{"id":2921,"date":"2019-06-19T07:00:50","date_gmt":"2019-06-19T11:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=2921"},"modified":"2019-06-10T16:02:15","modified_gmt":"2019-06-10T20:02:15","slug":"is-there-a-way-to-check-a-single-file-for-viruses-in-windows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/06\/19\/is-there-a-way-to-check-a-single-file-for-viruses-in-windows\/","title":{"rendered":"“Is there a way to check a single file for viruses in Windows?”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(Answer requested by Chris Whitten)<\/small><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several very easy ways to scan single files for malware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easiest of all: You usually can simply right-click on any file, and when the menu opens, select Scan with…<\/em><\/strong> whatever your installed anti-malware tool is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, in a normal, default Windows 10 setup, you’d right click and then select Scan with Windows Defender<\/em><\/strong>. (See Fig. 1) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Fig. 1: In a normal Windows 10 setup, right click on a file, and select Scan with Windows Defender<\/em><\/strong>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a normal, default Windows 7 setup, you’d click on Scan with Microsoft Security Essentials<\/i><\/b>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so on; most third-party anti-malware apps also offer right-click scan-on-demand options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you prefer, you also can use any of several available online file-scanning services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the best-known and best-regarded is VirusTotal<\/a>; a free service of Alphabet\/Google that lets you upload any file to have it instantly scanned by some 60 separate, independent, anti-malware engines<\/em><\/strong> (see list<\/a>) from all the major security-app vendors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you can see, scanning single files is extremely easy — and you may already have the tools right at your fingertips!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Permalink: https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=2921<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"[seperator]\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

COMMENT \/ QUESTION<\/strong> on THIS ITEM?<\/strong> See the<\/em> Comment box<\/strong> at bottom of this page!<\/em>

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(Want free notification of new content? Click<\/em> <\/strong>here<\/a><\/b>!)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Answer requested by Chris Whitten) There are several very easy ways to scan single files for malware. Easiest of all: You usually can simply right-click on any file, and when the menu opens, select Scan with… whatever your installed anti-malware tool is. For example, in a normal, default Windows 10 setup, you’d right click and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a-reader-asks","category-windows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paaiox-L7","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3757,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/11\/20\/how-do-you-detect-if-your-computer-has-a-boot-sector-virus\/","url_meta":{"origin":2921,"position":0},"title":"“How do you detect if your computer has a boot sector virus?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-11-20","format":false,"excerpt":"(Answer requested by Luis Fuentes) The most-certain way is to boot your PC with an external, self-contained (a.k.a. \"portable\") anti-malware tool, such as one contained on a flash drive or DVD. (Examples.) These self-contained apps don't rely on the installed operating system, and can instead examine your entire hard drive\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1917,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/05\/a-reader-asks-how-do-i-transfer-files-from-an-old-possibly-infected-laptop-to-an-external-hdd\/","url_meta":{"origin":2921,"position":1},"title":"A reader asks: “How do I safely transfer files from an old, possibly infected laptop to an external HDD?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-02-05","format":false,"excerpt":"First, scan the \"possibly infected\" system using an external, self-contained, bootable, DVD- or flashdrive-based anti-malware tool. (Examples; many are free.) Boot and run the suspect PC from the anti-malware DVD or flash drive --- not from the possibly-infected hard drive. The anti-malware tool then runs, scans, and cleans all the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2225,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/03\/05\/a-reader-asks-my-old-pc-has-a-virus-is-it-safe-to-move-its-files-to-my-new-pc\/","url_meta":{"origin":2921,"position":2},"title":"A reader asks: “My old PC has a virus. Is it safe to move its files to my new PC?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-03-05","format":false,"excerpt":"No, of course it\u2019s not safe! But if you're patient, you can make it safe. Here\u2019s how: First, scan the old, infected system using an external, self-contained, bootable, DVD- or flashdrive-based anti-malware tool. (Examples; many are free.) Boot and run the old PC from the anti-malware DVD or flash drive\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":628,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2018\/10\/05\/a-reader-asks-why-does-disk-defrag-fail-despite-plenty-of-room\/","url_meta":{"origin":2921,"position":3},"title":"A reader asks: Why does Disk Defrag fail, despite plenty of room?","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2018-10-05","format":false,"excerpt":"Reader Oystein Ravner asks (via the CONTACT link): Hi Fred! I am glad you are back! Problem: W7 Disk Defragmenter. System Disk is successfully analyzed, but with result 41% fragmented. Clicking \u2018Defragment Disk\u2019 leads to nothing. System Disk has capacity 100MB, free 70%, status Healthy. Why is there no defrag\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/win7-clean-up-system-files2.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1588,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/01\/07\/a-reader-asks-how-can-you-fix-an-sd-card-which-cannot-be-formatted\/","url_meta":{"origin":2921,"position":4},"title":"A reader asks: “How can you fix an SD card which cannot be formatted?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-01-07","format":false,"excerpt":"Q: \"How can you fix an SD card which cannot be formatted? Every time I reformat it the files are still there.\" A: The card is probably write-protected by hardware; or by software; or is simply broken. Hardware write-protection: Examine the card for a \"lock\" or \"write protect\" slider or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/write-protect.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3925,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/12\/20\/how-to-stop-two-windows-defender-annoyances\/","url_meta":{"origin":2921,"position":5},"title":"How to stop two Windows Defender annoyances","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-12-20","format":false,"excerpt":"Win10\u2019s built-in\u00a0Windows Defender\u00a0has matured into a top-ranked anti-malware tool, based on independent testing (e.g. AV-test.org info). But several of its default behaviors can be downright irritating. 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