Testing your antivirus program
The easiest way to keep your antivirus software running is to use the EICAR test file. It’s also a good idea to make sure that your security settings are configured correctly in Windows.
EICAR Test File
The EICAR test file is a virus simulator developed by the European Computer Antivirus Research Institute and the computer Antivirus research institution. EICAR is a series of virus-free code that most antivirus software includes to specifically test the signature definition files. Therefore, antivirus applications respond to this file as if it were a virus.
Using any text editor, you can easily create one yourself or download it from the EICAR website. To create an EıCAR test file, use a text editor such as Notepad to copy and paste the following line into a blank file:
X5O!P%@AP[4\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*
Save the file as EICAR.COM. If your active protection is functioning correctly, the save file action should trigger an alert. Some antivirus applications immediately quarantine the file as soon as it is saved.
