Drive.bat virus: what it is and how to remove it
Drive.bat virus is a malicious cyber infection classified as a Trojan horse. However, it manages to proliferate since 2004 by spreading via external devices, like SD cards, USB flash drives, hard-drives, etc.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Drive.bat virus: summary
| Distribution | Via external drivers, drive.zip file, spam email attachments, software bundling |
|---|---|
| Name | Drive.bat virus |
| Type | Trojan |
| Other references | Drive.bat shortcut virus, Drive.bat usb Trojan |
| Danger Level | High. Can cause permanent data loss stored on any external drive connected to the infected PC |
| Symptoms | Files and folders on external drive (USB, SD card, USB hard drive, etc.) are transformed into shortcuts. |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 6 more facts
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| File names | Drive.bat |
| First seen | 11 May 2018 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
What Drive.bat virus does on an infected PC
From our report of May 2018 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Drive.bat virus
- Trojan can be utilized with a help of an updated and powerful anti-malware tool.
What Drive.bat virus can steal or download
From our report of May 2018 · not reviewed since
Drive.bat virus is a malicious cyber infection classified as a Trojan horse.
However, it manages to proliferate since 2004 by spreading via external devices, like SD cards, USB flash drives, hard-drives, etc. Once the virus infects the external device, all files and folders stored on it are transformed into the shortcuts similar to the one of a USB device. Consequently, the data cannot be opened and becomes unreadable. Consequently, the Trojan is often dubbed as Drive.bat shortcut virus.
Usually, the files corrupted by Drive.bat feature 1 KB size and seem to be completely lost. Luckily, analysis by NoVirus.uk experts have revealed that the virus does not delete the data, just hides it from the victim. The Trojan merely corrupts the display of data hierarchy.
Thus, you should remove Drive.bat to be able to re-access your files. This elimination process might be confusing for inexperienced computer users. We suggest using a reputable anti-malware software to eliminate the trojan.
Besides, the infected shortcut is designed to spread Drive.bat via connected systems, e.g. your computer and other external devices that might be connected to it. Many victims get lured into clicking it by thinking that it will lead them to the corrupted data. However, this act is precisely what attackers want them to believe. You should NOT open the shortcut under any circumstances.
Moreover, cybersecurity experts warn that this virus can start acting as a backdoor in the future. If these claims are true, it can be used for infecting systems with ransomware or other high-risk PC infections .
Infected victims have already outlined their experience on a IT forums. It turns out that this cyber threat might block Windows Updates and anti-virus software (from both installing and launching) even when in Safe Mode. Besides, the Internet connection may also cause chaos by turning on and off unexpectedly. Obviously, to prevent these issues, you need to get rid of Drive.bat virus.
It will also help you to start Drive.bat removal instantly. You could use or since they will not only eliminate the trojan but also maintain your security in the future.
Be aware that eliminating the malicious program is not enough. You should make sure to follow the below-listed tips to avoid Drive.bat virus infection afterward:
- Keep your system protected by employing reputable anti-malware;
- Back up your files and valuable data;
- Do not open any suspicious e-mails or attachments sent by people or organizations you don't know;
- Download applications only from authorized sources.
How Drive.bat virus got on your PC
From our report of May 2018 · not reviewed since
Criminals aim to infiltrate trojans on as many computers as possible.
Thus they use not one but many methods for distribution.
Drive.bat spreads via:
- Malicious drive.zip file;
- Spam e-mails containing a malicious attachment or link;
- Rogue advertisements displayed on highly suspicious websites;
- File-bundles of third-party apps that hide the information about the installation of the trojan;
- Illegal Torrent downloads.
How to check the PC for Drive.bat virus
- File:
Drive.bat
How to remove Drive.bat virus
A loader's job is to install other malware, so treat the PC as infected with more than one program until the scans are clean.
Step 1: Check where Drive.bat runs from and stop it
Drive.batis the part you can see, and its location tells you whether it belongs there. Right-click it on the Processes page of Task Manager and choose Open file location, then right-click the file > Properties > Digital Signatures to see who signed it.An unsigned file, or one in a user folder such as
%AppData%, is the one to remove: end the task, then delete the file.Note the folder name, because the same folder usually holds its other files. This is the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Full procedure with screenshots: Close a frozen app (Task Manager, Force Quit) On uGetFix
Step 2: Delete scheduled tasks that bring it back
Open Task Scheduler from the Start menu and click Task Scheduler Library. Select each task you do not recognise and read the Actions tab:
- a task that starts a file in
%AppData%or%Temp% - runs
powershellwith a long encoded line - opens a web address belongs to Drive.bat virus or a similar program
Right-click such a task and choose Delete, and check the subfolders too. Leave tasks from Microsoft, your PC's maker and programs you use. Task Scheduler is the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Windows 11: Task Scheduler Library, the task selected, the Actions tab shows the file it runs. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
- a task that starts a file in
Step 3: Remove it from startup
Whatever Drive.bat virus installed usually starts with Windows. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, go to Startup apps in Windows 11 or the Startup tab in Windows 10, and disable what you do not know, starting with entries that have an empty Publisher column.
Open file location on the right-click menu shows the file, which helps you decide and tells you what to delete later. Disabling is safe: if something you need stops working, switch it back on.
Full procedure with screenshots: Stop apps from opening at startup On uGetFix
Step 4: Delete the folders left behind
What the uninstaller leaves behind is usually in the user folders. Open File Explorer, switch on View > Show > Hidden items (in Windows 10 View > Hidden items), and go through
%LocalAppData%,%AppData%, %ProgramData% and the two Program Files folders.Sort by Date modified and delete folders that appeared together with the problem and belong to no program you use. Folders with random names that hold
.exe,.dll, .js or .ps1 files are the strongest sign.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
Step 5: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan and remove everything it finds. Then select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now: the PC restarts and scans before Windows loads, which finds files that hide while Windows runs.
Save your work first, because the offline scan takes about 15 minutes. Both scans are built into Windows 11 and Windows 10, and a second scanner from another vendor is a useful extra opinion.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Step 6: Change passwords from another device and sign out other sessions
Assume that the passwords saved in this PC's browsers, and the accounts that were open in them, are known to the attacker. From a phone or a clean computer, change the e-mail password first, then banking, shopping, social and gaming accounts.
Use each service's option to sign out of all other sessions, because stolen cookies keep a session open even after a password change. Turn on two-step verification on each account. Wait with the infected Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC until the scans are clean.
Full procedure with screenshots: Turn on two-step verification / secure a hacked account
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Manual removal using Safe Mode
Important! →
Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.
Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking
Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment.
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
- Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. - it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
- Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
- On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
- Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
- Click Restart now.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings.
- Press Restart.
- Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes
Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Click on More details.
- Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
- Right-click and select Open file location.
- Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
- Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Go to Startup tab.
- Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
Step 4. Delete virus files
Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:
- Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
- Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
- Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files
Downloads
Recycle Bin
Temporary files - Pick Clean up system files.
- You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):
%AppData%
%LocalAppData%
%ProgramData%
%WinDir%
After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.
From our report of May 2018 · not reviewed since
Eliminate Drive.bat to retrieve access to your files
Trojans often are able to hide their presence or traces.
Therefore, manual Drive.bat removal is almost an impossible challenge for those who do not possess specific IT skills. You shouldn't try to get rid of the virus by yourself, or you risk damaging corrupted files permanently. Instead, pick a professional security software that will solve your question "How to remove Drive.bat from your system" with only one click.
There is a possibility that the malware will not allow you to download an anti-virus program. To avoid that, you should reboot your PC to Safe Mode. It will deactivate the virus and permit to run a full system scan.
[GI=method-2]If the first method doesn't work, you should try Command Prompt function to uninstall Drive.bat from your system.
From our report of May 2018 · not reviewed since
Eliminate the main shortcut of the virus from external drive automatically
- Open My Computer or This PC and right-click on the external drive that is infected with a shortcut Trojan.
- Select Scan for viruses option.
- Select the security tool that you prefer using and let it scan the removable drive.
- Alternatively, you can open Windows Defender and access its Settings.
- Open the Advanced section and select Scan removable drives.
- Select the security tool
From our report of May 2018 · not reviewed since
Get rid of shortcut Trojan from external drive using Command Prompt (Admin)
- Right-click on Windows key and select Command Prompt (Admin).
- You can also open Command Prompt (Admin) by typing cmd into the search. Right-click on the search result and select Run as Administrator.
- Now type the letter of your USB (e.g. E:) and press Enter.
- Type del *.lnk and press Enter.
- Once the command is executed, copy and paste the attrib -s -r -h *.* /s.d/l/ command. Press Enter to execute it.
- Now open the external drive and check whether the data was restored.
After removal: passwords, accounts and prevention
Accounts come next
Because the PC showed an unfamiliar process called Drive.bat in Task Manager, a sign of a program that could read browser data, the clean-up is only half of the work.
The other half happens in your online accounts.
Change passwords from a clean device, beginning with e-mail; sign out of all sessions; check forwarding rules and recovery phone numbers; and turn on two-step verification with an authenticator app or a passkey. Ask your bank to replace cards saved in the browser.
Why the order matters and what to check in each account: secure your accounts after malware.
Protect your privacy - employ a VPN
There are several ways how to make your online time more private - you can access an incognito tab.
However, there is no secret that even in this mode, you are tracked for advertising purposes. There is a way to add an extra layer of protection and create a completely anonymous web browsing practice with the help of VPN. This software reroutes traffic through different servers, thus leaving your IP address and geolocation in disguise.
Besides, it is based on a strict no-log policy, meaning that no data will be recorded, leaked, and available for both first and third parties. The combination of a secure web browser and VPN will let you browse the Internet without a feeling of being spied or targeted by criminals.
No backups? No problem. Use a data recovery tool
If you wonder how data loss can occur, you should not look any further for answers - human errors, malware attacks, hardware failures, power cuts, natural disasters, or even simple negligence.
In some cases, lost files are extremely important, and many straight out panic when such an unfortunate course of events happen. Due to this, you should always ensure that you prepare proper data backups on a regular basis.
If you were caught by surprise and did not have any backups to restore your files from, not everything is lost. is one of the leading file recovery solutions you can find on the market - it is likely to restore even lost emails or data located on an external device.
Questions about Drive.bat virus
Is Drive.bat safe?
It depends on where the file is and who signed it, not on the name. Open Task Manager, go to the Details tab, right-click Drive.bat and choose Open file location. A file inside Program Files or System32 with a valid digital signature from a known company is usually part of a legitimate program.
A file in AppData, Temp or ProgramData with no signature, especially one that restarts itself after you end it, is suspicious. If you cannot tie the process to anything you installed, uninstall recent unfamiliar programs and run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan.
Can I end Drive.bat in Task Manager?
Ending an unknown process is safe in the sense that Windows will warn you before you close anything critical, and a restart brings back whatever Windows needs. Ending Drive.bat will not remove it, though: if a task or startup entry launches it, it returns at the next sign-in.
Use ending the process as a test. If something important stops working, it belonged to a program you use. If nothing changes and it comes back by itself, find and disable its starter, delete the file and scan the PC.
Can I just delete Drive.bat?
Deleting Drive.bat by hand rarely removes Drive.bat virus. While the trojan runs, Windows may refuse to delete the file, and if you succeed, a scheduled task, a service or a second copy may bring it back at the next restart.
The file can also be only one part of the infection: loaders and remote access tools often install other programs. Use the Microsoft Defender offline scan, which removes the file together with its startup entries before Windows loads, and then check startup items and scheduled tasks as described in the plan.
What are the signs of a trojan infection?
Most trojans try to leave no visible signs, so look for side effects. Common ones:
- Windows Security turned off or unable to update
- new entries in Startup apps or Task Scheduler
- programs in Installed apps you did not install
- browser settings that changed by themselves
- unusual network activity while the PC is idle
- password-reset or login-alert e-mails you did not trigger
None of these proves an infection on its own. Together with an antivirus alert naming Drive.bat virus, they are a strong reason to follow the full plan.
Is a trojan infection worth reporting to the police?
If there was harm, yes. Unauthorised payments, accounts used for fraud, blackmail or a remote session during a scam call all belong in a report, and banks often ask for its reference number before they refund anything.
If antivirus caught Drive.bat virus before it ran and nothing was misused, there is nothing to report. Keep the evidence anyway:
- protection history
- the original download
- the dates
Businesses may also have to notify a data protection authority if personal data could have been accessed.
Should I reset my PC because of Drive.bat virus?
Only if the signs point to deeper access. Reset when you see an unfamiliar process called Drive.bat in Task Manager again after removal, when Windows Security cannot start or update, when remote access tools you did not install keep appearing, or when you simply cannot trust the PC any more.
Otherwise, the plan in this guide plus an offline scan is enough. If you do reset, choose Remove everything and Cloud download for a fresh copy of Windows, restore only documents and photos, and reinstall programs from their official sites. Change important passwords from the clean system afterwards.
Why didn't my antivirus stop Drive.bat virus?
New trojan builds are packed and changed often so that signatures do not match, and some are signed with stolen or bought certificates. Many arrive inside password-protected archives, which scanners cannot open until you extract them.
Some downloads also tell the user to turn off the antivirus "because it gives false alarms", a common line in cracked software instructions. Keep real-time protection on, never disable it for an installer, and run the offline scan whenever you suspect something slipped through.
Is it safe to do online banking after seeing an unfamiliar process called Drive.bat in Task Manager?
Not on that PC until it is clean. A program that produces an unfamiliar process called Drive.bat in Task Manager runs with your rights and could read what you type or what the browser shows. Use a phone or another computer for banking and for changing passwords.
When the offline scan of the affected PC is clean and nothing suspicious starts with Windows any more, you can go back to using it. Check your bank statements for the past weeks either way, and call the bank if anything looks unfamiliar; banks can block cards and reset access quickly.
Can a normal remote support program be a backdoor?
Yes. Tools such as AnyDesk, TeamViewer and ScreenConnect are legitimate, but whoever controls the account behind them controls the PC. Scammers install them during fake support calls, and some trojan campaigns install them silently because antivirus programs do not flag a genuine, signed product.
If you find one you did not set up, uninstall it, check Startup apps for related entries and change passwords from another device. If money or accounts were involved, call your bank and report the incident.
Will Fortect remove Drive.bat virus?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For Drive.bat virus, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Kaspersky Lab: What is a Trojan Virus? (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 6, 2026)