Here I will show you how you can scan any file with multiple antivirus engines before you download on browser. This also includes URLs/web pages. Before we proceed, you need to know that there are some services that let us scan files with multiple antivirus scanners online for free. Among them, VirusTotal is mostly popular and widely used. VirusTotal also comes with desktop, browser and Android tools. We will use VirusTotal’s browser tool to scan files online for malware prior to download.
Note: Some antivirus applications that you install on your PC will add a browsers extension that lets you scan URLs and files on browsers. But using VirusTotal will let you scan with more than one antivirus scanner. So you can make sure if your files have malware or not.
Scan Files on Browser before Downloading (Firefox)
VirusTotal has a very simple add-on for Firefox named VTzilla.
1. Install it on your Firefox using the install button on VTzilla page.
2. Restart the Firefox to activate the add-on. Now whenever you try to download a file within Firefox, you will have an option to scan the file with VirusTotal.
3. Clicking on ‘Scan with VirusTotal’ will bring you to VirusTotal’s URL scanner page where it will only scan the URL. To scan the file, click Downloaded File Analysis under File Scan section.
4. Now VirusTotal will scan the actual file that you were trying to download.
This is how you can scan files with multiple antivirus scanners before downloading to your computer.
VTzilla also adds a VirusTotal toolbar on Firefox. You can use this tool to search for file hashes (md5, sha1 and sha256), URLs. To scan current site you are visiting, use Scan current site.
Note: If you don’t want this extra VirusTotal toolbar, you can simply disable it by right clicking on the toolbar and removing tick mark from VirusTotal toolbar.
You can still continue to use file scanner.
Scan Files Prior to Download (Chrome)
Note: VirusTotal extension for Chrome doesn’t come with the feature where it can ask you to scan the file in ‘Save file’ window. Rather you need to scan the hosted URL from where the file can be directly downloaded.
VirusTotal extension for Chrome is named VTchromizer. Here’s how you can use it.
1. Install VTchromizer for Chrome from Chrome Web Store.
2. Whenever you are about to download a file by clicking on a direct link that hosts the file, right-click on the file link and choose Check with VirusTotal.
3. Like Firefox, it will send you to the URL scanner page.
5. As previously done, click Downloaded file analysis.
6. You will be presented with files scan results against viruses.
Other Browsers (Opera, Safari, Internet Explorer, etc)
VirusTotal extension isn’t available for all browsers. But you can still scan files before download.
1. Copy the direct link to the File from right-click context menu on your browser.
2. Go to virustotal.com and choose URL tab. Paste the link and hit Scan it.
3. Now as before, click downloaded file analysis to see actual file scan results.
That’s it!
I think antivirus must install for any internet connected machine. I have a Android Tablet and I'm using paid anti virus which i think give good performance than other.
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I don't agree with you, because it's work not very good. Last time when my antivirus licence was active i've faced with myway search toolbar. Where was my antivirus? I don't know. I removed it by using http://removalbits.com/how-to-remove-myway-homepage-and-search-from-chrome-firefox-and-internet-explorer/ manually. I don't think that this software could protect PC from modern malware.
DeleteI have never used virus total for scanning my PC. I think it's better to use avast or more professional tools. Virus total can't find viruses like myway search http://removalbits.com/how-to-remove-myway-homepage-and-search-from-chrome-firefox-and-internet-explorer/ or other browser infections.
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