Think you got a virus? Microsoft to the rescue!
A few weeks ago, with little fanfare, Microsoft released a new downloadable on-demand security scanner to help techies deal with malware outbreaks
The tool, called Microsoft SafetyScanner, is a 70+MB, self-contained security scanner package that you download and run.
On running the tool (and being told that this tool is not a replacement for a proper anti-malware solution) you're given three options:
- Quick scan - Likely spots that malware might be lurking
- Full scan - Whole system ... just in case
- Customized scan - Scan a specific folder
And that's it.
I had to throw a little something in the scanner's way (just the simple EICAR test file):
Some drawbacks:
- There are not updates provided for the tool - you have to redownload the package
- The download is only valid for 10 days, after which you have to redownload the package
- The progress bar seems to mean nothing
Handy if you want a quick anti-malware scanner.
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