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Select the program firefox scans downloaded files with.

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I want to change the program firefox uses to scan files I download. I think it doesn't have my AVG selected. When I download the EICAR test file, I don't get a virus alert. When I scan it afterwards AVG does recognise it as a virus. So I think something isn't set up right and because of that the scan on downloaded files isn't done by AVG.

I want to change the program firefox uses to scan files I download. I think it doesn't have my AVG selected. When I download the EICAR test file, I don't get a virus alert. When I scan it afterwards AVG does recognise it as a virus. So I think something isn't set up right and because of that the scan on downloaded files isn't done by AVG.

All Replies (6)

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I believe on recent versions of Windows, Firefox uses a service provided by Windows rather than starting the scan itself.

Does IE10 call AVG to scan the files? If not, this support article describes a way that the normal download scanning behavior might have been turned off in the Registry's Windows Policies section: Description of how the Attachment Manager works in Microsoft Windows. Scroll down to or search for "Notify antivirus programs when you open attachments" or search for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments.

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The anti-virus I am using has built in settings to auto scan downloads, and my e-mail. Check your anti-virus program settings.

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IE10 does call AVG to scan the files. I've looked at the file in the registry and it is turned on.

At first I thought it was bescause I uste the free version of AVG, but since it correctly finds it with IE10, I'm doubting again.

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By any chance is Firefox's scan integration disabled?

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Click the button promising to be careful.

(2) In the search box above the list, type or paste scan and pause while the list is filtered

(3) If the browser.download.manager.scanWhenDone is bolded and "user set" to false, double-click it to return it to its default value of true.

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It was already set to true.

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Hmmm, I wonder whether there is a compatibility issue with Windows 8.1?

Not sure what else to suggest.