Strange file behaviour; Doc./Office files changed to PDS files

[katz]

I came across this strange behavior on my new shop pc, running Win 8.

Situation;

I have several of my old drives slaved to this pc from my Win 7 box. They contain documents that I used frequently in the business - ad flyers, invoices, form letters, etc., mostly all created with LibreOffice or Open Office.

I opened one of these folders this eve. and most of the files are now showing a PDS extension. No clue how this could have happened...they will not open in Libreoffice/other.

Got this from google -

"What is a PDS file?
Files that contain the .pds file extension are most commonly used by the PowerDirector video editing software application."

Confusing to me, as I've never used that software, these are simple doc files with a jpg./other simple graphic contained in the header.

I'm stumped on this one. No special software running on this new pc - basically set up as my Win 7 system was. Any ideas for a quick fix?

And yes, this system is "clean".

 

[bitznpcz]

Can you change the extension back and open with libre or ms office? If not, it sounds like a virus or cryptolocker type variant.

Ive had lots of problem systems with file association changes but never one with file extension changes that wasn't a virus or cryptolocker...

Google's not much help as it assumes you're looking for PDF not PDS.

Can you post an example file? Zip it up to be safe.

 

[alluseridsrejected]

The only PDS files I am familiar with were Partitioned Data Sets on IBM Mainframes, but I wouldn't think you had anything like that unless you worked on mainframes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_set_(IBM_mainframe)

 

[glennd]

I came across this strange behavior on my new shop pc, running Win 8.

Situation;

I have several of my old drives slaved to this pc from my Win 7 box. They contain documents that I used frequently in the business - ad flyers, invoices, form letters, etc., mostly all created with LibreOffice or Open Office.

I opened one of these folders this eve. and most of the files are now showing a PDS extension. No clue how this could have happened...they will not open in Libreoffice/other.

Got this from google -

"What is a PDS file?
Files that contain the .pds file extension are most commonly used by the PowerDirector video editing software application."

Confusing to me, as I've never used that software, these are simple doc files with a jpg./other simple graphic contained in the header.

I'm stumped on this one. No special software running on this new pc - basically set up as my Win 7 system was. Any ideas for a quick fix?

And yes, this system is "clean".

my first thought is to try to read the file into something like Notepad or Notepad++ or a hex editor. It'll look like rubbish but you might see something there that rings a bell. A sudden unexpected mass renaming of files doesn't bode well.

 

[katz]

Changing the extension & association does nothing as far as permitting the file to open correctly. When this frist happened, I opened them in notepad, wordpad, other text editors, even paint/pic. programs and all shows up as a bunch of gobbledygook.

This is what 30 advert flyers look like when opened. Only in this one folder. I have scanned this system high & low with all the tools that we normally use and it comes up squeaky clean. I surely don't get it; just this one folder is affected....

This is a very recent Win 8 build I put together and I don't even have all of the programs installed on here that I normally use - it has seen very little activity as far as downloads go...

It's not a big deal to lose these files; I can recreate the advertisements...but as you know it is the uncertainly as to what has happened...what may be lurking.

BTW, I do install Cryptoprevent on every system that I touch, it was one of the first pgms. I out on here.

 

[glennd]

doesn't look like anything i recognise. last modified time? check windows event logs, see if anything jumps out at you.

 

[bitznpcz]

Just a thought - can you change to psd and open in Photoshop or pdf and open in abobe/foxit etc. With you saying they are flyers, it's worth a shot??

 

[phaZed]

Searching the string "5dspcodr" leads to these types of results:
http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/f/3524/t/19090249

Looks like it is a Broderbund PrintMaster Gold document.