Are you facing the issue of IDP.Generic infection warning while running an antivirus or gaming program on your Windows device? The good news is that this could be a simple ‘false positive’ that really isn’t a threat at all.
This was a bug of AVG and Avast antivirus software. There is no specific type of programs, it is showing warning for. Users are facing issues with genuine software and games. Steam users are also facing this issue.
However, if you are still facing this issue, be cautious either you have not updated the antivirus program or it is a real infection. There is a possibility that your computer might have infected by a Trojan virus.
What Is The IDP.Generic Virus?
The IDP in this virus stands for Identity Detection Protection. It references the fact that the virus attempts to steal information related to your identity, such as banking or other sensitive details.
If its a false positive, that means your antivirus software couldn’t recognize the file so it categorized it as a virus when it really isn’t one. This typically occurs when your software hasn’t been recently updated.
However, if It’s a true computer virus called a Trojan, which is a malicious program designed to extort or steal money from you or even take control of your computer.
How Does The IDP.Generic Virus Work?
If the warning is true then your computer system has acquired a Trojan virus. Trojans work in the background of your system by intercepting your internet traffic and emails or by corrupting your system files or both.
The IDP.Generic virus will be stealthily running in the background on your computer, stealing banking information, passwords, and more.
How Did I Get The IDP.Generic Virus?
Computer infections like IDP.Generic can enter your system in various ways. Some most commonly used methods are spam campaigns, Trojans, fake/unofficial software updaters, software ‘cracking’ tools, and dubious software download sources.
In most cases, the attached files are Microsoft Office documents, archives such as RAR, ZIP, PDF documents, executables (.exe and other files), JavaScript files, and so on. Once opened (executed), they infect operating systems by downloading and installing malicious programs. Trojans are computer infections that, if already installed, proliferate other malware.
If you use peer-to-peer networks (torrents, eMule, or similar tools), free file hosting sites, freeware sites to obtain downloads, etc. you are at high risk for this or other Trojans infiltrating your system.
In summary, opening files downloaded using these channels can trick people to install malicious programs.
How To Avoid Malware?
To avoid infected by malware always download software from official and trustworthy, websites only and using direct download links. It is also important to keep the software updated.
Furthermore, do not open email attachments received from unknown/suspicious addresses. These are usually presented as official and important, however, if they (and their attachments) are irrelevant, they should be ignored.
Avoid the use of bypass paid activation tools that are illegal and they often cause download and installation of malware. Finally, use reliable anti-virus/anti-spyware software to prevent system infection by viruses.
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How Do I Get Rid Of IDP.Generic?
Follow the below steps to remove this warning or remove the infection from the system.
1. Update Antivirus
There is a high possibility that the IDP.Generic virus is simply a false positive from an outdated antivirus or another program. So, update the antivirus program that alerted you to the most current version available.
Then run the scan or program again. If you still receive the warning, you should assume it is not a false positive result and take additional steps to clear your system of the actual virus.
Further, IDP.Generic warnings can sometimes be triggered by an out-of-date version of Java on your computer. If you’re not sure whether or not this is the root of your problem, it’s worth removing Java from your system and installing a completely new version to see if that resolves the warning.
2. Remove IDP.Generic Manually
You can also get rid of this IDP.Generic virus manually simply by uninstalling specific apps relating to it. Both Windows and macOS have clear ways to uninstall apps you no longer want to use.
Once the program is removed, run your antivirus software again to see if the warning still appears. This is not always easy to perform since you might not know exactly which program triggered the warning.
Additionally, Trojans can infect multiple programs, too, so the removal of a single program might not eliminate the problem.
3. System Restore
If none of the above steps solve the problem, you can use System Restore to return to an earlier point on your computer before you picked up the IDP.Generic virus.
Just make sure to select a period of time where you know you definitely didn’t already have the virus on your computer.
How To Avoid Getting The IDP.Generic Virus Again?
In order to lower your chance of being re-infected with IDP.Generic or other malicious programs follow these steps.
Regularly update your antivirus software and malware protection to deal with the newest virus and malware-based threats. Further don’t open unexpected email attachments unless you are expecting an attachment from someone via email.
Download new programs from genuine sources only. Never use piracy websites to get any programs. Remember IDP.generic and other malware can infect your computer through the suspicious websites you might accidentally enter.
Don’t click on suspicious pop-up ads that appear on piracy/suspicious websites. If a site inundates you with pop-up advertisements, leave the site immediately.