Help needed with Avast

AuntyJean

I went to open an Excel file and Avast detected that it was infected so I moved it to the chest.

The virus description is MX97:CVE-2009-3127 [Expl]

I've tried restoring the file but it won't open anymore.

I desparately need this Excel workbook as it contains essential information.

Any ideas please?

JasX

get a second opinion, sometimes gives false positives from excel macros. suggest copying the file and submitting to one of these onling virus file scan / analysis sites perhaps.

was avast able to try removing the virus (try on a copy?)

then depending on how much hassle you want to go to to get this info you could backup everything on the machine, then disable your AV and open the file to retrieve your data, then restore AV and set about cleaning your PC -quite possibly a rebuild if u want to be sure....

AuntyJean

JasX wrote: »

get a second opinion, sometimes gives false positives from excel macros. suggest copying the file and submitting to one of these onling virus file scan / analysis sites perhaps.

was avast able to try removing the virus (try on a copy?)

then depending on how much hassle you want to go to to get this info you could backup everything on the machine, then disable your AV and open the file to retrieve your data, then restore AV and set about cleaning your PC -quite possibly a rebuild if u want to be sure....

I have tried reading the Avast manual but can't see how to remove the virus. Did a full scan and it put a few things in the chest but that is it! How do I remove the virus please?

PS Just tried scanning it with SBS&D and nothing found but if I try to open it or copy it Microsoft tells me I do not have permission to open the file. I am an administrator so cannot see what the problem is

Could you also suggest how I submit to an online virus scan? Can't seem to copy it as still infected and just keeps getting me to move it.

busenbust

Looks as though the file might be corrupted. Was the file sent to you by email?

Elliepop

I've just registered on this forum, as I just had the same problem, googled the description and it came up with your posting. Avast did the same thing to a (vital) file of mine that I've been keeping on the desktop for ages. I put a pivot in it the other day and as I tried to save it got the problem warning. I had a reasonable backup so was able to go back to it and carry on. Just now, I put a similar pivot into the working file and got exactly the same problem, only this time I didn't have the backup (aargh). So I more or less had no option but to turn avast off, opened the file without problem, deleted the pivot, re-saved, turned avast back on, and scanned the (pivot-less) file - which came up clear. When I scanned the (unopenable, pivot containing) version, it came up 'all alarms and panics'. So it seems to me, at the risk of talking rubbish, that avast is throwing a wobbler over a file on the desktop containing something a bit more 'unusual' i.e. the pivot and that it isn't actually a virus.. Either that or I'm going to hell in a handcart. However I do seem to have a working file that avast doesn't panic over...

AuntyJean

Thanks to everyone who responded.

After scanning the unopened document (which has pivot tables but they have been there since 2008!) with Spybot and finding no problem I took the risk of shutting down Avast after blocking all incoming and outgoing with Zonealarm.

Spreadsheet opened as normal!

I too suspect Avast is throwing a wobbly but only since updating within the past day or so.

Lesson 1 - create backups! - to sources other than C drive as well as .bck in C drive.

Thanks again.