Weird problem on Flash Drive seems like a virus but no virus detected

[arlo]

I plugged my flash drive into a cybercafe USB port and, as happens
sometimes, Windows XP said that the device was unreadable or
defective. Usually this is solved by going to a different computer and
plugging it in, then it works as normal.

But on one occasion last week, I got the error message, and yet an
icon for my flash drive appeared in My Computer. When I double clicked
that icon, it showed that there were no files at all on my flash
drive, when in fact there are hundreds. This has happened before, too,
so I went to another computer and my flash drive worked normally
again.

But, now there were a bunch of strange folders and files on my flash
drive that weren't there before. I previously had 15 rtf files on my
drive with names like "hcmsataug25.rtf" and for each of these files,
suddenly there was a new folder created called "hcmthcmt.hcm". There
are now 15 of these folders on my flash drive, all with the exact same
name, which I know is impossible (also folders shouldn't have
extensions). Each one is listed in Explorer details as having a size
of 1,414,349,640 bytes (my flash drive has a capacity of only 1 GB).
But when I look at Properties for the folders, it says they contain 0
bytes. I can double click on these folders and there is nothing in
them.

Also, a new folder appeared on my flash drive called "B0". It, too, is
detailed as having 1,414,349,640 bytes, but 0 bytes in properties. But
when I double click on it, I get the error message: "E:\B0 is not
accessible. This folder was moved or removed"

Another strange file was created called "Lq%-%m.%9%" with 44,520
bytes but 0 bytes in properties. It cannot be opened.

Several other files that were on my flash drive had some letters
mysteriously replaced by underscores.

I cannot delete any of these files and folders. I get "Cannot delete
file" messages. "Access is denied. Make sure the disk is not full or
write protected and that the file is not currently in use"

I have scanned the flash drive with AVG antivirus and CureIt and both
say there is no virus there. But this sure sounds like a virus to me.
Or could the flash drive have somehow done this by itself?

Thanks for any thoughts on what the hell this is and how to get rid of
these crazy files and folders.

 

[Larry Sabo]

(e-mail address removed) wrote:

[snip]

Thanks for any thoughts on what the hell this is and how to get rid of
these crazy files and folders.

No idea what the files/folder are but you might have a
corrupted/compromised flash drive.

You could try saving whatever you need off it, then doing a low level
format with the program sdfv2002.exe from Panasonic
(http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/sd/download/sd_formatter.html)
that seems to work with almost any flash drive. If that doesn't fix it
up. you may need to RMA the flash drive.

Before flattening it, I would also scan it with something more robust
than the programs you used, e.g. AntiVir or David H. Lipman's command
line A-V scanner.

Larry

 

[jvin007]

Thanks for any thoughts on what the hell this is and how to get rid of
these crazy files and folders.

I have had something similiar to that happen to my flash drive and I
never did figure out what caused it. It would have several files, with
file sizes that were obviously too big to be on the drive, that could
not be erased or deleted. Then it would quickly get to the point
where no computer could read the flash drive at all.

I am a computer tech and plug that thing into allot of computers
at work, to fix spyware and virus problems, and I am sure one
of them infected it with something.

I ended up formatting the thing and copying all my files back to
it. That happened to me a couple of times, but it has been awhile
since the last time it happened. I back it up daily to my computer
at home and my computer at work so I never lose anything.

 

[roots]

You can be like a tree when he flies out to show you his
kung-fooey moves