Test your Anti-Virus software

[Deleted]

How to test your Anti-Virus software

Have you ever wondered if your anti-virus software is really working?Would you like to see what happens when it detects a virus? Here's a safe way to test your computer's virus protection that doesn't require you to have a real virus.

First, open Notepad. Then copy and paste into it the text on the line below. (It should all be on one line.)

X5O!P%@ap[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*

Then select File, Save, select All Files for the file type, then save the file as eicar.com.

Your anti-virus software may prevent you from saving the file as eicar.com,which is a sign that it is working effectively. If it doesn't raise an alert, try scanning the folder where you saved eicar.com. To see what happens if you try to run a file containing a virus, double-click eicar.com to open it.

Explanation

The file eicar.com you have created is completely safe. It is not a virus. It is a standard test file developed by the European Institute for Computer Anti-virus Research (EICAR). All anti-virus products are programmed to detect this file as if it was a real virus. Therefore you can safely use it to test whether your anti-virus software works, without fear of infecting your computer.

If your anti-virus product should fail to prevent you from running the file, it will simply display the text"EICAR-STANDARD-ANTI-VIRUS-TEST-FILE" in a DOS box. No harm will have been done, but you should probably consider using a better anti-virus product, because if it had been a real virus, your computer would by now be infected!

[ghoststomper]

Thanks for posting that, Karma for you.

[Christy]

it worked! my antiviris poped up. n didnt save it. pretty cool xdx thanks

[Pharmer Phil]

good one bro

[Spruance]

That was very interesting XDX.

I use ZoneAlarm (by Checkpoint) which is usually very good but I had my doubts when it allowed me to save the file. The moment I clicked on it though, I got a Quarantined Virus box pop up and I see that the file has indeed been tagged as EICAR-Test-File so it looks like I am ok after all.

Apart from ZoneAlarm I also have a hardware firewall so fingers-crossed I am covered against most eventualities.