I just built my PC for the first time today, and while setting it up, I noticed that Windows Defender flagged something related to the MSI software. I didn't see the alert until after the fact, and it happened around the same time I received a notification from MSI to download Norton. I clicked on the 'snooze' option since I was unsure what to do. I'm starting to think it might be a false positive, but could someone clarify this for me? By the way, I didn't intentionally download any MSI software; it just came with the PC setup. Thanks in advance for any help!
2 Answers
Nope, it's likely just a false positive. MSI has partnered with Norton to offer Norton 360 as an optional feature during their driver installation. The alert you got, labeled as Win32/Malgent, is just a generic flag that Defender uses for things that resemble a trojan but might not actually be harmful. If you're ever unsure, it's a good idea to upload the file to VirusTotal for a detailed check. Personally, I just install the MSI components and skip Norton; I go with BitDefender instead.
That sounds about right! The timing of the alert does suggest that it was triggered during your setup. If you panic-deleted the file, you might not be able to upload it but check if you can find the original installer again and scan it. If not, just ensure you have good antivirus like BitDefender, and you should be fine!
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