Safety Scanner found 12 infected files but scan results said no problems detected

Catwoman 36

I ran a Microsoft Security Scan and during the scan I could see that it had found 12 infected files. When the scan completed, it said that there were no viruses, spyware, or other potentially unwanted software detected. I have attached screen shots.

Anonymous

2021-06-07T07:24:55.307+00:00

Hi,

I would like to check if the issue has been fixed? If yes, please help accept answer, so that others meet a similar issue can find useful information quickly. If you have any other concerns or questions, please feel free to feedback.

Best Regards,
Danny
Anonymous

2021-06-09T09:21:58.03+00:00

Hi,

I would like to check if the issue has been fixed? If yes, please help accept answer, so that others meet a similar issue can find useful information quickly. If you have any other concerns or questions, please feel free to feedback.

Best Regards,
Danny
Nicholas Q 25 Reputation points

2023-04-12T17:23:07.0866667+00:00

I also agree with the need for new wording on this tool. I was just doing a web search to see what sort of terrible virus was manipulating my AV software. I've been using 6 different tools for the last two days and these "infected" files kept me concerned.
Yoman 5 Reputation points

2023-05-04T20:26:17.9833333+00:00

I'm trying to scan. Immediately after scanning the system, it was found that some files contained viruses or malware. It immediately worried me. I don't know how many malware will be found when the process is finished.
Erik R. Grenee 20 Reputation points

2023-05-16T20:17:10.1733333+00:00

I am encountering the same issue: Microsoft Safety Scanner 1.389.705.0 indicates Files Infected. The present count is at '2'. When I initially ran this scan the count was '14' (if I recall correctly). There where no recommended further steps recommended. 3rd party scanners don't indicate any infection but this is a Microsoft Operating System so I defer to Microsoft KB. Is my OS infected as Microsoft Safety Scanner 1.389.705.0 suggest or is Danny on point and some harmless code fragment has triggered these notifications? Kind of concerned since I had to return this device to the factory days after it's arrival due to an unauthorized web access and lateral movement.
Bob 20 Reputation points

2023-06-20T15:22:39.96+00:00

Same problem here...I mean? What if the malware actually prevents the connection from happening in the first place? Then what the infected files stay. Time for MS to get there stuff together...anybody else noticed the vast amount of security updates? What is going on here?
Russell Schneider 5 Reputation points

2023-08-30T17:35:44.8+00:00

Typical of Microsoft. You see, they understand the contradictory nature of the preliminary and final presentation of the results, so it is not necessary for the user to understand. This attitude permeates much of the "expert" intervention in threads on this forum and others when a Microsoft individual jumps in.

This particular issue cost me several hours as the scanner "discovered" twenty "infected" files. Further, would it not be good for the user to know what those infected files were, even if they were only suspicious? Then we could scan them with more comprehensive non-Microsoft security products. Microsoft, if you are listening, disclose those files and change your wording to reflect the truth of the situation. Have some respect for your knowledgeable user community out here, please.
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Lauren W 5 Reputation points

2023-12-20T19:54:40.1566667+00:00

If I wanted to play with horseshoes and hand grenades, I would pay a third party antivirus to detect nothing and call it something so they can charge me to fix the something that was nothing all along. Microsoft is claiming there is something that is actually something but they call it nothing. What, exactly is this scanner for? Maybe all the data you are collecting can be used to cure the Microsoft induced ADHD people are getting....
Paul Janetzki 5 Reputation points

2025-06-14T02:51:13.8033333+00:00

Ha, I had 224 "Files Infected" and then zero when complete. Had me supper worried as I use said computer for some work stuff. Then read answer below and felt much better.
224 is probably due to all the many many different device/controller connect, setup and control applications on it.
Why does every lighting, heating, building automation and control system manufacture have to have its own totally "unique" and most likely terrible application? Often a different one for each different line of any give product type they sell??

6 answers

Anonymous

2021-06-04T02:17:50.39+00:00

Hi,

The "Files Infected" count displayed on the Microsoft Safety Scanner, scan in progress screen or any of their other security products for that matter, is actually just a preliminary status indication that there are items which may contain malware. In many cases these specific items have been found in the past to be related to malware, but they are all really just small fragments that have matched signatures, but aren't yet truly confirmed as the specific malware that might include them.

Near the end of the scanning process, say 95% complete, the Microsoft scanners all perform a MAPS (Microsoft Active Protection Service) request via internet to the the Microsoft cloud servers in order to upload their initial findings and request confirmation that these findings are either truly malware or instead possible false positive detections or incomplete fragments of inactive malware.

So what actually happened is that the scanner found possible malware fragments, communicated with the MAPS servers and confirmed there weren't any active malware that it can identify running and completed its operation by reporting these final results as well as uploading its reporting to MAPS as a record.

Back to your case, according to the screenshots there's nothing truly wrong with what the Safety Scanner found.

Thanks for your time.
Best regards,
Danny

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John Torp 6 Reputation points

2022-09-12T12:17:11.887+00:00

Today I experienced same issue. I absolutely agree about the silly answer. I would add unpolite answer as well:

"you need to understand how the Microsoft security apps actually operate, since that's part of why this sort of situation can be confusing to those who don't"

We, as users of Microsoft's software and customers of Microsoft company, don't need to understand how the Microsoft security apps actually operate. There is no requirement for Windows' users to have a bachelor's degree in computer science, right?

Instead of saying that Catwoman-3559 is not understanding the app because of his ignorance, you could just have admited the fact, perfectly explained by JohnClegg-8996, that the application is providing misleading information and should be improved.

So thanks for your anser, YuhanDeng-MSFT, but in my honest opinion you should review in the manual that chapter about being friendly, thinking about the issue from user's point of view, and all that stuff.

John
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Safety Scanner found 12 infected files but scan results said no problems detected

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