{"id":429230,"date":"2022-04-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-09T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-to-make-sure-a-file-is-safe-before-downloading-it\/"},"modified":"2022-04-10T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-04-09T21:00:00","slug":"how-to-make-sure-a-file-is-safe-before-downloading-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-make-sure-a-file-is-safe-before-downloading-it\/","title":{"rendered":"#How to Make Sure a File Is Safe Before Downloading It"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aef7c7ca64e0\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aef7c7ca64e0\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-make-sure-a-file-is-safe-before-downloading-it\/#%E2%80%9CHow_to_Make_Sure_a_File_Is_Safe_Before_Downloading_It%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;How to Make Sure a File Is Safe Before Downloading It&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-make-sure-a-file-is-safe-before-downloading-it\/#Scan_a_Link_For_Malware_Using_VirusTotal\" >Scan a Link For Malware Using VirusTotal<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-make-sure-a-file-is-safe-before-downloading-it\/#Integrate_VirusTotal_Into_Your_Browser\" >Integrate VirusTotal Into Your Browser<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CHow_to_Make_Sure_a_File_Is_Safe_Before_Downloading_It%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;How to Make Sure a File Is Safe Before Downloading It&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-796221\" data-pagespeed-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/shutterstock_1830830756.png?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/shutterstock_1830830756.png?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/shutterstock_1830830756.png?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Malware header.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-vector\/computer-bug-detection-icon-system-error-1830830756\">Kanoktuch\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you\u2019re concerned a file might be malicious, you don\u2019t need to <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">download<\/a> it and rely on your antivirus. You can scan the file for malware with over 90 antivirus engines before you download it\u2014all with one single tool.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Basic Computer Security: How to Protect Yourself from Viruses, Hackers, and Thieves<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is no substitute for\u00a0basic online security practices\u00a0that can keep you safe from phishing and other threats, but it\u2019s a way to perform a\u00a0more in-depth check if you\u2019re concerned about a file.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Scan_a_Link_For_Malware_Using_VirusTotal\"><\/span>Scan a Link For Malware Using VirusTotal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To do this, you\u2019ll need to locate a file\u2019s download link. That\u2019s the direct link to download the file, not just the address of the file\u2019s download page. For example, if you want to scan a .exe file, you\u2019ll need the direct link to the .exe file. If you want to scan a .doc file, you\u2019ll need the direct link to the .doc file. You can spot this by mousing over the link and looking at the address in your browser.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-324933 \" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/img_59b04885bc61c.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"CCleaner download page. \" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Right-click the link and select \u201cCopy link address\u201d in Chrome, \u201cCopy Link Location\u201d in Firefox, or \u201cCopy link\u201d in Edge.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-324934 \" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/img_59b048a2c1810.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Right-click the download link, then click &quot;Copy Link Address.&quot; \" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Next, head to\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.virustotal.com\">VirusTotal.com<\/a>\u00a0in your web browser. This tool has been owned by Google since 2012.<\/p>\n<p>Click the \u201cURL\u201d tab on the page and then paste the link you copied into the box. Click the search button or press Enter to scan the file.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-324935 \" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/img_59b0494e0c751.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Paste the download link into the VirusTotal website. \" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>VirusTotal will download the file you specified to its servers and scan it with a large number of different antivirus engines. If\u00a0other people have recently scanned the file, VirusTotal will show you the recent scan results.<\/p>\n<p>If you see \u201cNo engines detected this URL\u201d, that means that none of VirusTotal\u2019s antivirus engines said there was a problem with the file.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"admonishment_update\"><p><strong>Update:<\/strong> As of April 2022, VirusTotal now has more than 90 antivirus engines available.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The \u201c0\/65\u201d means the file was detected as malicious by 0 of VirusTotal\u2019s 65 antivirus engines. This means it should be clean. Of course, it\u2019s possible that new and exotic malware may not be detected by any antivirus programs yet, so it\u2019s always a good idea to be careful and only get software from sources you trust. (In fact, not two days after publishing this article, our example file\u2014CCleaner 5.33\u2014was found to contain malware. A perfect example of how VirusTotal, while useful, isn\u2019t perfect!)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-324936 size-full \" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/img_59b0498334a84.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"VirusTotal results with no malware detected. \" width=\"650\" height=\"385\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If one of the antivirus engines detects a problem with a file, you\u2019ll see a note saying that a number of antivirus engines detected the URL as a problem.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-324937 \" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/img_59b04a831886b.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"VirusTotal results with only 3\/65 engines detecting some kind of malware. \" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>In some cases, the opinion may be near unanimous. In other cases, only a few antivirus tools may have a problem with the file. This\u00a0is often\u00a0a false positive,\u00a0though in certain circumstances it could be that\u00a0some antivirus tools have spotted new malware before others. You can scroll down to see which antivirus tools had a problem with the file, view\u00a0more details about the file, and see community comments about whether the URL is safe or not. (In some cases, for example, it may just\u00a0be flagged for including\u00a0bundled crapware, which is easily bypassable.)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-324938 \" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/img_59b04ac57d497.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"A breakdown listing engine-by-engine results. \" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you end up scanning a file download page instead of the downloaded file itself, you\u2019ll see a \u201cDownloaded file\u201d link on the VirusTotal page. Click the icon to the right of \u201cDownloaded file\u201d to see more analysis about the file that web page downloads.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-324941 \" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/img_59b04eee7d32a.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"If you don't point it at a specific file, it'll try to find one, and then show you the file it checked. \" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Integrate_VirusTotal_Into_Your_Browser\"><\/span>Integrate VirusTotal Into Your Browser<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To make this process easier, the VirusTotal project offers\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/support.virustotal.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115002700745-Browser-Extensions\">browser extensions<\/a>. These will integrate VirusTotal into your browser, allowing you to right-click a link on any web page and select a \u201cScan with VirusTotal\u201d option. You won\u2019t have to visit the VirusTotal website and copy-paste a link.<\/p>\n<p>Extensions are available for\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/chrome.google.com\/webstore\/detail\/efbjojhplkelaegfbieplglfidafgoka\">Google Chrome<\/a>,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/addons.mozilla.org\/en-US\/firefox\/addon\/vtzilla\/\">Mozilla Firefox<\/a>, and\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/support.virustotal.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115002700745-Browser-Extensions#internet-explorer\">Internet Explorer<\/a>. If you\u2019re looking to install the VirtusTotal extension for Microsoft Edge, you need to enable Google Chrome extensions in Edge, and then install the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/chrome.google.com\/webstore\/detail\/efbjojhplkelaegfbieplglfidafgoka\">Google Chrome<\/a> version. Download the appropriate extension and you can right-click a link and select the VirusTotal option to quickly scan it and see the results.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-324939 \" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/img_59b04e06da473.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"The right-click option added by the extension. \" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If VirusTotal is unanimous that a file is dangerous, you should stay away. If the results are mixed, you should be careful, but you may want to\u00a0examine the more detailed antivirus results to see why they say the file is dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>If a file is clean, that means it\u2019s not detected by any antiviruses as malware. That doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s safe, of course\u2014antivirus software isn\u2019t perfect and may not detect new malware, so ensure you\u2019re getting your programs from a trusted source.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cloudsavvyit.com\/11288\/what-is-typosquatting-and-how-do-scammers-use-it\/\"><strong><em>What is Typosquatting and How Do Scammers Use it?<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/howto\/30508\/make-sure-downloads-are-safe-before-downloading-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;How to Make Sure a File Is Safe Before Downloading It&#8221; Kanoktuch\/Shutterstock.com If you\u2019re concerned a file might be malicious, you don\u2019t need to download it and rely on your antivirus. You can scan the file for malware with over 90 antivirus engines before you download it\u2014all with one single tool. RELATED: Basic Computer Security:&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":429231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/shutterstock_1830830756.png?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-429230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/429230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=429230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/429230\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/429231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=429230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=429230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=429230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}