File property changed

[eddie hodgson]

Hi All,

Thighs is my first post so I hope that I have selected the correct section. If not, please shunt it to where it belongs.

I was recently downloading some files when my computer started having a nervous breakdown. I wasn't even threatening it at the time. As a result, it has changed several hundred, if not thousands of files. It did this by adding the suffix .PPTX to them.

So far as I can tell it has not actually changed the files themselves but I need to delete the suffix from them all. Now, as I am in my late 60's I don't think I have enough time left on earth to do them all manually. Is there a way that I can search and then changed the results as a job lot with some batch conversion?

Thanks in advance,
Eddie

 

[beers]

That sounds ransomware related, if you try to open the files they probably won't work as they've been encrypted by a malicious process. Hopefully you have some sort of backup of your data.

I'd probably take it to a local shop if you aren't familiar with how to clean that kind of thing up.

 

[johnb35]

It is a ransomware infection, basically so new there is not a free way to decrypt those files. Unfortunately you will need to copy from a backup to recover your files.

 

[_Pete_]

I'm not so sure. PPTX file extensions are used by Microsoft's Powerpoint presentation software. Originally older versions of Powerpoint used PPT extensions but since Microsoft's idiotic and money spinning ploy of changing MS Office files to use the x suffix newer Powerpoint file extensions have become PPTX.

Older versions of Paint Shop Pro will do batch conversions although as we do not know what the original files were it could be that PSP will not work. Other than that I cannot think of any way to rename those files easily. If you change the file extension manually do the files become readable again?

https://support.office.com/en-us/ar...werpoint-252c6fa0-a4bc-41be-ac82-b77c9773f9dc

 

[Darren]

I'm not so sure. PPTX file extensions are used by Microsoft's Powerpoint presentation software. Originally older versions of Powerpoint used PPT extensions but since Microsoft's idiotic and money spinning ploy of changing MS Office files to use the x suffix newer Powerpoint file extensions have become PPTX.

Older versions of Paint Shop Pro will do batch conversions although as we do not know what the original files were it could be that PSP will not work. Other than that I cannot think of any way to rename those files easily. If you change the file extension manually do the files become readable again?

https://support.office.com/en-us/ar...werpoint-252c6fa0-a4bc-41be-ac82-b77c9773f9dc

If he was "downloading files" and then suddenly thousands of items change their file extension that is 100 percent malware. PPTX supports a lot more functionality than PPT did. Your argument of it being about money is null and void since you can set it save as a regular ppt in newer versions anyway.

Take it to a shop, but backups are probably your best bet if you have them.

 

[johnb35]

I'm not so sure. PPTX file extensions are used by Microsoft's Powerpoint presentation software. Originally older versions of Powerpoint used PPT extensions but since Microsoft's idiotic and money spinning ploy of changing MS Office files to use the x suffix newer Powerpoint file extensions have become PPTX.

Older versions of Paint Shop Pro will do batch conversions although as we do not know what the original files were it could be that PSP will not work. Other than that I cannot think of any way to rename those files easily. If you change the file extension manually do the files become readable again?

https://support.office.com/en-us/ar...werpoint-252c6fa0-a4bc-41be-ac82-b77c9773f9dc

Here, you can read all about this ransomware.
https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/239198-pptx-file-extension-ransomware/

 

[DMGrier]

I'm not so sure. PPTX file extensions are used by Microsoft's Powerpoint presentation software.

Anyone can set a file extensions. We do this at work all the time when needing to send files. As an example sometimes I need to send an "application.exe" to another IT department we are working with but I know their spam filter will flag the email because of the .exe (rightfully so). So I will change the file extension to "application.txt" and provide instructions to the person I am send the email to to change it back to "application.exe". Just because I changed the extension type Windows will automatically show you your application association but you will notice no applications works.

The guys above are spot on and right, it is ransomware dude.