Wednesday, October 22, 2008
How To Test Your Anti- Virus Scanner
Description After installing Virus-Scan software, you may wonder, how do I know if it's working? The answer is a test virus. The EICAR Standard Anti-Virus Test File is a combined effort by anti-virus vendors throughout the world to implement one standard by which customers can verify their anti-virus installations.
Solution
To test your anti-virus installation, copy the following line without brackets and quotes " into its own file (notepad,text document), then save the file with the name EICAR.COM. More detailed instructions are found below.
("X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*")
The file size will be 68 or 70 bytes.
If the Virus Scan is running and configured correctly, when you try to save the file, Virus Scan will detect the virus. If the Virus Scan is not running, start it and scan the directory that contains EICAR.COM, or right click on the file and select scan with your anti-virus program, When your software scans this file, it will report finding the EICAR test file.
Note that this file is NOT A VIRUS. Delete the file when you have finished testing your installation to avoid alarming other users.
The eicar test virus is available for download from the following web site:
http://www.eicar.org/download/eicar.com
How to create an Eicar.com file
1. Click on Start.
2. Select Run.
3. In the Open box type: notepad
4. Maximize the window.
5. Highlight the following line of text without the quotes and brackets (" ")
("X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*")
6. Right click on the highlighted text and choose 'copy'.
7. Switch back to Notepad.
8. Right click anywhere inside of Notepad and select 'paste'.
9. Click the File menu and select 'save as'.
10. Change the 'Save as Type' to 'all files'.
11. Name the file eicar.com.
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5 comments:
Great post, will definitely give this a shot, I use McAfee.
Ditto, great post! Do you currently have a personal favorite anti-virus program.. and can you say why? I installed a corporate version of Norton anti-virus on my elderly mother's computer and it fought night and day with an anti-virus program that came with her internet connection provider's anti-virus program. I finally cancelled the AARP People PC special offer connection and went with another service provider because it was such a hasstle... is this common? I am the website editor of Bikeweek.com a motorcycle rally community if you would care to visit. Cheers!
thanks mate, i was worried i had damaged F-secure when i deleted the parental control element of it, but now i know the virus detecter stil works fine
Hi. This post is likeable and your blog is very interesting, congratulations!! Computer Maintenance
Microsoft Security Essentials took 3 tries to find and delete it lol
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Thank you for commenting on my blog, if you leave your URL somewhere in your comment i will visit your blog and leave a comment as well, cheers Shane.