This is the complete guide to idp.generic in 2022.
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If you have an antivirus program installed, the possibility of a false alarm is always there. Outdated antivirus program that is not dated with newly discovered malware definitions is prone to false positive detection on Windows 10.
Many users have reportedly received the “idp.generic is deleted” error on their operating system, usually from non malicious files and programs. So, what is this idp.generic that your antivirus is finding and should you worry about it?
AVG and Avast antivirus software (Avast security solutions) may detect the idpgeneric virus and put it in quarantine when installing a new piece of software or performing a scan. This is done by Identify Protection Detection component, and most likely, a general file is detected that is safe to use as reported in the Avast forum. Does that mean the virus is a false positive?
Although in most cases, you’ll encounter a false positive, I recommend ensuring that the file in question is indeed a false alarm. In this article, we will take a look at what is idp.generic virus and how to remove it from your PC.
Idp.generic means a potential threat has been detected by your antivirus program’s detection feature called Identity Detection Protection Component. And, no, it doesn’t mean that it’s a generic virus either.
IDP generic is designed to detect any potential threats in the form of viruses, malware, and Trojan horse files, which may corrupt your system or leak sensitive data.
However, at times your antivirus may detect even authorized action by third-party programs as hostile and, as a preventative measure, quarantine the file. Most of the time idp.generic detection results in a false positive, and the exe file (most common form) can be restored safely to the original program.
Before you decide to restore the detected file, it is important to double-check the file for threats using another antivirus program or solution.
False positives are usually triggered if you have outdated definitions of antivirus installed. Antivirus companies consistently update their virus database to remove and include new threats. And, this is the industry practice as well, so constantly update your antivirus program to keep your computer security top-notch: and, it is not a complicated process.
Therefore, if you haven’t updated your antivirus for a long, it may result in false positives more often. And, cyber criminals and other malware infections are constantly on the lookout for these situations.
If the IDP detects a general file from a recently installed program and you downloaded it from a trusted source, it is most likely a false positive,i.e., your downloaded files are not suspicious files.
Unfortunately, this can also happen with some of the most popular applications, including Turboxtax, Davinci Resolve, Lenovo Solution Centre, etc.
You can ensure the detection is false positive by scanning the identified file against multiple virus databases using the VirusTotal scan. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: First locate file detected idp generic virus file location. The below steps are for Avast security program, but it should also apply for another antivirus like AVG.
Step 2: Launch your antivirus program. Then, click on the Protection tab from the left pane.
Step 3: Open Virus Chest under the Protection options. In the Virus Chest screen, you will see the detected file that is locked by the antivirus. Note down the Original location. This is the virus vault.
Step 4: Once you have the location, go to the VirusTotal page. Click the Choose File button and select the idp generic virus file.
Step 5: VirtusTotal will scan the file against several databases from antivirus programs such as BitDefender, Panda, Symantec and more.
Check the VirusTotal result once the scanning is completed.
If the file is not detected by any security vendor, you can safely determine the idp.generic detection to be a false positive.
If you determine the detection to be a false positive, you can safely restore the file to its original source.
It is important to restore the file as the affected program will likely crash or stop working. Here’s how you can restore the falsely detected file.
Step 1: Launch your antivirus program. The instructions below are for Avast antivirus.
Step 2: Click the Protection tab from the left pane and then click on Virus Chest.
Step 3: The screen will populate with all the files detected by the program. To restore the file, click the three-dots on the right corner of the file and choose Restore and add an exception.
Restoring the file and adding an exception means the antivirus will not detect and remove it again. After removing the file from the virus vault, update your virus definition.
Step 1: To update your antivirus, launch the app. Next, click the Menu button on the top-right corner.
Step 2: Click on Settings and then open the General tab.
Step 3: Open the Update tab from the left pane. Click the Check for Update button.
Step 4: Avast will check for pending updates and install it. Once installed, restart your PC and check if the antivirus detects the file again in your virus vault.
If your anti virus continues to detect false positives even after updating your anti virus, download any other anti virus program.
Malwarebytes is an exceptional security solution that can find and remove malware and other suspicious files.
Outdated Java Run Time Environment is reportedly one of the common reasons why Avast and AVG may trigger ipd.generic threat false positives.
An easy fix is to update your JRE to the latest available version. Here’s how to update Java Run-Time Environment.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open Run. Next, type control in the Run dialogue box and click OK. This will open the Control Panel.
Step 2: In the Control Panel, click on Programs.
Step 3: Next, click on Java (32-bit). You will see the Java Control Panel window.
Step 4: Next, open the Update tab and click the Update Now button.
Step 5: Java will scan for available updates. If found, you will see an update window. Click on the Update button to download and install the latest version of JRE.
Steam idp.generic threat false positive is triggered when the user closes a Steam game or launches it. Some games like Book of Demons have been falsely tagged for malware like behaviour.
Steam games are usually safe, so you don’t have to uninstall your game just yet. Disable the current antivirus and install another antivirus program.
Then, launch Steam and try launching the game and check if antivirus detects the game.
If not, disable your antivirus or use the game mode to stop it from falsely tagging it as malware. You can also add the game file to the whitelist to fix the issue.
If you are experiencing the idp.generic threat alert for trusted programs like TurboTax, Davinci Resolve, and Steam client, then add the programs to the exception list. This will prevent the antivirus from falsely identifying the program and file as a threat.
Step 1: Open the Antivirus program and click the Menu icon.
Step 2: Open Settings from the options.
Step 3: In the General tab, open the Exceptions tab.
Step 4: To add the file to your whitelist, click Add Exception. You can add specific files, folders or websites to exclude from all of the antivirus shields. To add a file, click on Browse, select the program/game you to exclude by ticking the folder box, and click OK.
Avast will now exclude the game or program from all of its shields. That said, exercise caution when adding programs and files to the exception list.
If VirusTotal detects the file as malware, make sure to permanently delete it from your from the Virus Chest, Virus vault, or Quarantine tab.
You don’t need to take any other action to deal with the malware as your antivirus has detected and removed it already.
However, there is a possibility that the malware may have infected your system. To make sure your system is clean, perform a full scan.
To do this, open Avast and open the Protection tab.
In the Virus Scan window, click on the Scan Now button for Full Virus Scan. This may take some time to complete depending on the disk size and other aspects.
The false positive idp.generic detected issue usually if your antivirus definition is outdated. This is similar to win32:Bogent virus alert and false positive detection seems to have affected mainly Avast and AVG antivirus.
Before you discard the message as a false positive, check the source, run the file through VirusTotal and then perform a complete scan via another new antivirus.
I hope that covers you for now with regard to Idp.generic, one of the most common malware infections affecting operating systems and devices.
Stay on top of your anti virus updates, and make sure the files in your virus vault are checked as well, and make it a habit to fully scan your files now and then.
And, if my methods helped you out, be sure to let me know in the comments below!
This is a great article! I’m glad I found it.
Thanks so much Forhave 🙂