How to check if a file is malicious: Third-party programs are widely used on Windows and other operating systems. But, how can you tell if a program is safe to install? How can you be sure that the program file you will run on your system does not contain viruses? Since attackers use program files (exes) to introduce different types of malware and viruses and attack your system, it is important to make sure you are installing a safe. In this guide, we will discuss some tips to check if a file is malicious.
How to check if a file is malicious?
Here are ways to check if a file is malicious for a virus before installing it on your PC.
# Basic steps
A file can display the icon of a Word document and display the name as, for example, File.docx. But don’t be fooled by the file icon, name or file extension you may see.
Make Windows show the file extension first and only then check the file extension. If the file in question File.docx is a malware file in disguise, don’t be surprised if its name now appears as File.docx.exe!
# Right click on the file and scan it with security software
How to check if a file is malicious followed by scanning it using Windows’ built-in security feature Windows Defender. After downloading the program file, just right-click on it and then use the Scan with Microsoft Defender option. It will scan the file for viruses and show you the results if there are any threats involved.
Based on the report, you can completely delete the file in case it is unsafe. If it is locked, you may need to use the File Unlock Tool first.
# Scan it with Online Malware Scanner
Jotti Malware Scanner and Virustotal is one of the best free online malware scanners to detect files and URLs for malware. They use a variety of anti-virus engines to analyze and scan files for malware.
Just go to virustotal.com and from its Files tab click on the Choose File option to upload the program file you want to check.
# Check verified publisher
Always check that you are installing software from a verified publisher. It can be Microsoft or any other big and famous company. If it is from a popular brand, install it. If not, I recommend you don’t install it on your PC.
You can check the publisher information by right-clicking on the program file, and then selecting the Properties option. In the Properties window, go to the Digital Signatures tab and check the name of the signer.
# Verify file integrity with Hash Value
Many software brands provide Hash Value of their program files on their official website.
You can check this value with the File Integrity Checker and checksum. If the Hash Value is different, the file will be modified and it is more likely to contain malicious code. You can avoid installing it on your PC.
# Use Windows Sandbox feature
If you use Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Enterprise Editions, you can use the Windows Sandbox feature to check if the program is malicious.
Just run Windows Sandbox and copy and paste your program files there. Then run the program and analyze its behavior. If it runs smoothly, it’s probably the safest. If you see suspicious behavior, avoid installing it on your real system.
Conclusion:
If you can afford to buy the application software, that’s good, if not, the only direction is to download the shared files on the network. How to check if the file is not malicious is necessary for your computer, hopefully the tips that Tutshares.online Computer Tips Blog shared will be useful to you. Good luck.
