found very high quality free web site to check if a file has a virus

[jimdagys]

I found this website virustotal.com that allows you to check if a file/archive on your computer has a virus. All you do is upload the file and it will automatically give comprehensive results in a short while. About 5 years ago I got a rar archive and installed and used that software on many computers without any apparent problem. I uploaded this rar archive to virustotal.com and about half of the scanners (see screenshot) show that there is a virus in the archive. Actually, I don't think there is a problem with this file, otherwise nearly 100% of the scanners would show a problem. But as you can see, many virus scanners detect a problem with this file. I think they are false positives.

[redwudz]

False positives are fairly common when a file 'acts' like a trojan. What I've seen most often is a program that wants to 'phone home' or change something in the registry triggering the alert. I have wondered about some of those 'positives' when a search for the listed name of the virus/trojan they list doesn't show up in any search.

I stopped using AVG 7 when it 'identified' several of my known good programs as trojans. AVG 8 may have fixed that, but I trust the combination of Avast, SpyBot and Spyware Blaster, along with Comodo firewall now. But no malware detector program is 100% perfect.

[hech54]

I found this website.......I think they are false positives.

Then it is complete CRAP.
End of story.

[sambat]

I found this website.......I think they are false positives.

Then it is complete CRAP.
End of story.

What's complete crap?That the website runs multiple virus programs on a file and finds differing results or that the website has the temerity to do it in the first place.

[jman98]

Giving false positives is what hech54 means is crap.

AVG 8 still has problems that it misidentifies software that "phones home" as being a trojan. It "cleaned up" Daemon Tools for me, which does phone home if you use the free one like I do, and I had to reinstall a new version as AVG ruined what I had of it on my hard drive.

I tried Avast briefly and its complete lack of user configurability in the free version made it a "no go" for me. AVG was a great program, now perhaps arguably less so, but at least I can run it when I want to. I just thought my whole Avast experience sucked and it made me have to do a lot of work to find a copy of AVG that I could install for free without having to "accept" one of their "partner offers". However, people are different and if some like Avast I'm not criticizing them, I'm just saying that I was unimpressed.

[Nelson37]

A site that will run multiple scans on a suspect file with a pretty wide selection of different tools is something that can be useful.

The different results and identifications are a good eye-opener.

No Spybot or MalWareBytes, though.

The MalwareBytes prog is one of my new favorites, had a half-dozen or so clients get the WinAntiVirus 2009 infection which a multitude of programs did not even identify. Mcafee, Norton, Panda, AVG, Spybot, Trend, some others did not touch this nasty infoection. MBAM is also quite fast.

It is always good to get a second opinion, twenty or so is even better. You just have to remember that opinions are like A-holes, everybody has one and some are better than others.

[CBC]

strange that you mentioned Avast as having "a complete lack of user configurability" - I've found quite the opposite to be true.
What sort of options are you looking to change? And what were you expecting to get for free?

[jman98]

The ability to tell it WHEN to run a daily check of my PC. I looked in every tab I could find and nowhere did I find a place where it was even possible to set this. Yes, if I wanted to just kick it off and let it run it would do that, but could I program it to run a check every night at, say, 1 AM? Nope. Since AVG lets me tell it when to run, I kind of expected Avast would too.

Again, if you or others like it, fine. I'm not criticizing. But I was very unimpressed.

[CBC]

hmm..with all the malware & trojan crap out there, I'd never NOT want to have it running in realtime monitor mode, but that's just me. Why not catch before it gets onto your PC?
You can do custom settings on mail, NTTP, WWW, etc for level of security

[sambat]

You just have to remember that opinions are like A-holes, everybody has one and some are better than others.

Mine's in excellent shape - it's been reamed so many times around these parts.

[TBoneit]

A site that will run multiple scans on a suspect file with a pretty wide selection of different tools is something that can be useful.

The different results and identifications are a good eye-opener.

No Spybot or MalWareBytes, though.

The MalwareBytes prog is one of my new favorites, had a half-dozen or so clients get the WinAntiVirus 2009 infection which a multitude of programs did not even identify. Mcafee, Norton, Panda, AVG, Spybot, Trend, some others did not touch this nasty infoection. MBAM is also quite fast.

It is always good to get a second opinion, twenty or so is even better. You just have to remember that opinions are like A-holes, everybody has one and some are better than others.

That WinAntiVirus 2009 has been turning up here on computers too. Lately it seems that a good percentage of the infected computers have it. I agree MalwareBytes AntiMalware cleans it up nicely. Spybot and Super to follow up with And then A/V just to be sure. WAV2009 seems to be the successor to others of it's ilk. I found MBAM the first time I had to clean WAV 2009 off of a customers computer after searching the net. I'm glad I did.

OT: maybe, is it me or is the Malware problem getting worse?

Prevent Malware in your computer. Run Windows 3.11. Just kidding.

[CBC]

My Poor 81 y.o Pops got hit by the WinAntiVirusPro recently, & finally let Dell TechSuport wipe it clean & re-do
Put on SuperAnitiSpyware for him, since that seems to be able to do live monitoring & can kill that thing on contact before it gets inside. Felt really bad for him, since he has just gotten into using a laptop, & I am 3 000 miles away =(

[TBoneit]

I hope you mean he has the paid version of SuperAnitiSpyware? I believe the free version can only clean not protect.

[CBC]

Absolutely! Paid for it + the lifetime updates. Since It can be used on two PCS, I put it on mine too, so it was money well spent.