Click here and get The Ask Leo! I was somewhat taken aback by this question. Become a Patron of Ask Leo! In order to be scannable by your anti-malware tool, a questionable file must be able to be read by the tool. That means the file needs to be in the process of downloading, or already be downloaded, to your computer. The best way to avoid a problem is to only download from sites and companies you trust, never download illegal software, scan your downloads as soon as you can, and of course back up regularly in case the worst happens.
Always be skeptical. Anti-malware scanners look at the contents of the files on your system to see if they have what appear to be viruses or not. You can and should scan that file before you run it. But the files do have to be on your system, or in some rare cases in the process of being downloaded.
Before you download? You have to download it in order to be able to scan it yourself. Our best defense is to fall back on common sense and best practices for avoiding malware in the first place.
I recently downloaded an update to a legitimate program I use, and received the following warning:. All it really means is to take a breath and consider whether you recognize and trust the application and its vendor. Other security tools use a more aggressive form of application white-listing , meaning only applications that have been somehow pre-vetted and confirmed not to be malicious are allowed to run.
You run good security software and got infected anyway? More in: I Run Anti-virus Software. Absolute prevention is difficult at best. Even with the best tools, people often actively circumventing warnings and other blocks to download whatever they apparently desperately want.
The best defense is you. You are both the weakest link and the strongest hope for your own security. Be skeptical , take the time, and make the effort to choose your downloads with care. In general, assuming browsers are up-to-date and fully patched against known vulnerabilities, websites cannot download things without your knowledge. There are ways websites can trick you, however. Sometimes they display urgent messages about links to click on or files to download. Downloading a file should not be dangerous.
All it does is copy a file from an online server to your computer — nothing else. The one exception is that occasionally the anti-malware tools that scan downloads will have a vulnerability that the download can exploit simply by being downloaded. This is very rare, but is another reason to keep your system and anti-malware tools as up-to-date as possible.
The downloading process is nothing more than a file copy. Subscribe to Confident Computing! Less frustration and more confidence, solutions, answers, and tips in your inbox every week.
Download right-click, Save-As Duration: —. One point. A fair number of devs will have their programs hosted by a download site such as tucows.
Now copy the file, and then paste it into the Windows Sandbox. If you are already running the. Our free GlassWire software can show you that data in real-time. If you find the. Are you still not sure what files are safe or dangerous on your PC?
We at GlassWire have helped over 20 million people monitor the behavior of certain Windows. Are you curious if a certain. Check out our directory below to see. Keeping track of what executables are running on your PC is a great first step to protect your privacy and security. Want even more security and privacy? Consider trying out our free GlassWire Firewall app. GlassWire helps you see the network behavior of the apps on your PC in real-time.
By Ken GlassWire. Last updated November 19, Check it with Windows itself 2. Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy.
Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article Steps. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Assess what you're downloading. Are you downloading pornography or a warez cracked program? Or are you downloading an add-on to help improve your Mozilla Firefox experience? There's a much greater chance that the pornography and warez software is going to contain a virus hidden in the download.
What's the file? That's your first clue. If it is illegal or suspicious looking, it's probably dangerous. Look over the site. It may seem superficial, but if you're downloading a file from a very basic site there's a higher chance that the site will have a virus hidden in its downloadable files than from a site that looks like it's been made from years of dedicated web designers. Consider who you are downloading the file from.
Think about it logically, if you're downloading something from Microsoft, it's not likely that you're downloading a virus. What's the context? That's the key. Are there other people that have downloaded the file?
If there's a forum attached to the site that has people saying they've downloaded said file and have not experienced any problems, chances are, you aren't going to be downloading a Trojan or worm.
Look at the size of the file. If it's too small for what it is, it's junk. Watch out for executable files, such as '. If you download one of these you are, potentially, opening yourself up to anything on that file once you activate it.
Try scanning it with a virus checker or any other software that is like it - just to be on the safe side. One common trick used by crackers is to have a 'double extension' such as '. Said file is actually an. Is the file signed? If you are downloading an executable.
If the executable is unlicensed, it is most likely a threat to your computer and privacy. Note that not all unlicensed executables are bad, nor are all licensed executables good. If unsure, refer to the Tips section. Is it okay to download a mod for Minecraft that has a warning saying it could harm my computer, but it does not have.
If you right click on the file once downloaded, there should be an option to scan the file using your anti-virus software. If the file is genuine and safe, the scan will come up clear.
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