Test suspicious files for malware
It’s a good practice to run any file you download (or borrow) through a free web based file testing service that will check it for malware using multiple anti-virus and spyware engines. Here are two of my favorites: Jotti [1] currently uses 20 different anti-virus scanners, while Virus Total [2] uses 32! Using one of these services can’t guarantee that a file is 100% free of malware, but it’s a lot safer than installing an unknown program on the blind faith that it’s OK.
[1] http://virusscan.jotti.org/
[2] http://www.virustotal.com/flash/index_en.html

Related posts:

  1. Site offers free malware test for suspicious files
  2. Free service tests a suspicious file
  3. Malware Gets Harder And Harder To Remove
  4. The risks you face installing unknown programs
  5. The best strategy for dealing with malware
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All Windows Secrets articles posted on 2007-12-13: