Avast Free 5.0.396 can't repair infected files and gives an error code !

[system]

Hi Members & Moderators

I am wondering if this is a bug . if it is please fix soon as it is a very critical bug.
if it is not , then what does this error code mean , and why is it happening ?

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/5004/20100210153625.png

Thanks in advance for your support
Regards
Muhammad Najem

[DavidR]

Not all files can be repaired (see ~~~ below) and sality is a particularly virulent one, but avast appears to have detected this in a zip file before is became active so the whole of the file is malicious rather than an actual infected file where an element of virus code is inserted. It is that insertion that a repair attempts to remove. However, sality is very difficult to repair even when found in an infected file. So for me avast has stopped it early before it was activated. So my advice would be to remove the infected zip file in its entirety.

I couldn’t see the full path in the image you posted you would need to have expanded the column width or copied and pasted the full path (better for those on dial-up, me).

Trojans generally can't be repaired, because the entire content of the file is malware, so it is either move to chest or delete, move to the chest being the best option (first do no harm). When a file is in the chest it can't do any harm and you can investigate the infected warning.

Only true virus infection can be repaired, e.g. when a virus infects a file it adds a small part to it, provided that file is one that avast's has a cleaning routine for, then it may be possible to repair the file to its uninfected state.

However, for the most part so called viruses, trojans (adware/spyware/malware, etc.) can't be repaired because the complete content of the file is malicious.

[system]

@DavidR post:2

Not all files can be repaired (see ~~~ below) and sality is a particularly virulent one, but avast appears to have detected this in a zip file before is became active so the whole of the file is malicious rather than an actual infected file where an element of virus code is inserted. It is that insertion that a repair attempts to remove. However, sality is very difficult to repair even when found in an infected file. So for me avast has stopped it early before it was activated. So my advice would be to remove the infected zip file in its entirety.

I couldn’t see the full path in the image you posted you would need to have expanded the column width or copied and pasted the full path (better for those on dial-up, me).

Trojans generally can't be repaired, because the entire content of the file is malware, so it is either move to chest or delete, move to the chest being the best option (first do no harm). When a file is in the chest it can't do any harm and you can investigate the infected warning.

Only true virus infection can be repaired, e.g. when a virus infects a file it adds a small part to it, provided that file is one that avast's has a cleaning routine for, then it may be possible to repair the file to its uninfected state.

However, for the most part so called viruses, trojans (adware/spyware/malware, etc.) can't be repaired because the complete content of the file is malicious.

Thank you very much for your help DavidR
and for explaining all that .

As for the files’ path it’s my “Desktop” . You see , I was just doing a small test on Avast disinfection ability and I was shocked
to get an error . I’ll test it again but this time I’ll make sure it’s a 100% infected file ;D

[Pondus]

Clean, Quarantine, or Delete?
http://antivirus.about.com/b/2007/03/11/clean-quarantine-or-delete.htm

[DavidR]

@MrNajem post:3

Thank you very much for your help DavidR and for explaining all that . I'll test it again but this time I'll make sure it's a 100% infected file ;D

No you don’t want a 100% infected file, as what is there to repair, you need to have a legitimate executable file which has been infected and you would be playing with fire there if it were activated/executed.

[system]

@Pondus post:4

Clean, Quarantine, or Delete?
http://antivirus.about.com/b/2007/03/11/clean-quarantine-or-delete.htm

Thanks ;D

[system]

@DavidR post:5

@MrNajem post:3

Thank you very much for your help DavidR and for explaining all that . I'll test it again but this time I'll make sure it's a 100% infected file ;D

No you don’t want a 100% infected file, as what is there to repair, you need to have a legitimate executable file which has been infected and you would be playing with fire there if it were activated/executed.

I meant that I’ll be 100% to get a infected file not a Virus or Trojan .
Don’t worry I’m an expert at this and I’ll be testing it on a Virtual Machine

[DavidR]

I’m not worried it isn’t my system ;D

Since we don’t know your experience level when you join the forums and in this case it is really more for those who may be reading this topic who may think this is a good idea to test your AV with a live infection.

[Pondus]

Don't worry I'm an expert at this and I'll be testing it on a Virtual Machine

hmmm.......would an expert have started this topic..... ???

[system]

@MrNajem post:1

Hi Members & Moderators

I am wondering if this is a bug . if it is please fix soon as it is a very critical bug.
if it is not , then what does this error code mean , and why is it happening ?

Hi, read the avast blog about avast! 5 cleaning of file-infectors. While its cleaning ability has been enhanced over version 4, avast! 5 does not even attempt to clean Virut or Sality, since avast! developers consider any cleaning of these infections to be unreliable. The feeling is that if sality or virut have been executed on your system, you need to reformat and start over, saving all nonexecutable essential files beforehand, or better, if you use Acronis or other utilities, restore your system using an image taken before the infection occured. If you are certain virut or sality were never executed on your system, or that you have an image from a time previous to the appearance of those file infectors, you may either proceed or reimage your disk, respectively.

Link to blog where this was discussed: http://blog.avast.com/2010/01/08/file-infectors-part-2/

[system]

@Pondus post:9

Don't worry I'm an expert at this and I'll be testing it on a Virtual Machine

hmmm.......would an expert have started this topic..... ???

yes , an expert would started such a topic . As showing an error code means it’s a bug . Avast should have said
the file can not be cleaned or something like that but showing an error code doesn’t give a clear idea .

[system]

@Gohoos81 post:10

@MrNajem post:1

Hi Members & Moderators

I am wondering if this is a bug . if it is please fix soon as it is a very critical bug.
if it is not , then what does this error code mean , and why is it happening ?

Hi, read the avast blog about avast! 5 cleaning of file-infectors. While its cleaning ability has been enhanced over version 4, avast! 5 does not even attempt to clean Virut or Sality, since avast! developers consider any cleaning of these infections to be unreliable. The feeling is that if sality or virut have been executed on your system, you need to reformat and start over, saving all nonexecutable essential files beforehand, or better, if you use Acronis or other utilities, restore your system using an image taken before the infection occured. If you are certain virut or sality were never executed on your system, or that you have an image from a time previous to the appearance of those file infectors, you may either proceed or reimage your disk, respectively.

Link to blog where this was discussed: http://blog.avast.com/2010/01/08/file-infectors-part-2/

Thanks a lot for this great post
I was disappointed when I knew that Avast can’t clean Sality , though .
Nearly all other AV software like Kaspersky , Nod32 , Norton , & Dr.Web can
disinfected Sality and Virut without corrupting the infected file .

[Pondus]

@MrNajem post:12

@Gohoos81 post:10

@MrNajem post:1

Hi Members & Moderators

I am wondering if this is a bug . if it is please fix soon as it is a very critical bug.
if it is not , then what does this error code mean , and why is it happening ?

Hi, read the avast blog about avast! 5 cleaning of file-infectors. While its cleaning ability has been enhanced over version 4, avast! 5 does not even attempt to clean Virut or Sality, since avast! developers consider any cleaning of these infections to be unreliable. The feeling is that if sality or virut have been executed on your system, you need to reformat and start over, saving all nonexecutable essential files beforehand, or better, if you use Acronis or other utilities, restore your system using an image taken before the infection occured. If you are certain virut or sality were never executed on your system, or that you have an image from a time previous to the appearance of those file infectors, you may either proceed or reimage your disk, respectively.

Link to blog where this was discussed: http://blog.avast.com/2010/01/08/file-infectors-part-2/

Thanks a lot for this great post
I was disappointed when I knew that Avast can’t clean Sality , though .
Nearly all other AV software like Kaspersky , Nod32 , Norton , & Dr.Web can
disinfected Sality and Virut without corrupting the infected file .

Virut and other File infectors - Throwing in the Towel?
http://miekiemoes.blogspot.com/2009/02/virut-and-other-file-infectors-throwing.html