All my files became .lnk shortcuts — are they gone?

No. A shortcut virus only hid them. Run attrib -h -r -s /s /d X:\*.* (X = your drive letter) from an elevated Command Prompt to unhide the originals.

What does a .lnk file do?

It is a Windows shortcut that opens a target program, file or folder when double-clicked.

Why is my .lnk shortcut broken?

Its target was moved, renamed or deleted. Right-click → Properties to see and fix the Target path.

Are .lnk files dangerous?

They can be — a shortcut can launch commands. Never open a .lnk from an untrusted email or download without checking its target.

Does deleting a .lnk delete the real file?

No. A .lnk is only a pointer; the target file stays where it is.

All My Files Turned Into .LNK Shortcuts? Remove the Shortcut Virus

Every file on your USB stick or folder now shows as a .lnk shortcut and the originals look gone. They are only hidden. Here is how to get them back and remove the autorun shortcut malware.

Fix: every file on my drive turned into a .lnk shortcut

Your real files are not gone — a shortcut virus (common on USB sticks and shared folders) set them hidden and replaced each one with a .lnk. Recover them:

Plug the drive in. Note its letter (e.g. E:).
Open an elevated Command Prompt and run attrib -h -r -s /s /d E:\*.* — this clears the hidden/read-only/system flags on every file so your originals reappear.
Delete the fake shortcuts and any autorun.inf on the drive.
Run a full antivirus scan before reusing the stick, or reformat it after copying your files off.

If the files still look missing, enable View → Hidden items in Explorer.

What a .lnk file is

A .lnk file is a Windows shortcut — a small pointer to a program, file or folder somewhere else. Double-clicking it opens the target, not the shortcut itself.

Why it looks broken

If a shortcut shows a white/broken icon or errors on open, its target has moved, been renamed, or was deleted. Right-click → Properties to see the Target path and fix it.

Why it can show as raw text

On non-Windows systems (or in an email or ZIP) a .lnk has no meaning and may appear as a tiny binary file. It only works on Windows.

Security note

.lnk files can run commands, so a shortcut from an untrusted email or download can be dangerous. Check Properties → Target before opening one you did not create.

How to open a .lnk file by OS

Windows: a .lnk is a shortcut — double-click it to open the target. Right-click → Properties shows the real path under Target.

macOS / Linux: .lnk is Windows-specific and won't launch anything; it only points to a Windows path. You can read the embedded target with a hex viewer.

Common problems

A shortcut that says "the item this shortcut refers to has been changed or moved" means the target file was deleted or relocated. Fix the target in Properties or recreate the shortcut.

Is it safe to delete?

Yes. Deleting a .lnk removes only the shortcut, never the file it points to.

All Your Files Turned Into .LNK Shortcuts?