Check If Your Antivirus is Working Properly

How to Check the Performance of Antivirus?

     It's been a long time since I discussed about PC security last time. Because I've talked about MSE and Windows Defender. If you use any of the two in your PC, I believe you don't need any other security tools to protect your PC. But if you use any third party security tools or if you've any doubt about your current security software, you can check its performance by a sample virus! 

     Windows users often purchase security software ie. Norton, Kaspersky, Bit Defender, McAfee etc. Many of them use trial versions to protect the system. But how much safe you are? Are these tools really working for you? Can these tools detect viruses or worms? Let's check it with our fake virus! How effectively does it work for your security ?? 

To Test your Anti-Virus do the following :

1. Go to Run by Pressing Start + R
2. Type Notepad and hit Enter
3. Copy and Paste the following code on notepad
4. Now Save the file as Fakevirus.exe 
5. Scan the file with your antivirus

Copy thye following code in your Notepad:

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

     If your security tool is strong and if it has real time protection system, then you don't need to scan at all. It should be able to detect the file as virus automatically. If it doesn't detect the file immediately, then scan it. After scanning the file, if you see that your antivirus does nothing, remove the antivirus immediately. Because you're not safe with non performing security program. Rather it slows down your operating system. 

     I've also checked this code by Windows Defender. Defender is able to detect this file immediately. Even if you save the file with .txt extension, defender can detect it. The background scanning system of defender is so strong. 

     I believe Microsoft Security Essentials will do the same job as Defender. Both have tight security system. If your antivirus doesn't work well, you should use either MSE or Defender. Defender comes with Windows 8 by default. But if you're using previous versions of Windows, you can use MSE at free of cost.

Info : This test virus was developed by the European Institute for Computer Anti-Virus Research (EICAR) to provide an easy (and safe!) way to test whether your anti-virus software is working, and see how it reacts when a virus is detected. It is supported by most leading vendors, such as IBM, McAfee, Sophos, and Symantec/Norton.