Author Topic: False positive? It is flagged 141 times.  (Read 3985 times)

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Offline baabel

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False positive? It is flagged 141 times.
« on: May 17, 2011, 01:46:45 AM »
I hope this is the appropriate place to post this; if not please direct me.

I am using Avast Free Antivirus 5.1.1000, Virus Definitions Version 110516-1.

My system is Windows XP Home, fully patched.

On 5/13/11 Avast flagged a small text file in its original location and also in each of 140 backups on an external hard drive.  The file is unimportant so I asked Avast to remove all 141 copies of the file - the Avast program froze. 

I copied the text file and deleted it from its original location, then pasted it somewhere else.  The next day Avast reflagged the text file in its new location along with the 140 copies of the original file in 140 backups.

This morning Avast was only 71% complete in scanning my system even though it is previously always finished in the morning.

I attach the suspect file.  The title of the text document is "autorunningCD's". The file itself is a text document I created from advice in a tech forum many years ago.  It has been sitting in a folder on my computer since then.

I think I can guess the line in it that Avast objects to.  I would be glad to remove it from my system but that would involve deleting it from 140 backups; Avast appears unable to remove it from even one backup.

The problem is that the file also exists now in every backup I have on my external drive. When I ask Avast to remove it, Avast freezes.  Even if I only ask Avast to remove copies from two or three of the 140 backups on the drive it freezes.

So this tiny text document is flagged over a hundred times, once for the original and the others in the backup. It's been on my hard drive for many years.

What should I do?


  Baabel   ???

Offline Pondus

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Re: False positive? It is flagged 141 times.
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2011, 01:52:25 AM »
Only detected by avast

autorunningCDs.txt - 1/42
http://www.virustotal.com/file-scan/report.html?id=3180cd33735eb7c1dc0a3f9bda0754c8e4d8313ce042841da2f1758f9e904268-1305589266

uploaded to avast as "false positive" case



Quote
I am using Avast Free Antivirus 5.1.1000.........
Lates version is 6.0.1125
« Last Edit: May 17, 2011, 02:09:01 AM by Pondus »

Offline Sirmer

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Re: False positive? It is flagged 141 times.
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2011, 08:34:06 AM »
Hello,
this is a false positive. It will be fixed in next VPS.

Offline Pondus

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Re: False positive? It is flagged 141 times.
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2011, 08:47:54 AM »
Thanks  ;)

Offline baabel

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Re: False positive? It is flagged 141 times.
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2011, 10:26:34 AM »
Thanks.

I suppose that while I wait for the update to correct it I will have to turn off the scheduled full system scan because my system has to be rebooted each time Avast freezes.

Do you think I should do this? 


Baabel .

SafeSurf

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Re: False positive? It is flagged 141 times.
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2011, 10:31:04 AM »
Yes, that is correct.  Wait for the next Avast VPS update to fix the problem.


cyberrufus

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Re: False positive? It is flagged 141 times.
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2011, 01:21:21 PM »
Definitions I received this morning fixed it.

Offline mikaelrask

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Re: False positive? It is flagged 141 times.
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2011, 01:51:42 PM »
then modify your post and add re solved on the topic in the subject.
Windows 8.1 amd a10-5700 64 bit
12 GB ram 1 tb hard drive. Avast 18, MBAM

Offline baabel

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Re: False positive? It is flagged 141 times.
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2011, 10:53:58 PM »
Thank you SafeSurf, cyberrufus and mikaelrask.

I will allow scheduled scan to run tonight.

If all is well tomorrow morning I will add "solved" to the subject.

SafeSurf

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Re: False positive? It is flagged 141 times.
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2011, 11:05:19 PM »
No problem.  We look forward to good news from you.  :)

Offline baabel

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Re: False positive? It is flagged 141 times.
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2011, 10:20:18 AM »
OK - all looks good!

I also took the opportunity to change to the newer build of the program yesterday.

The file was not flagged overnight.

Today after work I will go through the system and make sure that the program did indeed check through the external backup drive.

sonaraghu

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Re: False positive? It is flagged 141 times.
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2011, 10:39:44 AM »
Hi..

The avast team members here will help you to overcome the problem.

I recommend you to use Avast 6.0 instead of version 5.0...
 
It'll be more effective...

Just a suggestion...

Tanks

 :D :D :D

SafeSurf

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Re: False positive? It is flagged 141 times.
« Reply #12 on: May 18, 2011, 10:58:40 AM »
I also took the opportunity to change to the newer build of the program yesterday.
The OP already did.  But thank you for thinking about this.  ;)

Offline baabel

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SOLVED :) Re: False positive? It is flagged 141 times.
« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2011, 11:13:05 PM »
The engine is updated to version 110518-1 and the current program version to 6.0.1125.

Avast ran last night and did NOT flag the data file in my backups.

Although I cannot tell where in the Avast to see exactly which drives it scanned, the "amount of data tested" suggests Avast scanned everything, that is, my two internal hard drives and the external backup drive with the 140 copies of the file in question.

Thank you everyone for the help & advice.


SafeSurf

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[RESOLVED] False positive? It is flagged 141 times.
« Reply #14 on: May 19, 2011, 09:00:49 AM »
You're very welcome.  I'm glad everything is working out fine for you now.  Feel free to come back any time you need help, to learn something new, or just to ask questions.  We are here 24/7 for your convenience.  Thank you.  :)