Antivirus false positives are killing my malware cleanup workflow

Piper Lewis · 2026-03-03T00:36:05.046457+00:00

It's so annoying when AV flags your tools as threats. I keep a whitelist folder on a USB drive now, and it saves tons of time.

butler.shane7mo ago

Totally agree, and @grace_perry44 is right about backups.

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grace_perry447mo ago

Always keep a backup copy somewhere else too.

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baker.andrew7mo ago

Whitelisting tools on a USB drive seems like a shortcut that could backfire. Antivirus software flags items for a reason, and bypassing those warnings might let real threats slip through. For instance, I've seen cases where trusted tools were compromised and distributed with hidden payloads. @grace_perry44's advice on backups is solid, but if the tool itself is malicious, a backup won't help. It's better to deal with the hassle of false positives than risk an actual infection. Sometimes the extra time spent verifying tools is worth the security.

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