printing shops and USBs....virus?

[kickbox]

It seems every shop I go to now I have this problem.  Some shops its a hit or miss.  I am new to Thailand and lived all over Asia and only experienced this here.  And one shop had a sign, in Thai, with a picture that seems similar to my issue.

 

I want to print or scan something.  I go to the shop with my USB with the PDF or image on it.  Either 1 of two things happen but the end result is the same.  Some shops can open the files right away but then before printing can be done, the files are deleted and a shortcut of a bunch of applications are placed on the USB and then an error is shown if I try to open it at home on my laptop.  Then my virus scanner shows me its a threat.

 

The second way this happens is I have some papers scanned and the lady puts it on my USB.  She opens the files from my USB to show me it is indeed on my USB.  I go home, the files that were scanned are gone and this shortcut drive looking file is on there and the virus scanner goes crazy again.  The pictures is the file type and error message that shows if I try to open it.

 

[wgdanson]

<deleted>, a printer/ scanner is only about Bht 2000. And you can get a hand-held scanner.

[KhunBENQ]

I used a shop with a Fuji photo printer a couple of times.

They always do some kind of virus scan to check my stick and then copy the files to their machine.

Then give back the stick. Never experienced a problem with them.

 

And you are confident that everything is OK with your device/PC?

Edited September 2, 2018 by KhunBENQ

[kickbox]

17 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

I used a shop with a Fuji photo printer a couple of times.

They always do some kind of virus scan to check my stick and then copy the files to their machine.

Then give back the stick. Never experienced a problem with them.

 

And you are confident that everything is OK with your device/PC?

I am confident my machine is good to go.  I only have a problem with Thailand.  I travel a lot for work and I am in China, Malaysia, Singapore and the US.  No problems.  Just here in Thailand I have this problem.

 

I guess it could be a sign my USB is dying, not sure why a bunch of random files and put onto my stick though....

Edited September 2, 2018 by kickbox

[Slip]

10 minutes ago, kickbox said:

I am confident my machine is good to go.  I only have a problem with Thailand.  I travel a lot for work and I am in China, Malaysia, Singapore and the US.  No problems.  Just here in Thailand I have this problem.

 

I guess it could be a sign my USB is dying, not sure why a bunch of random files and put onto my stick though....

It's a common networked based virus.  The files have been hidden, but you can find instructions to fix quite easily on the net.

 

[dabhand]

Used to travel a lot to India on business and found that most of the hotel business centres were 'alive' with viruses. Even at the top hotels, such as Taj, Mumbai. Always performed virus checks before and after use. Even when I found viruses and then complained there was absolutely no interest shown in cleaning their machines. Always made me think it was a deliberate action by the workers there.

 

So, not just in Thailand......... 

[kickbox]

Slip,

By "common network based virus" you mean that they have a virus that I caught or I had the virus first?  Well, we both will have it now....

 

dabhand,

I know Thailand is not the only country.  Vietnam was known for that as well even though I never caught anything there using my usb.  I just meant, I never had this issue elsewhere.

Edited September 2, 2018 by kickbox

[JaiMaai]

This (and similar viruses) are endemic in schools etc.  As said before the files are probably just hidden.

 

Open a command prompt window and select your drive, eg. E:

 

Then type the following command and you should see all of your files

 

attrib -s -h -r /s /d *.*

[Slip]

9 minutes ago, kickbox said:

Slip,

By "common network based virus" you mean that they have a virus that I caught or I had the virus first?  Well, we both will have it now....

 

dabhand,

I know Thailand is not the only country.  Vietnam was known for that as well even though I never caught anything there using my usb.  I just meant, I never had this issue elsewhere.

I mean it spreads over networks (and usb).  They had it first.  You should run a scan for it on your own machine if you have plugged the usb in.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Slip

[Slip]

2 minutes ago, JaiMaai said:

This (and similar viruses) are endemic in schools etc.  As said before the files are probably just hidden.

 

Open a command prompt window and select your drive, eg. E:

 

Then type the following command and you should see all of your files

 

attrib -s -h -r /s /d *.*

To add to this- in the past I have just copied the files to my computer, formatted the usb then copied them back again.  It the quickest way, but be sure not to copy the nasty.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Slip

[kickbox]

2 minutes ago, JaiMaai said:

This (and similar viruses) are endemic in schools etc.  As said before the files are probably just hidden.

 

Open a command prompt window and select your drive, eg. E:

 

Then type the following command and you should see all of your files

 

attrib -s -h -r /s /d *.*

That was it!

 

I got my files back and my USB clean.  Thank you!

 

Thank you all for the fast replies!  It looks like I will be getting a printer so I don't have to mess around with this again.

[JaiMaai]

1 minute ago, kickbox said:

That was it!

 

I got my files back and my USB clean.  Thank you!

 

Thank you all for the fast replies!  It looks like I will be getting a printer so I don't have to mess around with this again.

You may also see a load of shortcut files (.ink) or other files you don't recognise. If anything doesn't look right then delete them.  There will be some files such as System Volume Information which are fine. They are normal system files which are usually hidden.

[kickbox]

1 minute ago, JaiMaai said:

You may also see a load of shortcut files (.ink) or other files you don't recognise. If anything doesn't look right then delete them.  There will be some files such as System Volume Information which are fine. They are normal system files which are usually hidden.

yes, I see all that.  I just copied my PDF I needed and deleted everything else and reformatted.

[scottiejohn]

Does the shop have an internet connection where you can access your e-mail or website.

If so send the photos as attachments to yourself and print directly from their computer.  No USB. No virus.

[Vacuum]

Use a throw away usb or cd when using print shops.

[scottiejohn]

12 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Use a throw away usb or cd when using print shops.

Why waste money?

Use OneDrive, Bluetooth, The Cloud, Google, Tethering etc or send to yourself as I said above. 

I would NOT touch a "Print Shop" that does not have an "Internet Interface" to their printer that does not allow any or all of the above options. 

 

 

[Vacuum]

14 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Why waste money?

Use OneDrive, Bluetooth, The Cloud, Google, Tethering etc or send to yourself as I said above. 

I would NOT touch a "Print Shop" that does not have an "Internet Interface" to their printer that does not allow any or all of the above options. 

 

 

Why would you share your stuff with google just to save a few baht?

[JaiMaai]

1 hour ago, scottiejohn said:

Does the shop have an internet connection where you can access your e-mail or website.

If so send the photos as attachments to yourself and print directly from their computer.  No USB. No virus.

If I were going to go into full-on tinfoil hat mode, then I would be paranoid about the risk of keyloggers etc. on the already infected computers...

[ukrules]

USB drives are disposable. I've lent someone one at various points in time and had zero intention of ever using it again when they return it.

 

I don't tell them this but they do go in the bin when they come back. I'm the guy with the small cheap USB flash drives.

Edited September 2, 2018 by ukrules

[scottiejohn]

4 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Why would you share your stuff with google just to save a few baht?

You have made the post above!

 

Ipso Facto;   Google/Facebook/Twitter/Amazon/your local ISP/Government(Dept et al)/Mastercard/Visa/Bank  etc  have "your stuff" anyway! 

 

Also not all my suggestions included  "google" - just the real internet world which if you are reading this includes YOU! (Oh and the rest of the internet world) where you are sharing your stuff now.

 

  

Edited September 2, 2018 by scottiejohn

[bendejo]

Spent a bit of time in Malaysia, took lots of trips on Air Asia.  Before wifi became prevalent.  Would have to print out a paper copy of the air ticket, went down to the internet place with a USB drive.  EVERY TIME my drive picked up a virus.

A safe way to clean it: use a Linux, like Ubuntu, either from a "live CD" or installed as dual-boot on your laptop.  A Windows program won't run on Linux, don't worry, just do a clean reformat the USB drive. 

There other ways to possibly clean it up in Windows, do a search on it.  One hint would be to read up on autorun.

 

 

[WorriedNoodle]

17 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Why would you share your stuff with google just to save a few baht?

To avoid using USB's and getting a virus? Check the thread title for clues.

[kickbox]

8 hours ago, bendejo said:

Spent a bit of time in Malaysia, took lots of trips on Air Asia.  Before wifi became prevalent.  Would have to print out a paper copy of the air ticket, went down to the internet place with a USB drive.  EVERY TIME my drive picked up a virus.

A safe way to clean it: use a Linux, like Ubuntu, either from a "live CD" or installed as dual-boot on your laptop.  A Windows program won't run on Linux, don't worry, just do a clean reformat the USB drive. 

There other ways to possibly clean it up in Windows, do a search on it.  One hint would be to read up on autorun.

 

Thats true, linux is great...except my live USB linux on my throw away laptop.....has only one usb port working! 

 

[keeniau96]

I recently bought Brother DCP-1510 copier-scanner-printer just under 300 baht. Excellent and with cheap cartridges. 

Edited September 3, 2018 by keeniau96
corrected mod# error

[MJKT2014]

5 hours ago, keeniau96 said:

I recently bought Brother DCP-1510 copier-scanner-printer just under 300 baht. Excellent and with cheap cartridges. 

Presume you mean 2nd hand give away at that price. That said along with wgdanson #2 profanity laden post suggesting the same, some of our travelling digital nomads would find carrying a printer in their rucksack inconvenient, hence need for print shops.