This article will provide you with the probable reasons and effective methods to convert shortcut to original file without compromising the file quality.
In the present day, computers are an essential component of both personal and professional use. In general, individuals employ the desktop in their daily routines or at work. Consequently, they may have some critical files or folders on their hard drive. However, occasionally, they discover that certain files and folders have been converted into shortcuts when they access the system.
Initially, users must attempt to eliminate the shortcut. However, if they are still unable to access the file and folder, they require a suitable solution to convert the shortcut file to the original file in the Windows operating system. As a result, they identify a remedy to the shortcut file issue.
Additionally, to resolve the issue, we will examine various approaches. Please review the solutions in this blog for the conversion of shortcut files to original files.
The conversion of files into shortcut files is a prevalent issue that typically affects external disks, USB devices, SD cards, and internal disks. Your device has probably been infected by a virus, parasite, or worm, and the files are typically concealed.
This may also result from power failure, incompatible file systems, operating system errors, system driver failures, and other factors, in addition to infections. Furthermore, there is a possibility that your files will be deleted.
Upon receiving the potential causes, you may determine that the virus, Trojan, or worm is the underlying issue. Therefore, you must utilize antivirus software to eliminate them. You may opt to install any reputable software or utilize Windows Defender.
Step 1. Go to Settings > Windows Security and select Virus & threat protection.
Step 2. Select Scan options under Current threats.
Step 3. Select Custom scan and click Scan now.
Step 4. Go to This PC and select the drive containing shortcut files.
Step 5. Click Select Folder to start the scanning process and remove the found viruses.
Step 1. Press Windows + R and type: cmd. Right-click the Command Prompt and choose "Run as administrator".
Step 2. Type: attrib -h -r -s /s /d e:*.* and hit Enter. (Replace e: with the drive letter of your device where want to recover shortcuts files)
Step 1. Open your USB drive or other devices. Click View and Options in the File Explorer.
Step 2. In the View tab, go to Hidden files and folders and check Show hidden files and folders.
Step 3. Finally, uncheck Hide protected Operating system files and click Apply > OK.
Step 1. Open This PC. Right-click the RAW partition and select Format.
Step 2. Select the NTFS file system and click Start.
Notes: 1. The "quick format" option deletes only the file system paths to your data on the RAW drive. Unchecking this option will result in the overwriting of all data on this disk with zero. 2. Additionally, you have the option to choose any recognized file system that aligns with your preferences, including exFAT, FAT32, and FAT16.
Step 3. To initiate the formatting process, select "Yes" in the prompt.
After you learn the above 4 ways to convert shortcut to original file, if you are still unable to access original file or if the original files have been deleted, you can successfully recover shortcut files from a USB drive, SD card, internal or external disk, and other storage devices using AOMEI FastRecovery.
Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data lost and click Scan.
Step 2. Then, the recovery tool start to scan and search. lt will execute the “Quickly Scan" first for finding your deleted data fast, and then execute the “Deep Scan" for searching other lost data.
Step 3. Once the scan is completed, all deleted files, recycle bins and other missing files will be displayed. Please select the file you would like to recover and then click "Recover".
Step 4. Then, select a folder path to save your recovered files.
Step 5. Wait patiently for this process of recovering ends.
1. What is the distinction between the original file and the shortcut?
A shortcut file is a file on your hard drive that occupies minimal space and contains a pointer to the file. It may be a file, folder, or program, and it will not function if the original file is deleted.
2. Is the primary file deleted when a shortcut is deleted?
The response is negative. The original files are not impacted by the deletion of shortcut files. However, the shortcut will be rendered pointless if the original files are deleted.
3. Does the formatting of a USB drive eliminate shortcut viruses?
Formatting a USB drive will eliminate all contents, including viruses. It is comparable to a new drive that has been formatted. Please ensure that any critical data is recovered from the USB drive using dependable data recovery software.