I tried to download VLC today, but I accidentally clicked on a link that didn't look right. Chrome warned me that the download could be malicious, and I noticed the URL had 'clearson.edu' in it, which made me quickly back out without confirming the download. I checked my downloads and desktop and found nothing new, plus I ran scans with Malwarebytes and Hitman Pro, but they didn't detect any issues. I'm feeling a bit paranoid and would like a second opinion. Am I probably okay? I really want to avoid wiping my system since I haven't backed up my files recently, and given that the scans and Windows Security didn't find anything, should I feel reassured?
3 Answers
Just a side note for when you're on VLC's official site: try selecting a mirror that’s closer to your location. It can speed up your download, and make sure to choose the 64-bit version for better performance since the default is often 32-bit.
You're fine! Just go ahead and get the correct VLC download now. It's pretty common for browsers to flag certain files as potentially dangerous, even when they're safe. As long as you didn’t let anything execute or do anything risky, just delete anything suspicious and move on without worry.
For next time, consider using a package manager like winget. It can help you avoid these kinds of download issues altogether and streamline your downloads!
Thanks! That’s what I figured, but I wanted to double-check. Better safe than sorry, right?