has gone.

Do I need to run some data recovery software in the hard disk.

Please assist me in this case.

Thanks in advance.

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• Question Category: Anti-Virus

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Answered By JohnnyValhalla 0 points N/A #80162

Antivirus has deleted all the files

Yes! This is pretty much common to beginners. You cannot do anything now since the files are gone because of a virus attack. So, this should be a good experience for you, so you wouldn't let your external hard drive be left anywhere else the next time you're gone. You should learn from this mistake.

Be always keep in mind, that once your file gets infected by any other viruses, whether if it's a Trojan, a worm, a bot, etc., the file can never be restored to its original state. Because viruses attached themselves to specific files. They open the file for writing, then append themselves at the end of the file itself. That's why when the file is launched, so is the virus. When an antivirus detects that a file is infected, the file gets quarantined or deleted depending on the settings of the antivirus. Antivirus programs doesn't open the file for editing or writing. It is not designed to open a file for editing and from there manually removes the virus. Antivirus only detects and scans then quarantine or delete afterwards. Once a virus is attached, it is attached forever.

The files that you are looking for are still in your hard drive quarantined by your antivirus. File recovery tools will not help you. There are nothing to be recovered in the first place.

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Answered By ibishwash 10 points N/A #80163

Antivirus has deleted all the files

You don't have to worry mate. Your data is still there in your external hard disk.

But in the hidden form. If a file is infected by a virus. Most of the virus hides it.  

To show hidden files: 

go to folder options and click on 'show hidden files and folders' ( it varies from OS to OS). Look thoroughly, it is somewhere in your windows explorer window.

If this doesn't solve your problem. Look inside Microsoft essential security antivirus' system folders it must be there.

Still no luck!

Well, then you can search the net for free hard disk recovery tools to recover your lost data.

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• Posted on - 09/08/2011
• Question Category: Anti-Virus