My friend got some mp3 files from his girlfriend. He was pretty sure that his antivirus protects him all the time (Avast has taken his place). Files were infected and some troubles came into his system.

If you are not sure that some files are safe to open or not but you are pretty sure your friend always has virus problems, you can esily confirm your suspicions. Multi Scanners use around 30 different engines and they can tell you more than one engine installed on your system (actually is not easy have more than one).
Those online services are free and easy to use. Users just upload their files, scan through multiple engines and immediately receive report back. Below are also sample reports created after checking virus_test.rar.

VirusTotal is a service that analyzes suspicious files and facilitates the quick detection of viruses, worms, trojans, and all kinds of malware detected by antivirus engines. VirusTotal is a service developed by Hispasec Sistemas, an independent IT Security laboratory, that uses several command line versions of antivirus engines, updated regularly with official signature files published by their respective developers. No download, license or installation needed. Simply upload the file or files that you want to scan and you’ll be in queue for a while depending on the VirusTotal server load to start scanning and display the result.

A list of the companies that participate in VirusTotal with their antivirus engines.

1. AhnLab (V3)
2. Aladdin (eSafe)
3. ALWIL (Avast! Antivirus)
4. Authentium (Command Antivirus)
5. Avira (AntiVir)
6. Bit9 (FileAdvisor)
7. Cat Computer Services (Quick Heal)
8. ClamAV (ClamAV)
9. CA Inc. (Vet)
10. Doctor Web, Ltd. (DrWeb)
11. Eset Software (ESET NOD32)
12. ewido networks (ewido anti-malware)
13. Fortinet (Fortinet)
14. FRISK Software (F-Prot)
15. F-Secure (F-Secure)
16. Grisoft (AVG)
17. Hacksoft (The Hacker)
18. Ikarus Software (Ikarus)
19. Kaspersky Lab (AVP)
20. McAfee (VirusScan)
21. Microsoft (Malware Protection)
22. Norman (Norman Antivirus)
23. Panda Security (Panda Platinum)
24. Prevx (Prevx1)
25. Rising Antivirus (Rising)
26. Secure Computing (Webwasher)
27. Softwin (BitDefender)
28. Sophos (SAV)
29. Sunbelt Software (Antivirus)
30. Symantec (Norton Antivirus)
31. VirusBlokAda (VBA32)
32. VirusBuster (VirusBuster)

It also offers Virus Total Uploader which enables you to directly send files from your system using the context menu.

HomePage: http://www.virustotal.com/

VirSCAN.org is also free online multi engine scan service, which checks uploaded files for malware, using antivirus engines, indicated in the VirSCAN list. On uploading files you want to be checked , you can see the result of scanning and the degree of uploaded files being dangerous.

If the file you uploaded is detected as suspicious, VirSCAN will send the file and report off to the antivirus vendors participating in the VirSCAN service to be analysed. Antivirus companies will update the signature virus database if a real malware is found. If you disagree with VirSCAN’s clause or agreement, please don’t use VirSCAN’s service. VirSCAN will not save the file you uploaded once, so please don’t contact VirSCAN when you can’t find your file. VirSCAN.org is organized by several fans of antivirus industry and it is a free website and it is not an opensource project,either. VirSCAN’s service is free and public. VirSCAN is neutral to the antivirus vendors. VirSCAN is kindly supported by many antivirus fans and antivurus vendors.

Here is a list of antivirus engines.

1. A-Squared Austria
2. AhnLab V3 Korea-South
3. AntiVir Germany
4. Arcavir Poland
5. Avast Czech
6. AVG Czech
7. BitDefender Romania
8. ClamAV N/A
9. Comodo America
10. CP Secure AmericaDr.Web Russia
11. Ewido Germany
12. F-Prot Iceland
13. F-Secure Finland
14. Fortinet America
15. Ikarus Austria
16. JiangMin China
17. Kaspersky Russia
18. KingSoft China
19. McAfee America
20. mks_vir Poland
21. NOD32 Slovakia
22. Norman Norway
23. nProtect Korea-South
24. Panda Spain
25. Prevx Britain
26. Quick Heal India
27. Rising China
28. Sophos Britain
29. Symantec America
30. The Hacker Peru
31. Trend Micro America
32. VBA32 Belarus
33. ViRobot Korea-South
34. VirusBuster Hungary

HomePage: http://www.virscan.org

With NoVirusThanks you’ll be able to scan your files using all of their 21 antivirus engines at the same time, and have the reports shown in one page. NoVirusThanks is a free online service that scans suspicious files for the possible presence of viruses, worms, trojans and any other kind of malware using several anti-virus engines simultaneously.
NoVirusThanks file scanning with multiple antivirus engines is totally free and independent service. The virus definition signatures are automatically updated every 6 hours. It supports detailed results from each antivirus engine and also advanced details of file analyzed. At the result page, it has BBCode support where you can copy it to forums.

Engines:

• Avira AntiVir
• AVG
• Avast!
• BitDefender
• ClamAV
• Comodo
• Dr.Web
• Ewido
• F-PROT 6
• G DATA
• IkarusT3
• Kaspersky
• McAfee
• NOD32
• Norman
• QuickHeal
• Panda
• Solo Antivirus
• Sophos
• TrendMicro
• VBA32
• VirusBuster

NoVirusThanks also offers an uploader software that allows you to directly send files from your system, using GUI, using the Windows Send To context menu, or drag and drop to its Online Malware Scanner. NoVirusThanks uploader tool can only upload a maximum file of 4MB but the website supports up to 20MB.

HomePage: http://www.novirusthanks.org

Jotti’s Malware Scan is powered by online scanners like AVG, AntiVir, Avast, NOD 32, Sophos, Ikarus. The virus definitions are set up to be updated every hour to provide the safest scan possible. Jotti says: This service is by no means 100% safe. If this scanner says ‘OK’, it does not necessarily mean the file is clean. There could be a whole new virus on the loose. NEVER EVER rely on one single product only, not even this service, even though it utilizes several products. Therefore, We cannot and will not be held responsible for any damage caused by results presented by this non-profit online service.

Engines’ list:

1. A-Squared
2. AntiVir
3. ArcaVir
4. Avast
5. AVG Antivirus
6. BitDefender
7. ClamAV
8. CPsecure
9. Dr.Web
10. F-Prot Antivirus
11. F-Secure Anti-Virus
12. Fortinet
13. Ikarus
14. Kaspersky Anti-Virus
15. NOD32
16. Norman Virus Control
17. Panda Antivirus
18. Rising Antivirus
19. Sophos Antivirus
20. VirusBuster
21. VBA32

HomePage: http://virusscan.jotti.org