Mysterious "invisible" folder

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ray K
  • Start date Start date
R

Ray K

I was infected with a virus that put over 22,000 ZIP files in a folder
called c:\...\Fonts\', which I found by using Search to detect the *.ZIP
files. (Note the apostrophe following Fonts\; it's the folder name, not a
typo on my part.) Yet when I tried navigating to that folder using Explorer,
I couldn't find any subfolders of Fonts. I have Folder Options/View set to
"Show hidden files and folders" and do NOT have the "Hide protected
operating system files" box checked. So why won't Explorer show the Fonts
subfolder that Search found?

Thanks,

Ray
 
Ray K said:
I was infected with a virus that put over 22,000 ZIP files in a folder
called c:\...\Fonts\', which I found by using Search to detect the *.ZIP
files. (Note the apostrophe following Fonts\; it's the folder name, not a
typo on my part.) Yet when I tried navigating to that folder using
Explorer,
I couldn't find any subfolders of Fonts. I have Folder Options/View set to
"Show hidden files and folders" and do NOT have the "Hide protected
operating system files" box checked. So why won't Explorer show the Fonts
subfolder that Search found?

Thanks,

Ray
Click to expand...

Ah, the virus idiots must have read the grammar book and
latched on to the errant apostrophe . . .

Seriously: Instead of trying to work out what dirty tricks the
virus writer used to make that folder inaccessible, why don't
you just get rid of it? You could do it like so:
- Click Start / Run / cmd {OK}
- Type these commands:
cmd /f:on{Enter}
cd /d "c:\Documents and Settings\Ray\..\Fonts"{Enter}
(Type the full & correct name!)
rd /s {Do NOT press the Enter key!}
- Hold down the Ctrl key.
-Tap the F key until you see the apostrophe folder
name.
- Release the Ctrl key, then press Enter.
 
In such cases the standard approach is to type cmd /? at
the Command Prompt. This would show you that the /F
switch enables automatic file/directory completion. The
OP will now be able to remove the offending folder by
simply cycling through the available names, regardless of
the funny characters they might contain.
 
I am still collecting that kind of information, followed it so far but what
does cmd /f:on do - I risked it and could not see a difference from cmd on its
own - PLEASE

Borge in sunny Perth, Australia
 
In such cases the standard approach is to type cmd /? at
the Command Prompt. This would show you that the /F
switch enables automatic file/directory completion. The
OP will now be able to remove the offending folder by
simply cycling through the available names, regardless of
the funny characters they might contain.
Click to expand...
Thanks - I forgot the forward slash - getting too old :-)
Borge in sunny Perth, Australia
 
Pegasus said:
Ah, the virus idiots must have read the grammar book and
latched on to the errant apostrophe . . .

Seriously: Instead of trying to work out what dirty tricks the
virus writer used to make that folder inaccessible, why don't
you just get rid of it? You could do it like so:
- Click Start / Run / cmd {OK}
- Type these commands:
cmd /f:on{Enter}
cd /d "c:\Documents and Settings\Ray\..\Fonts"{Enter}
(Type the full & correct name!)
rd /s {Do NOT press the Enter key!}
- Hold down the Ctrl key.
-Tap the F key until you see the apostrophe folder
name.
- Release the Ctrl key, then press Enter.
Click to expand...

While virus writers are evil, you can't really call them idiots if they
are smart enough to exploit the errant apostrophe.

Due to multiple problems, I've just decided to format the c drive and do
a clean reinstall. Thanks anyway for your instructions.

Ray
 
Ray K said:
While virus writers are evil, you can't really call them idiots if they
are smart enough to exploit the errant apostrophe.

Due to multiple problems, I've just decided to format the c drive and do a
clean reinstall. Thanks anyway for your instructions.

Ray
Click to expand...

To me, people who use their superior knowledge for
destructive purposes are idiots.
 
To me, people who use their superior knowledge for
destructive purposes are idiots.
Click to expand...
You can't call it superior knowledge. I'm not even sure there is such
a thing. It's just knowledge of more or less different abstruse facts.
The ability to absorb more facts, or to organize and employ them may
reflect or demonstrate some kind if superiority, but the knowledge is
just there, or not (as is more often my case these days).

RL
 
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