Any file I try to download is immediately blocked with a "Failed - Virus detected" message, including PNG images I created myself. I temporarily disabled Windows Defender and Kaspersky, but the error continued in multiple browsers, including Chrome and Edge. I also ran a full Kaspersky scan, which found no malware, and tried changing some Windows Registry settings. What could be causing this, and how can I fix it safely?
2 Answers
A full malware scan not finding anything makes an active virus less certain, especially if even self-created PNG files are blocked. In this case, repairing Windows system components and restoring the affected security or download settings would be safer than repeatedly disabling antivirus protection. The issue was ultimately resolved by repairing a corrupted Windows Registry entry using Command Prompt.
Since the same thing happens in multiple browsers, reinstalling the browser probably won’t help. The message may be coming from Windows Security, a corrupted download-related Registry setting, or another system component rather than the browser itself. Check which security component is reporting the block and avoid randomly changing Registry values, since that can make the problem worse.

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