136
votes
Accepted
Why does anti-virus software not delete the viruses, malware, etc., but instead quarantine them?
Viruses and malwares are not dangerous if not executed.
A file in quarantine cannot be executed by the user and the malicious code (virus or malware) has no possibility to act. If the virus/malware is ...
- 19.1k
114
votes
Accepted
How do anti-virus programs start at Windows boot?
Where do the majority of anti-virus programs start from at OS boot time?
after installing Avast and checking in both my "Run" registry key and my "Startup" folder that a startup entry wasn't ...
- 159k
88
votes
Why does anti-virus software not delete the viruses, malware, etc., but instead quarantine them?
Anti-malware applications provide a quarantine option, which is often on by default in order for two reasons:
Keep a backup of the items identified as threatening in case of a false positive. ...
- 2,160
81
votes
Accepted
How do antivirus softwares conflict with each other?
Plain antivirus scanners can coexist without any issues. It's the live protection that can cause AVs to interfere.
AV software with live protection features deeply integrates itself into operating ...
- 57.5k
71
votes
Why does anti-virus software not delete the viruses, malware, etc., but instead quarantine them?
For the same reason that (most) governments arrest suspected criminals instead of shooting them on the street at the slightest provocation:
You want to give the suspect a chance to defend themselves, ...
- 3,076
67
votes
Accepted
Avast on macOS High Sierra claims it has caught the Windows-Only “Cryptonight” virus
Pretty sure there is no virus, malware or trojan at play and his is all a highly coincidental false positive.
It’s most likely a false positive since /var/db/uuidtext/ is related to the new “Unified ...
- 56.1k
38
votes
Bye Windows Defender, I need to turn you back off again
Disable Windows Defender with Local Group Policy Settings
To Turn On or Off Windows Defender using Group Policy
Open the Local Group Policy Editor.
In the left pane of Local Group Policy ...
32
votes
How can I remove malicious spyware, malware, adware, viruses, trojans or rootkits from my PC?
Ransomware
A newer, particularly horrible form of malware is ransomware. This kind of program, usually delivered with a Trojan (e.g. an e-mail attachment) or a browser exploit, goes through your ...
29
votes
Prevent user from installing software
If you want to prevent a specific software from installing, you can try importing its certificate (digital signature) to "Untrusted certificates". Then whenever he tries to install it, the UAC dialog ...
- 11.3k
26
votes
Accepted
Why pirate / crack software often detected "is containing virus"?
I'm fairly certain crack tools are detected as malware or viruses because, by definition, they are. Their specific purpose is to modify programs and files so that they don't work as designed. They ...
- 903
19
votes
Accepted
Bye Windows Defender, I need to turn you back off again
The safest way to do this is to uninstall Avast! (in Programs and Features) and then to reinstall it. That will ensure that MS hasn't removed any part of the Avast! suite's protection. Reinstalling ...
- 31.6k
19
votes
Accepted
Windows defender flags an app but Norton says it's fine
I would scan the offending binary (if not too big) on Virus total. This will automatically provide a report from over 60 different anti virus products and if they detect it.
Then you can decide who to ...
- 358
17
votes
Bye Windows Defender, I need to turn you back off again
Disable Windows Defender with Local Registry Settings
If you're not able to use Group Policy then see To Turn On or Off Windows Defender using a REG file.
WARNING: Before working in the Windows ...
16
votes
Prevent user from installing software
Prevent Execution of Downloaded Programs
In addition to @iBug's good suggestion to remove administrative rights from your grandfather's account (after making another account with admin rights first!) ...
- 26.2k
15
votes
How do anti-virus programs start at Windows boot?
Security products typically have a number of components, for example:
One or more file system filter drivers that sit in the kernel. Typically these are mini-filters that can be listed using the ...
- 2,468
13
votes
How do antivirus softwares conflict with each other?
Programs conflict when they both attempt to use the same resource. When multiple programs attempt to operate on a resource at the same time, there is a risk of Concurrency Problems. Concurrency ...
- 36.4k
10
votes
Is AV scanning zip files with non-exe contains re-assuring/reliable?
ZIP doesn't change much. A competent AV program should report the same results for zipped and unzipped files.
Non-executable files will generally be less likely to contain malicious code because ...
- 57.5k
9
votes
How is ESET Smart Security able to intercept my HTTPS traffic?
How do I disable "Banking & Payment protection"?
I don’t want ESET to be able to intercept my HTTPS traffic at all!
You can permanently disable "Banking & Payment protection" as follows:
...
- 159k
9
votes
Windows Defender won't delete or restore quarantined threat
Let's fix the issue from Command prompt.
First open Command Prompt as Administrator. Then run cd "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Defender". Now run MpCmdRun.exe -restore -listall and you will get a ...
- 8,664
9
votes
Is this a Trojan? Random Windows 10 Microsoft Defender Antivirus sample submission message. What is this?
Best guess would be that because the built-in Defender routines can't fully recognise or analyse the content, it's asking you if you will allow that data to be sent to "Microsoft central" ...
- 50k
8
votes
Accepted
Windows Defender: Disable real time; keep scheduled and on demand scanning
The "Turn off real-time protection" Group Policy setting, located under Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Defender should do what you want.
In my system, ...
- 1,577
8
votes
Windows defender flags an app but Norton says it's fine
Assuming the SmartScreen warning message was along the lines of
Windows SmartScreen prevented an unknown application from running. Running this application might put your PC at risk.
... all that ...
- 5,884
7
votes
Accepted
Windows 10: Why I can't create a folder named "a" or "b"?
I was trying to stop services in normal mode which didn't run in safe mode, then I have accidentally solved the problem this morning.
Here in Brazil, a lot of users complain about GBPlugin - a ...
- 181
7
votes
Accepted
Microsoft Defender Antivirus is disabled, but back to normal after reboot. How to disable it permanently?
I have successfully removed the windows defender service with no side effects so far, other than windows notifying you that the defender service could not start.
Windows 10 Version 2004 build 19041....
- 58.4k
6
votes
Accepted
How does Windows Defender know that an antivirus has been installed?
Windows Defender will only know if you have an antivirus program running if that antivirus program reports itself to your windows system. Here is a link that says this from Microsoft themselves: Link
- 972
6
votes
Accepted
How to permanently remove Avira Web Protection from Google Chrome?
Here's how to uninstall globally installed Chrome extensions:
https://www.howtogeek.com/140464/how-to-manually-uninstall-a-globally-installed-chrome-extension/
Make a system restore point and ...
- 316
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible