Updated on: September 22, 2024
Short on time? Here’s how to remove IDP.Alexa.51:
- 1. Scan Your Device. First, you need to find out if you actually have malware on your device or if you’re getting a false positive from your antivirus. Run a full system scan with a high-quality antivirus to get a second opinion (I recommend Norton).
- 2. Whitelist False Positive or Remove Virus. If your second opinion scan doesn’t flag the suspected file, then it’s probably a false positive. You’ll need to whitelist the file in your Avast/AVG/Avira settings (or just get a new antivirus). However, If your second antivirus does flag the same file, then let it remove all instances of the file associated with the IDP.Alexa.51 warning.
- 3. Stay Protected. Keep your device safe from further infections by using a reliable internet security suite. I recommend Norton, which has flawless malware detection rates and great real-time protection.
IDP.Alexa.51 is a threat name given to suspicious applications detected by Avira, Avast, and AVG. In most cases, IDP.Alexa.51 is a false positive (false positives occur when an antivirus scanner mistakenly labels a benign file as a malware file). Safe programs that communicate to a web app (like Spotify or Skype) and flash games (like Plants Vs. Zombies) are often flagged with the IDP.Alexa.51 label.
However, sometimes the IDP.Alexa.51 notification pops up when a file is stealing user data — so it’s important to get a second opinion so you can determine whether you have a malware infection or not.
I recommend most users get a second opinion from a premium antivirus like Norton 360. If you want to stick with your original antivirus software (Avast, AVG, or Avira), you can re-install it once your second opinion scan is finished.
Try Norton (60 Days Risk-Free)
Step 1. Run a Full System Scan With an Antivirus
Once you’ve downloaded an antivirus for your second opinion, run a full disk scan using your antivirus.
Make sure to uninstall the antivirus showing the IDP.Alexa.51 warning before you install another antivirus for a second opinion. When you have two antiviruses installed simultaneously, they can interfere with each other and make your malware scan results unreliable.
A full disk scan will look for the application showing the IDP.Alexa.51 warning. While it’s doing this, the full disk scan will also look for other malicious files on your computer, such as trojans, computer worms, cryptojackers, and spyware.
The full disk scan will use a lot of system resources, so you should only run it when you’re not planning to use your computer. You can schedule a scan, so it starts automatically at a particular time.
The scan can take anywhere between a few minutes to 1 hour (and sometimes a bit longer), depending on what type of drive you have, how big it is, and how many applications the virus scanner has to go through. Therefore, it’s best to leave your computer until the scan is done.
Whatever you do, if you remain at your computer, don’t cancel the scan when you see an infected file on the list. You don’t know how many other infected files are installed on your computer. Your best bet is just to wait until the scan is finished.
When the scan is completed, you’ll know if the IDP.Alexa.51 warning shown on AVG/Avira/Avast was a real threat or just a false positive that can be whitelisted or ignored. You can now proceed to Step 2.
Step 2. Whitelist False Positives and Delete Any Infected Files
If your second-opinion antivirus scanner didn’t flag the file that your first antivirus identified as the IDP.Alexa.51 threat, then it’s probably not a dangerous file. If you’re keeping your subscription with Avast, AVG, or Avira, then you will need to re-install the antivirus, go into the quarantine list, and follow these instructions (Avast, AVG, and Avira all have slightly different interfaces, so you may need to contact customer support if you’re having trouble accessing the whitelist settings):
- Click Menu > Settings.
- Select General > Exceptions.
- Type in the file path you want to whitelist.
If your second-opinion antivirus found malware on your device, remove the infected files.
Now you should restart your PC. This is to stop any malware booted into Windows memory from running. Once this is done, it’s a good idea to scan your PC a second time — just in case any malware has replicated. Luckily, this scan won’t take as long as the first scan. This time around, your antivirus will only scan files that have been added or modified since the previous scan.
Once the second scan has been completed, if there are no malware threats, you can proceed to Step 3. However, if there are malware threats, you need to go through your quarantine list once more, delete the threats that aren’t false positives, then restart your PC and repeat these steps until the malware list is empty.
Step 3. Keep Your Device From Getting (Re-)Infected
Every day, new PUPs and malware are released. Without the proper security precautions in place, your device can (again) get infected. Here’s what you need to do to avoid that.
- Keep Your Software, OS, and Drivers Up-to-Date: Firstly, everything on your computer needs to be kept up to date. Updating software is really important because when it becomes outdated, developers stop actively supporting it. This means the newest and emerging malware threats can easily infect obsolete systems. Newer software, operating systems, and drivers will have had security patches issued to prevent this from happening.
- Don’t Download Suspicious Files: Potentially harmful files can wreak havoc on your computer and some can even cause permanent damage. That’s why it’s very important to avoid downloading free software from unfamiliar websites, pirated files or downloading key generators that bypass software activation codes.
- Secure Your Wireless Network and IoT Devices: Make sure your home network and all of your devices are locked behind an unguessable password (it helps to use a password manager like 1Password). Avoid connecting to public networks. If you must, make sure to use a VPN.
Best Antiviruses for Removing IDP.Alexa.51
Quick summary of the best antiviruses for removing IDP.Alexa.51:
- 🥇 1. Norton — Best antivirus for securing your devices against IDP.Alexa.51.
- 🥈 2. Bitdefender — Lightweight malware scanner with loads of extra features.
- 🥉 3. TotalAV — Intuitive antivirus with beginner-friendly features & tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is IDP.Alexa.51 a virus?
In most cases, IDP.Alexa.51 is a false positive shown in Avira, Avast, and AVG and not a virus. It commonly appears as a warning after installing flash games (such as Plants vs. Zombies). However, you should still be careful — some generic virus detection notifications like IDP.Alexa.51 pop up because you have malware on your device.
If IDP.Alexa.51 appears on your system; you should take precautions and follow our steps to scan your system for malware.
What does IDP.Alexa.51 do?
IDP.Alexa.51 is a generic threat name given to a process acting similar to malware — so its effects on your PC can vary. If it’s a false positive, the only noticeable symptom will be your antivirus blocking the associated application until you whitelist it.
However, if IDP.Alexa.51 is a genuine malware infection, you may notice a slowdown on your PC. You’re also at risk of having your personal files stolen and modified. But you shouldn’t wait until you see these symptoms. If you suspect you have a malware infection, you should get a second opinion using a comprehensive malware scanner and take action.
How to remove IDP.Alexa.51?
To remove the IDP.Alexa.51 threat notification, you need to first determine if it’s a false positive or not. The best way to determine if IDP.Alexa.51 is a false positive or a virus is to use a reliable antivirus to get a second opinion — I recommend Norton.
First, uninstall the antivirus (Avast, AVG, or Avira) giving the IDP.Alexa.51 warning so it doesn’t interfere with Norton’s scanner. Then, install Norton and initiate a full disk scan. If the antivirus registers the file showing the IDP.Alexa.51 warning, you have a malware infection and you need to remove it.
However, if the second opinion antivirus doesn’t detect malware with its scan, then it’s safe to say that your first antivirus scanner detected a false positive, so you can reinstall your original antivirus and whitelist the false positive (or get a different antivirus program).
