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By Rich
February 28, 2008
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Test to See if Your Antivirus Software Works (Safe)

Most of you probably have anti-virus software on your computer. If you do, good job; however, are you sure it works? Let’s do a quick test.

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

  1. Open Notepad and paste the above line into it.

    anti-virus

  2. Save the file and real time protection should immediately find the file. (If you have real time protection turned off, you will need to scan the file.)

    anti-virus

  3. If this doesn’t work for you, make sure your virus checker is up to date and working.

This file is a dummy virus, which simulates a virus. This string is provided by EICAR for distribution as the “EICAR Standard Anti-Virus Test File”, The file is a legitimate DOS program, and produces sensible results when run (it prints the message “EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!”).



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Comments

  • Azdi Azizan
    Work for My Microsoft Security Essential. ;)
  • Azdi Azizan
    Work for My Microsoft Security Essential. ;)
  • jfbetel
    Test worked like a charm with "MSE" thanks a lot. Once again you're on the money with your suggestions!
  • jfbetel
    Test worked like a charm with "MSE" thanks a lot. Once again you're on the money with your suggestions!
  • Mel
    I like the test but I think windows usually does a pretty good job of detecting when anti-virus is working...unless a virus is making windows think...er...hmm..
  • Mel
    I like the test but I think windows usually does a pretty good job of detecting when anti-virus is working...unless a virus is making windows think...er...hmm..
  • Rohit Bansal
    Heyy!! Kaspersky too caught it and deleted the file.
    Thanks buddy!!
  • Rohit Bansal
    Heyy!! Kaspersky too caught it and deleted the file.
    Thanks buddy!!
  • Para probar tu Antivirus &
    [...] Fuente: Windows Guides [...]
  • ESET Smart Security 4.0 [Secur
    [...] ensure ESET is doing its job, I created a fake virus, which is an Eicar test file, to make sure the real-time protection was [...]
  • ken
    avast won't catch it but nod32 security suite did
  • ken
    avast won't catch it but nod32 security suite did
  • Truco Windows: Verificar si el
    [...] Visto en Windows Guides [...]
  • Funciona l’antiv
    [...] Llegit a MintyWhite [eng] [...]
  • El Antivirus, funciona? &a
    [...] Windows Guide Recomendación: Utilizar Antivirus ESET [...]
  • Truco Windows: Verificar si el
    [...] Visto en Windows Guides [...]
  • Ronak Agrawal
    tested and works well....
  • Ronak Agrawal
    tested and works well....
  • -
    Good Layout and Design. I like your blog. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. . :) :) :)
  • -
    Good Layout and Design. I like your blog. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. . :) :) :)
  • Bernadette Larson
    It works with AVG8.0
  • Bernadette Larson
    It works with AVG8.0
  • Windows Guides Security and Ad
    [...] Test to See if Your Antivirus Software Works (Safe) [...]
  • bsod screensaver virus
    [...] Might Also LikeFreeware Applications for Your Every NeedTired of Waiting? Make Windows Shhttp://www.mintywhite.com/tech/?p=72Digg - Microsoft lets your make your own Blue Screen of Deathogre2112, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Virus [...]
  • Michael D
    Tested on AVG and it works!
  • Michael D
    Tested on AVG and it works!
  • [AnubiS]
    Works perfectly with Avast 4.8. thanks for the tip.
  • [AnubiS]
    Works perfectly with Avast 4.8. thanks for the tip.
  • Angad
    Yup, It Works with my Norton Antivirus 2008 too!
  • Angad
    Yup, It Works with my Norton Antivirus 2008 too!
  • Rich
    Thanks for the tip J.C. Try saving it as a txt/doc/rtf ... or anything for that matter, and it will still catch it -- which is good news for us!
  • Rich
    Thanks for the tip J.C. Try saving it as a txt/doc/rtf ... or anything for that matter, and it will still catch it -- which is good news for us!
  • J.C.
    Maybe I missed it but you forgot to mention to save as .exe
    or at least mine didn't detect it until I did and that isn't something I expect most folks to know.

    Love the site - great work!
  • J.C.
    Maybe I missed it but you forgot to mention to save as .exe
    or at least mine didn't detect it until I did and that isn't something I expect most folks to know.

    Love the site - great work!
  • Anti Virus
    [...] cabbagewater wrote an interesting post today onHere#8217s a quick excerptMost of you probably have anti-virus software on your computer. If you do, good job; however, are you sure it works? Let’s do a quick test. (more…) Book Mark it-> del.icio.us | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Facebook | Technorati | Google #8230 [...]
  • Antivirus » Blog
    [...] (Vietnam Vet) just wrote an article aboutHere#8217s a preview of it: [...]
  • Dan
    Nice post man. I love this site. Good job!
  • Dan
    Nice post man. I love this site. Good job!
  • Test to See if Your Antivirus
    [...] cabbagewater wrote an interesting post today onHere#8217s a quick excerptMost of you probably have anti-virus software on your computer. If you do, good job; however, are you sure it works? Let’s do a quick test. (more…) Book Mark it-> del.icio.us | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Facebook | Technorati | Google #8230 [...]
  • __o00o___C00D___o00o
    Niiiiiiiice!!! I could scare some people wit this
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