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Quarantine or Delete ???

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DodgerPL's Avatar
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Join Date: Aug 2008
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21-Aug-2008, 05:48 AM #1
Quarantine or Delete ???
Hi

I've just saved my PC from an attack (due to my son by the way!!!) using AVG, Malwarebytes, AdAware, HijackThis, Rogue Remover and Spy Sweeper combined.

My query is this:
If malware is quarantined, but you have the option to delete, isn't it better to get the stuff off your machine?
Being a paranoid old fuddy duddy ...I feel a lot better knowing that the culprits have been exterminated rather than still being on my PC.
I don't quite understand what the quarantine entails...is it as good as deleting?

Thanks in advance for any advice.
Blackmirror's Avatar
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21-Aug-2008, 06:47 AM #2
Its a good idea to leave it quarantined for a while just to make sure its not a valid windows app or file!
Sometimes antivirus programs pick up false positives

I usually leave them in quarentine for amonth just to make sure there are no problems

Are you sure you are clean ??
Im sure the security team would be glad to put your mind at rest
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AleciaBrent's Avatar
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21-Aug-2008, 07:09 AM #3
Any antivirus will give you 3 options,

Clean: attempts to remove the infection from the file. This is only pertinent to virus behavior, wherein a legitimate file has been 'infected' with non-legitimate (usually viral) code.
Quarantine: attempts to move the file to a safe location that is managed by the antivirus software.
Delete: Removes the file completely from the system.

If it's a worm or trojan then the best option is to quarantine or delete. If it's a true virus, the best option is to clean. However, this assumes you are actually able to distinguish exactly what type it is - which may not always be the case. The best rule of thumb is to proceed from safest (from a recovery standpoint) to least safest (files are gone forever).
DodgerPL's Avatar
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21-Aug-2008, 08:12 AM #4
Thanks for the replies...very helpful.

I think I'm clean now, however if I continue getting this grotty little disconnection popup then I will log it and copy screen then will come back here asking for help.

Thanks again.
Cookiegal's Avatar
Administrator & Malware Removal Specialist with 79,271 posts.
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Quebec, Canada
23-Aug-2008, 10:42 AM #5
Yes, quarantine is the best way to go as there are often false positives. Files placed in quarantined are neutralized and no longer a threat but if a valid file is quarantined it can be restored.

If you are still having problems relating to the infection then please post in the Malware Removal & HijackThis forum as only qualified helpers are authorized to assist with those issues.
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