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carlitouus
Participant
June 11, 2013
Answered

PDF files ending in .exe ?

  • June 11, 2013
  • 4 replies
  • 60202 views

are these viruses? I thought that every pdf file should end in .pdf. I have found several files where they end in .exe... I clicked on properties and it says "StarApp", is it safe to open? or should all pdf files end in .pdf and by no means in .exe?

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Test Screen Name

    A PDF file will usually end in PDF, and will never end in EXE (unless an awful mistake was made).

    However, this might be an EXE file which runs a small app, probably does some checking (like licenses or whatever) and then gives you access to a PDF.

    As with all other EXE files and apps, you must be sure you absolutely trust the person or company providing it, as they can do anything to your computer, including steal your credit cards and host pornography on it...

    4 replies

    K
    KingCrimson_37
    Participant
    February 1, 2018

    Hey, so i got the same thing on my computer, and I opened it, and it turned out to be a virus. so if you get a PDF.exe, it's most likely a virus. Hope that answered it for you.

    B
    Bhupi007
    Participant
    June 12, 2013

    pdf.exe files highly vulnerable to viruses, please don't open it before scanning with your virus scanner

    pwillener
    pwillener
    Legend
    June 12, 2013

    I am curious: how do you know that they are PDF files if their file extension is .exe?  Also, how did you obtain these files?

    Theoretically it could be a self-extracting ZIP file containing a PDF, but I don't think this is a normal way of delivering documents these days.

    T
    Test Screen NameCorrect answer
    Legend
    June 11, 2013

    A PDF file will usually end in PDF, and will never end in EXE (unless an awful mistake was made).

    However, this might be an EXE file which runs a small app, probably does some checking (like licenses or whatever) and then gives you access to a PDF.

    As with all other EXE files and apps, you must be sure you absolutely trust the person or company providing it, as they can do anything to your computer, including steal your credit cards and host pornography on it...

    C_F_McBlob
    C_F_McBlob
    Inspiring
    June 11, 2013

    This is one of the most common ways to deliver a virus. An unscrupulous party will send you a "document" that's really an executable file (virus). Your antivirus (at least mine - AVG - does it) should allow you to right click the file and scan it. If it checks out OK, then double click it to see if it indeed does run a license app. if it does nothing, change the extension to .pdf and open it with Reader.

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    Test Screen Name
    Legend
    June 11, 2013

    I feel I have to disagree. Just because a file doesn't have a virus in it doesn't mean it is not bad for your computer. An antivirus is absolutely no substitute for absolute trust of the source.

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