I have been running (under Windows XP) both Avast Free and Family Tree Legends (“FTL,” one of the programs I use the most) for many months on my PC with no trouble. Suddenly several days ago Avast said it found the Win32:Slime trojan in FTL’s main program file, FTL.exe.
I believe this is a false positive for the following reasons:
a) TrojanHunter sees no problem in the file.
b) I reinstalled the program by downloading it from the program’s website, and Avast still said it had the Slime.
c) FTL.exe includes an applet that monitors the FTL website to look for and install program upgrades. It could be that Avast is mistaking that applet for the Slime virus, b/c that’s the kind of thing the Slime virus does: downloading and running .exe files from the web.
d) I looked at Norton’s description of Slime, and Norton says Slime installs a new value for HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\exefile\shell\open\command. I ran RegEdit, and I have the proper value for that key, not the one Slime installs.
Avast’s recommended action on finding Slime in FTL.exe was “remove to chest.” When I chose that option, Avast removed FTL.exe from the FTL folder, and I of course could not run the program. I reinstalled FTL.exe (from the web), and Avast still “found” Slime there, and this time I chose “no action,” but I still couldn’t run FTL.
So I uninstalled Avast and then reinstalled FTL.exe from the web, but when I try to open FTL.exe, I see the FTL logo, but no program window opens.
How can I fix or undo whatever Avast did so I can run my favorite program?
Thanks much for any assistance!