False Positive

[Umpa]

At first I was impressed with this prg, now after a scan 'im not sure.

I have found 6 virus/worm, that other virus scanners say are ok, and I have been using these programs for ages.

My first guess is false positive, which is the worst kind of all.

Does this program have issues like this ?

[Lisandro]

I have found 6 virus/worm, that other virus scanners say are ok, and I have been using these programs for ages.

Which one? Some of them have notorious lower detection than avast. Sometimes avast caught a lot of false positives...

To know if a file is a false positive, please submit it to JOTTI and let us know the result. If it is indeed a false positive, send it in a password protected zip to virus@avast.com
Please, mention in the body of the message why you think it is a false positive and the password used.

[polonus]

Hi Umpa,

There can be quite another reason for this, and then you cannot blame it on the avast program. Some users think that two resident scanners are better than one. A grievous mistake, they are finding each others signatures up as false positives. Some online scanners also interfere with resident scanners. If you have FPs through this you now know where it came from.
In the way of false positives: every scanner has them once in a while, none excluded, but heuristic scanners flag more. Avast is not a heuristic scanner. 6 FP's in one sweep, obvious this must be something else causing this.

polonus

[DavidR]

What would also help in determining if they are False Positives is the virus name, infected file name and path, example (C:\windows\system32\infected-file-name.xxx)?

If these detections related to programs or files that had been on your system and had previously been scanned by avast (which is likely not to be the case if this was your first scan), then it could possibly be a false positive or a new previously undetected virus. As Tech said using Jotti is the best ad probably the quickest way to determine this.

I found viruses that had lived happily on my system undetected by my previous AV on the first scan after installation.

All AVs can have issues with false positives (some more that others) and avast is no different in that respect, that is why it is best to send files to the virus chest and investigate, 'first do no harm.'

If you have sent them to the chest you would need to move them out to a temp location otherwise they can't be uploaded from the chest.

[CharleyO]

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Yes, it always helps to give specific information when seeking help or making comments. Vague generalities helps no one.


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