Virus/spyware fragment reported
If a virus/spyware fragment is reported, do the following:
- Update your protection immediately, so that Sophos Anti-Virus has the latest virus identity files.
- Run a full computer scan.
If virus/spyware fragments are still reported, contact Sophos technical support for advice.
The report of a virus/spyware fragment indicates that part of a file matches part of a virus or item of spyware. There are three possible causes:
Variant of a known virus or item of spyware
Many new viruses or items of spyware are based on existing ones, so that code fragments typical of a known virus or item of spyware may appear as part of a new one. If a virus/spyware fragment is reported, it is possible that Sophos Anti-Virus has detected a new virus or item of spyware, which could become active.
Corrupted virus
Many viruses contain bugs in their replication routines that cause them to infect target files incorrectly. An inactive portion of the virus (possibly a substantial part) may appear within the host file, and this is detected by Sophos Anti-Virus. A corrupted virus cannot spread.
Database containing a virus or item of spyware
When running a full computer scan, Sophos Anti-Virus may report that there is a virus/spyware fragment in a database file. If this is the case, do not delete the database. Contact Sophos technical support for advice.
For information about contacting technical support, see Technical support.