External HDD Virus? No files visible, but capacity nearly full.

Find and download MiniTool Power Data Recovery or whatever data recovery software.

You could also throw it in a linux PC, which ignores windows priorities.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Would running Ubuntu in a Virtual Machine be enough to bypass window's priorities?

Wow good thinking! In theory yes. but I couldn't say for sure (little experience with VM)

So I tried several things. I used the following command to make all files visible in the windows command line:

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

which made some folders visible that I did not see before, but nothing that looks like it contains the contents of the hard drive:

in Ubuntu, ls -a shows:

bryan@bryan-VirtualBox:~$ ls -a
ls: cannot access USBC≡╪°.: No such file or directory
ls: cannot access USBC≡╪°.: No such file or directory
Desktop  .fseventsd  .gconfd  .nautilus  $RECYCLE.BIN  .Spotlight-V100  System Volume Information  .Trash-bar72  .Trashes  ._.Trashes  USBC≡╪°?.  USBC≡╪°?.

I can go ahead and run a data recovery tool, but I have some qualms about that. Mainly, it's going to take a very, very long time to recover 350GB of data, and what assurance do I have that this won't happen again? Avast! and AVG aren't finding any threats, and I can't delete those USBC files (nor do I know if I should).

What's a person to do?

Sorry so late. Honestly I had never heard of the USBC virus, and I was 99% sure that any linux system would have let you bypass a virus like that.

How sure are you it's a virus and not just faulty?

Either way, it's looking like a data recovery tool is your only option. I hope it works for you.

I had something similar once. My files become hidden files. Avira didn't detect anything. I had to use another antivirus to make those files unhidden.

Thanks!!! Worked for me

It is asame that no one can destroy the virtual machines that is attaching to our users computers. They destroyed 5 brandnew computers on this end because no technician could detect the viruses and how to stop them. This is what I found out the hard way, nortons cant stop them, microsoft , wont, att, wont, hp, wont. I say lets drop all our pcs off at the FCC and let them deal with this virus inwhich our providers are making a killing off of, not even trying to fix thier applications, OS's, firewalls, routers, this so called unprotected wifi because, these technicians do not tell, normal users, to fully secure, their, pc, tablets, IPhones, and any other device, Block remote is almost impossible. We are really in trouble when it comes to virtual machines. I wish iknew code. I would write a virus to send back to then and another thing they are doing is using these pc's or devices, from a RAID, a FIRA disk enumerator, comprimising total control of all pc's/devices connected to the internet, and half of America does not even know it. No one cares, GIVE USERs a break. Someone please. Nothing is working, I even found keyboard, crack on my PCs. Im pizzzzzed.