How to scan before downloading a file

In other cases, only a few antivirus tools may have a problem with the file. This is often a false positive, though in certain circumstances it could be that some antivirus tools have spotted new malware before others. You can scroll down to see which antivirus tools had a problem with the file, view more details about the file, and see community comments about whether the URL is safe or not.

In some cases, for example, it may just be flagged for including bundled crapware, which is easily bypassable. To make this process easier, the VirusTotal project offers browser extensions. Download the appropriate extension and you can right-click a link and select the VirusTotal option to quickly scan it and see the results. If VirusTotal is unanimous that a file is dangerous, you should stay away.

If the results are mixed, you should be careful, but you may want to examine the more detailed antivirus results to see why they say the file is dangerous. Do I need one? Customize the Taskbar in Windows What Is svchost. Browse All Buying Guides. Best iPhone 13 Pro Case. Best Bluetooth Headphones for Switch. Best Roku TV. Best Apple Watch. Best iPad Cases. Best Portable Monitors. Best Gaming Keyboards. Best Drones.

Best 4K TVs. Best iPhone 13 Cases. Best Tech Gifts for Kids Aged Awesome PC Accessories. Best Linux Laptops. Then right-click and select to scan with your Antivirus software. If a virus is found, your Antivirus app will delete it or put it in Quarantine so it cannot infect your system. To be very thorough and want a second opinion actually 41 , then you might want to check out the VirusTotal Uploader.

This handy app will scan your files with 41 different Antivirus apps online. It will send the file to VirusTotal. If that is the case, use your best judgment when viewing the results. If you use a lot of different flash drives throughout the day, check out our article on how to scan a thumb drive for viruses from the AutoPlay Dialog.

Download Microsoft Security Essentials. Do I need one? Customize the Taskbar in Windows What Is svchost. Browse All Buying Guides. Best iPhone 13 Pro Case. Best Bluetooth Headphones for Switch. Best Roku TV. Best Apple Watch. Best iPad Cases. Best Portable Monitors. Best Gaming Keyboards. Best Drones. Best 4K TVs. Best iPhone 13 Cases. Best Tech Gifts for Kids Aged So, with that in mind, follow these steps to download safely:.

So what if your download shows up as being infected? If you can, see if you can find the same download from another source — sometimes malware is present only in some of the downloads of a particular piece of software. Subscribe to Confident Computing! Less frustration and more confidence, solutions, answers, and tips in your inbox every week. You CAN! Just Right CLick the link and wait for results. Avast Antivirus? Actually you can scan a file before downloading it.

DrWeb is a program that scans the file at another location other than your PC. Meaning, you never have to download the file to scan it.

From your experience, have there been major complaints about bad viruses, malware etc regarding this software on piratebay? Can it really be scanned before downloading? I have the latest norton antivirus instaled, which I purchased from the shop just to be sure:. Pirate software is not only illegal, it is often full of malware. If you download, you are also uploading as a list of the IP addresses are displayed by the torrent program which the owners of that software can check and get the courts to get the ISP to turn over your name and address.

I agree. Then you recommend running an AV scan on the downloaded file. I do agree that post-download rescans would be beneficial if scanned with another program — kind of like a second opinion, or applying a different type scan Malware scan vs AV scan. TIA, Dale…. I second use of VirusTotal. VirusTotal scans uploaded files with 50 or more anti-virus programs and gives the results.

It also tells if that file had been uploaded before.