Video files in usb external hard drive converted to zipped files then ENC files?

I have a Dell Inspiron 14 laptop running Windows 11 that has problems when I plug in my USB External Hard-drive....

The USB drive is a WD Passport, and before you tell me it isn't compatible with Windows 11, yes it is. It is ExFAT, having been originally saved from a Macintosh laptop.

The issue is that I have many Folders saved on this drive that contain multiple video files, many of which were randomly changed to zipped files either by the External Drive, or by Windows. It seems that the unzip utility that I had was a trial that has expired. So, I downloaded and installed 7zip for Windows, but after installing a new file decompression utility, going back to the USB drive to try and use it to open these zipped files, 7zip would show up in the options to 'Open With' so I had to search for the 7zip folder in Program Files, it had 3 different application files in the folder, so I tried all three of them, whatever I did wrong it somehow changed them all to ENC files. I have no clue how to undo this, and am concerned that the over 1000 videos that this happened to are permanently lost now.

Does an ENC file lose its original contents, or can it be salvaged, and why did all of these file change to a zipped file on their own please??

Thanks in advance!!

Edited by zlloyd1, 01 April 2024 - 08:06 PM.

Worth A Read.

Louis

Worth A Read.

 

Louis

Thanks, but I am not positive which of the 7zip applications I used initially to cause the files to be changed into the ENC format....

As noted, there were 2 different executable files in the 7zip folder, and I just tried all 3, but one of them made the change. Not certain why Windows did not recognize that I had installed a new zip utility, but it didn't leaving me to have to figure it out on my own.

Anyway, thanks for the quick response!!

(Personally never liked 7zip)  Winrar or Peazip more user friendly and less weird stuff.  This happened to someone else here this month. 

When search the Forum for that : ENC format everything turns up being in the Malware Removal Forum.   

When search in Google results tend to be the same : https://www.google.com/search?q=ENC+format+bleepingcomputer.com%2Fforums%2F&client=firefox-b-d&sca_esv=72c8a1a5d0cf3c73&sca_upv=1&ei=oXULZruiN8aw0PEPtruliA0&ved=0ahUKEwj79rbdxaKFAxVGGDQIHbZdCdEQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=ENC+format+bleepingcomputer.com%2Fforums%2F&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiJ0VOQyBmb3JtYXQgYmxlZXBpbmdjb21wdXRlci5jb20vZm9ydW1zLzIFECEYoAFIsYgBUPsEWIyGAXABeAGQAQCYAa4BoAHyFaoBBDIzLja4AQPIAQD4AQGYAh6gApgXwgIKEAAYRxjWBBiwA8ICBRAAGIAEwgIGEAAYFhgewgIIEAAYFhgeGA_CAgoQABgWGB4YDxgKwgIIEAAYgAQYogTCAgcQIRgKGKABwgIEECEYFcICBhAhGA0YFZgDAIgGAZAGCJIHBDIzLjegB6xE&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

If do decide to go to the Malware Removal Forum you need to do this 1st : https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/34773/preparation-guide-for-use-before-using-malware-removal-tools-and-requesting-help/

.enc is not a file extension that 7-zip uses or supports.  You can see the file formats it supports here - https://www.7-zip.org/

Also see https://www.filetypeadvisor.com/extension/enc    "Files may be encoded/encrypted deliberately for data security reasons. Such .enc files should be handled by the same application/tool that was used to encrypt them. Sudden mass occurrence of .enc files is a sure sign of a ransom-type virus attack that can prove difficult to neutralize."

It's also not normal behaviour for 7-zip to delete the source file/s when you compress it.  In my experience it always leaves the original files unchanged, and creates archive (compressed) versions as per whatever settings you may have used to compress them with.  Unfortunately, it does sound to me like it could be a malware attack, and requesting help on the Malware Removal Forum is probably your best option.