[Digerati]

Originally Posted by Murf

Appears you have Malware not a Virus

Ummm, you are showing your age, Murf! LOL

"Malware" is an umbrella term for "malicious software that includes viruses.

"Vehicle" makes a good analogy. Cars, trucks, tractors, boats and airplanes are all very different - but are still vehicles. Same with malware.

Many, many MANY years ago, viruses were said to be in a separate category by some people. But as different types of malicious software started to appear, users were getting tired of needing multiple scanners bogging down our systems - with anti-virus, anti-Trojan, anti-rootkit, anti-spyware, etc. all consuming resources and some creating conflicts.

So the major security software developers started integrating and consolidated all their anti-malicious software features and scanners into a single security solution. This resulted in viruses being pulled under the same umbrella as other malicious software like Trojans, worms, etc.

Yes, a virus behaves and replicates in a different way than a worm, but both are still malicious software, thus malware - just as a car and a boat are both vehicles.

This is exactly why "Microsoft Defender" (formally Windows Defender) is all we need to protect us from all sorts of malware, including Trojans, worms, and viruses.

Are viruses malware?

Yes.

Norton

The most common types of malware include viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, bots or botnets, adware, spyware, rootkits, fileless malware, and malvertising.

AVAST: Malware vs. Viruses: What’s the Difference?

A computer virus is just one type of malware. Just as all squares are rectangles (but not all rectangles are squares), all viruses are malware, but not all malware is a virus.

Microsoft: Types of Malware.

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Having said all that, agree with the advice given and double checking with a secondary scanner is a good idea. I also like Malwarebytes for that.

One of the nice things about Malwarebytes Premium is that it plays well with Microsoft Defender, without hogging resources or impacting system performance. Note the primary difference between the free version and the Premium version is the Premium version includes a real-time scanner - good for peace of mind.

I also recommend using Microsoft Defender instead of McAfee. Don't let the naysayers and MS bashers fool you into thinking it is not good enough. It definitely is.

But also, regardless your security solution of choice, it is essential to keep your OS and security fully up to date, and avoid being "click-happy" on unsolicited links, downloads, attachments and popups.