If a USB drive is formatted, appears clean, and turns into shortcuts again after connecting to the same PC, the source may be Windows.
Why formatting the USB may not fix it
Formatting removes content from the drive but does not remove processes, files or startup mechanisms active on the computer. If the infection source remains in Windows, the USB can be contaminated again.
The pattern worth investigating
A typical cycle is: clean or format → reconnect to the same PC → shortcuts, unexpected executables or abnormal attributes return. That pattern is a reason to expand diagnosis from the drive to the system.
What to inspect in Windows
Persistence can appear in Run/RunOnce, Startup folders, scheduled tasks or executables in unexpected locations. Any single item needs context; names alone are not enough to classify software as malicious.
Break the cycle
The safer sequence is to scan Windows, neutralize supported persistence, treat the external drive, and then re-scan. Only after that should you reconnect other clean removable drives.
If several drives develop the same symptoms only after connecting to one computer, include that computer at the center of the diagnosis.
Scan first. Decide after.
ANTÍDOTO shows the detected indicators before remediation.