Computer newbies forum: Corrupt File Problem

An archive file is one that is compressed to save space, time in downloading, and protect the files contained within from alteration from without. Zip, RAR, etc., files are archived files.

Wikipedia listing of the many archive formats available here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_archive_formats

As many of the archived files contain a password within them, Avast! does not know the password and therefore reports the file is 'corrupt' since it cannot open it without the password; it needs that password and does not know it so it therefore cannot open it.

There is nothing wrong with the file because Avast! cannot open it due to this unknown password.

Why does this happen only with Avast!?

It is because an user selects Boot Scan, and under the settings of that scan, done when Windows is not loaded, it checks all files, including archived files. A normal scan done in Windows, with only default settings checked off, will not even look at archived files. So, no report of a corrupt archive file will ever occur when it is run at default settings only.

An archived file is inert, cannot run on your system as is. It must be opened and then run. Because it is inert, it cannot harm your system until it is opened and run and only if it contains malicious files within it.

Boot Scan is unique to Avast!. No other a/v offers this capability.

So, to end this discussion on a happier note, there is nothing wrong with the file in question.

There is nothing to fix.

Avast! simply cannot read and open the file. That is all it is reporting.

Question: Why run Boot Scan at all?

Hello All,

Thank you so much for your replies and/or suggestions. I tried everything suggested by all of you and could not get a positive solution. However what accurred is that I tried Malwarebytes and a full scan revealed 8 items which turned out to be PUPS. These files appeared to me to have been downloaded via an update from Adobe for the program Adobe Master Collection CS6. Updates come in upon notification and are downloaded and installed in the background so that you never see what the updates are but you will know which part of the program was updated because when you check the program you will see category update marked as current and those that are not current may be marked as pending or out of date. The pups referred to are in the malwarebytes quarantine. Another check for updates showed that the same amount of mb as the first download was ready. I have taken that up date but I wonder whether It really the same update, and is it clean and should I delete the pups from the quarantine because those pups are dlls qand I am not sure what to do. I read somewhere on the internet at some time that pups should not be deleted from a sustem, therefore I am confused.

It seems that the corrupt files are the dlls.


I shall be grateful to have your further ideas and/or suggestions.

standeb.

Hello All,

Again thank you for your replies, comments and/or suggestions. In reply to the Post by Bob. I sought to find the reason why my system was booting so slow. It raised so red flags in my mind so I did a Avast bootup scan and got the notification that there were corrupt files in the system. I then did a Malwarebytes scan which found the 8 [PUP] files. I did not try hibernation but since the Malwarebytes scan the system is booting up as fast all as it always did. I am not sure I understand what is ment by "I turned off the boot scan".

With respect to the post by pgc3. May I ask how the uploading of the files to the system is done after having found the dll files. I have not found the files yet but would want to know what to dao after transfering them to the flash drive.

I note however that part of my problem question probably inadvertently remains unanswered. That part was Reply number 4 by me of date12/8/12. Perhaps a look at what was explained therein can assist in shedding some light to the problem.

Meanwhile in the light of the suggestion you made I would seek to find the required files and then your instructions when I receive them, as to how to proceed afterwards will be attempted.

Thanks again as I await your replies.

standeb.

Hello Guys,

I got the solution. In my former post I spoke of Malwarebytes picking up 8 PUPS. That was a false positive. Since I kept those files in quarantine, I decided to return them to the mother program because the mother program was not initializing. So soon as I did that the program worked perfectly and the system sluggishness disappeared. Seems Avast really could not read files that were not there. And I do believe that users should know this stuff. I helps to understand the way the AV works and usuers would not blame the AV when they know that something else is amiss. Most users like myself do not take time to learn and quite understand what the AV does or does not do. I will not be going through my AV with a view to understanding how it works and what it does.

Meanwhile, my thanks to you for your replies and/or suggestions will be in order.

standeb.