How to open a .Ink file/folder

I followed this page instructions: Restore missing files on USB and solve shortcut link file virus on Windows and MacOS | The Netizens

I opened the Terminal and typed:

$ defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles True

$ killall Finder

Then, I was able to see the hidden folders. So, I selected the .trash folder, made the Command + I key stroke, and gave me writing permissions to the folder. Afterwards, I was able to see all my stuff inside. I just put them where I wanted and that's all.

Hey,

I just I just had this problem today. The quick fix-it is to open the drive, then Command-shift-period to show hidden files. You then should she several grey-out folders, click on the one that says Drive. Your files should be there. If not check if they're in any of the other greyed out folders. This problem happens a lot when transferring files from a Windows to Mac. Hope this helps.

Follow these steps:

1. Right-Click on your USB flash drive icon
2. From the menu, select and click "Duplicate" option
3. This will copy your USB drive to your desktop in the form of a folder
4. The contents of your infected USB drive should become visible and operable now

.lnk files are links to the actual file that is located on a Windows computer. If you have .lnk files someone or yourself sent you or copied what they thought were the movie, music, etc. files but in error only sent/copied links to those files.

Hey, It happened to me too.

I was reading this blog and trying everything to solve the problem.

Accidentaly I could recovered my files...

so here is what happened and how I solve my problem, hope it works for you as well.

I plugged the hard drive into my imac, at first the files ended with ".ink". I try to find solutions online but I did not find usefull solutions.

When I plugged the hard drive for the 5th time, the files were not in it. I thought I have erased them but those files still appeared in windows, so they were just hidden.

I plugged again into imac, and I just copy the hard drive (right click- copy "hard drive") them pasted on the desktop. I did this just to have a backup. But them It appeared the folder in Desktop, and I openned and the files where just fine.

I know it sounds lucky, or stupid. But it worked for me and I am sharing it, so may be it will work for you.

Sorry for my english, if I have mistakes.

pqrstuv wrote:

I opened the Terminal and typed:

$ defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles True

$ killall Finder

Be sure to repeat that again, but replace the True at the end of the first command with False. Unless, of course, you like seeing all the invisible files on your system drive... but if that's the case, also know not to touch them unless you know exactly what you're doing! People have been known to destroy their systems by being able to see things they weren't meant to see, and either intentionally or accidentally modifying those things.

Thanks. Worked for me.

If you want to get rid of seeing the greyed out folders on your Mac. Just push Command-shift-period again.

thankyou so much!

I believe that this is related to a virus, but not a virus on your computer. Your friend's Windows machine is infected with a virus that did this. There is a solution to the problem, but you will need a Windows machine to fix it, to my knowledge. See:

http://joshtam.net/world/shortcut-ink-virus.html

That particular page refers to items being assigned a .ink extension (which could look like a .lnk extension if the 'i' is capitalized), but may also apply if the extension is actually .lnk. I'm not sure, though, as I don't do Windows. 🙂

Of course, if it just changed the extension on the file, you could always change it back to what it should be (or remove the extension altogether) and see if that fixes the problem.

This happened on my flashdrive. I tried to take off or change the extension but it kept saying that the file name was already taken.

When I did a search some of the stuff, folders and that, came up. So they are all still on there, just hidden.

Any clus on how to unhide them? I just need to take off like 6 important files. Then I'll erase the flashdrive and re-format.

HELP!

(and thanks!)

thomas_r. wrote:

know not to touch them unless you know exactly what you're doing! People have been known to destroy their systems by being able to see things they weren't meant to see, and either intentionally or accidentally modifying those things.

Thanks for the advice. This happened to me ± 10 years ago on Windows. Now, I'm just tweaking with personal documents, not system files. I wiped off the virus on the Windows computer which infected my HFS external hard drive, am putting the external hard drive's files in that computer and will afterwards format the external hard drive to make sure the virus is deleted.

.lnk files can only be opened on Windows computers

Thanks a lot, this worked for me!