Microsoft Safety Scanner is a scan tool designed to find and remove malware from Windows computers. Simply download it and run a scan to find malware and try to reverse changes made by identified threats.
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NOTE The security intelligence update version of the Microsoft Safety Scaner matches the version described in this web page.
Safety Scanner only scans when manually triggered and is available for use 10 days after being downloaded. We recommend that you always download the latest version of this tool before each scan.
NOTE: This tool does not replace your antimalware product. For real-time protection with automatic updates, use Windows Defender Antivirus on Windows 10 and Windows 8 or Microsoft Security Essentials on Windows 7. These antimalware products also provide powerful malware removal capabilities. If you are having difficulties removing malware with these products, you can refer to our help on removing difficult threats.
NOTE: Safety scanner is a portable executable and does not appear in the Windows Start menu or as an icon on the desktop. Note where you saved this download.
System requirements
Safety Scanner helps remove malicious software from computers running Windows 10, Windows 10 Tech Preview, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server Tech Preview, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008 R2, or Windows Server 2008. Please refer to the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy.
How to run a scanCheck If Link Is Safe
To remove this tool, delete the executable file (msert.exe by default).
For more information about the Safety Scanner, see the support article on how to troubleshoot problems using Safety Scanner.
Related resources
If a virus scanner (like Microsoft Security Essentials, for example) comes across a symlink'd folder, will it follow through and scan that respective folder, be it on another drive (and how every many levels deep)?
I'm in the process of excluding some programs/folders from my scanners, and I'm having a bit of a question mark on how the virus scanner will respond to a symlink -- I need to decide whether to exclude the symlink source folder or target folder, but I'm not sure how the antivirus will respond to such (and I don't have access to a logging feature to show the inner workings of a scan).
ColdblackiceColdblackice
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2 Answers
Unless the Anti-Virus is simlink aware, the symlink will appear as another folder. So the default behavior would be to scan the folder.
The common issue that Symlinks (and hardlinked folders) present scanning software isn't whether it will detect the link. It looks like any other folder. The common problem presented to scanning software is due to the fact that symlinks, along with a poorly designed folder hierarchy, can create a loop. Since they look just like any other folder, the scanning software will have no idea it is traversing the same folders over and over again.
surfasbsurfasb
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The answer may vary for every product, but I would think in general it should follow the symlink as the AV program should not distinguish it from a regular folder.
You can download the EICAR test file and place it in the folder with the symbolic link and do a scan to see if your AV program detects it.
KeltariKeltari
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Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged windows-7virussymbolic-link or ask your own question.
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Every online virus scan site does this a little differently. Sims 3 expansion packs free codes. Some let you upload a file for scanning, others check websites for links that contain malware, and still others install browser add-ons or other small programs that scan your entire computer but do the behind-the-scenes work online.
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An online virus scanner will only check for viruses, not actually remove any that it finds. Visit the link above for a traditional virus scanner program that can not only check for viruses but also completely delete them from your computer.
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