What is IDP.Generic? Details and How to Remove

Overview

We all know that Windows is the most popular operating system in the market by far, with Windows 10 system as the latest version as of this writing. But with popularity comes a lot of security problems, and not just from viruses but also spyware and other malicious applications.

It’s quite possible that your computer has been compromised by a new virus, trojan, or malware infections and it is also possible that these detected threats are just false positives. Many people have reported that they got an alert from their anti-virus software about IDP.GENERIC, but is it really a virus or just a false positive?

There have been reports that IDP.GENERIC issue has been detected on installed game files of steam users and others like python file as well, and majority of users who have been found reporting this bug issue is using antivirus software like Avast and AVG

It’s important that you make sure the threat is legitimate before taking action. Otherwise, you might accidently delete an important file.

So, the million dollar question is this – “Is the IDP GENERIC virus a real threat?” But before we answer this, let’s take a detailed look at what IDP.GENERIC really is.

What is IDP.Generic

Anti virus applications have identity protection detection component features to protect identities of the users which is designed to defend your system from harmful threats such as malwares, Trojans, and viruses whose primary cause is to steal a user’s data and personal information.

This identity protection feature that prevents identity theft is called Identity Detection Protection (IDP)

Now, the .generic extension means the threat detection is coming from a generic file, and the initial reaction of antiviruses when they detect this kind of file is to quarantine and delete it.

The problem occurs when the important legitimate file, flagged idp.generic by antiviruses are deleted, that program/software might stop working since it is already missing the “idp.generic” file deleted by the antivirus programs.

Don’t get me wrong; though IDP.generic files are mostly false positive, it is still not a good idea to just ignore these warnings. Always be vigilant and double check the legitimacy of the warning because real IDP Virus and Trojans are a serious threat.

What to do if it is a False Positve IDP.Generic Virus Warning

To start with, make sure that the file is indeed a false positive notification. Try to verify it with different antivirus programs for second opinion.

Now to the next part, if you are using Avast, we’ll just take it out of the virus vault and you can follow the steps below

Step 1: Launch the Avast Dashboard and click Protection

Step 2: Go to the Virus Chest

Step 3: Hover the mouse over the file identified as IDP.GENERIC file in the virus chest

Step 4: Click the three dots at the right then choose “Restore and Add to Exclusions”

Please take note that the above steps are for Avast antivirus users, however, these steps are also applicable to other antivirus program since all of them have a virus vault or quarantine; this is where they store all detected threat files and false positive ones too.

Once you have performed the above steps, the file identified as IDP.GENERIC will not be bothered by your antivirus anymore

What to do if it is not a False Positive IDP.Generic Virus Warning

If the file is a threat then you must remove the IDP.GENERIC file

This IDP.GENERIC file may have come from a range of sources such as software cracks, email attachments from spammers, social engineering, and downloading files from shady website

But just like first step taken for false positive IDP.GENERIC file, you should verify first that the file is indeed a threat by running it through a different anti virus program

If it is confirmed, it is important to know that if your anti virus program detects some files as threat, it will automatically delete or quarantine the contaminated files. Doing this on your own can be complicated and time-consuming – so just let your antivirus program do what they’re good at.

What Causes IDP.Generic Virus Warning

There is a myriad of reasons why you might receive an idp.generic file warning; however, the most common reason for these warnings are outdated anti-virus software that flags innocent programs as malicious files or because your Java has not been updated in a while.

So, you got this alert? Make sure to update your antivirus program for maximum protection. Both AVG and Avast have updates that combat the problem– but if you haven’t updated yet, don’t get surprised when it happens again.

How to Prevent IDP.Generic

IDP Generic threats are usually false positive notification and caused by outdated antivirus program. Make sure to enable your Antivirus’ automatic updates to ensure that its virus definitions are all up to date and preventing it from getting triggered due to false positive IDP Generic file.

It is also important that you have a strong antivirus program in case of real IDP GENERIC threats. There are a lot of antivirus software out there but I recommend the three below (including Avast which I personally use)

Avast Antivirus Software

Avast Antivirus is an award-winning antivirus program that provides 6 layers of security to protect you from viruses, malware, trojan, and hackers. Avast Antivirus offers a powerful antivirus scanner that won’t slow down your computer or interrupt you while you work.

It’s easy to install and effortless to use. With the most trusted name in internet security, this software does all the work for you so you can enjoy a safer online experience without any hassle.

Norton 360 Anti Virus

Norton 360 is the complete security solution that protects your PC, Mac and Android devices. It has a 100% antivirus protection and provides you with a real-time threat protection that blocks viruses, malware, phishing attacks and other Internet risks.

You can also use Norton Password Manager to store all your passwords safely so you don’t have to worry about remembering them anymore. With its advanced firewall technology, it will protect your computer from unwanted intrusions from the Internet

McAfee Total Protection

McAfee Total Protection is one of the most comprehensive suite of security products. It protects your digital life across all of your devices, from the moment you connect to the internet, to when you’re enjoying entertainment at home or on-the-go.

McAfee Total Protection also offers multi-faceted privacy protection that safeguards your identity and personal information against viruses and malware threats. It keeps you safe online and helps protect your privacy by blocking thousands of spam websites and identifying potentially dangerous sites before they can infect your PC with viruses or spyware.