How to Check a Download for Viruses

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: November 18, 2024

Computers have become more vulnerable to virus threats due to the growth of the Internet, and you may unknowingly be downloading a virus while visiting a website or saving files from the Internet onto your computer. It is best to use precautions and check a download for viruses using online virus scanners even before you access the file from the Internet. You can also install anti-virus programs to protect your system against computer viruses while downloading a file or after the download has been completed.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Virus Total URL Scan

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Virus Scan will check the website for viruses and let you know whether it is safe for downloading files from there or not.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Virus Total File Scan

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Virus Total will check the download for viruses and let you know of any threats that were detected.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Jotti's Malware Scan

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Jotti will scan the file and display a status message to let you know if any viruses were detected.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Anti-virus Program

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Question

How do I scan my iPad for viruses?

Community Answer

Download any antivirus from the app store, as long as it has good reviews. Install it, and follow its instructions for use.

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Question

How do I check AVG antivirus for a download file?

Community Answer

If you are trying to scan a downloaded file, look for a custom scan option, then select downloads or whatever folder/drive you downloaded it in.

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Question

How do I scan .jar files? None of these methods work for .jar files. I made a RAT infected .jar file and it wasn't detected.

R2_d2000

Top Answerer

These methods do work for .jar files. However, keep in mind that they are not 100% effective. This is especially the case if you made the RAT file yourself and it has never been seen in the wild before.

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Tips

If you do not have an anti-virus program and do not want to pay for one, a reputable free antivirus is Avast. Download Avast here.

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Many anti-virus programs offer real-time protection as well as virus scanning. This means that the software will notify you when it detects that you are downloading a virus attached to a file or if a website tries to attack your computer with viruses.

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Warnings

Some programs that are designed to check a download for viruses can slow down your computer due to heavy CPU usage. Online virus scanners are a better option when you don't want to install heavy software on your computer system.

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