MalwareTips
Threat LensFile scan report

Is startup.meta safe?

Verdict
Safe

None of 74 antivirus engines detected the small XML metadata file, and available threat-intelligence checks found no matching malware indicators.

The 1,515-byte XML metadata file produced no detections from 74 antivirus engines, including 17 tier-1 engines. No threat-intelligence matches, suspicious heuristics, brand conflict, or known malicious family indicators were found, although no completed runtime analysis is available.

Open with normal care

No quarantine or removal is indicated by the available evidence. Keep security protection enabled and verify that the metadata file belongs to an expected application if its origin is unfamiliar.

Read the full analysis
Saved file evidenceAntivirus consensus
0of 74 flagged
Flagged 0No detection 74
Digital specimenstartup.metad932b8feb1282bf901…78981555bace14
Size1.5 KB
Code signingNot applicable
SandboxPartial coverage
First seen2mo ago
Evidence3 priority signals
0 of 74 antivirus engines flagged the file.

Recommended next actions

01

Before opening

Open it only when its sender or download source is one you independently trust.

02

If you already opened it

Keep normal device protection enabled and stop if the file behaves unexpectedly.

Chapter 02

Intelligence

The saved assessment, checked against the scan evidence and recorded coverage.

MT AI Engine · Verdict analysis

The reasoning behind this verdict

This section explains the evidence supporting the verdict and keeps conflicting or missing signals visible.

91%Confidence
Very high
Analyst conclusion

The 1,515-byte XML metadata file produced no detections from 74 antivirus engines, including 17 tier-1 engines. No threat-intelligence matches, suspicious heuristics, brand conflict, or known malicious family indicators were found, although no completed runtime analysis is available.

Where this verdict could be wrong2 caveats
  • behaviour=null, so the file was not observed during a completed sandbox run.
  • contactedHosts=null, meaning no complete reputation cross-check exists for any potential network contacts.

These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.

Recommended action

No quarantine or removal is indicated by the available evidence. Keep security protection enabled and verify that the metadata file belongs to an expected application if its origin is unfamiliar.

Scan transparency

Coverage & freshness

3 of 5 complete

Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.

  • Antivirus

    Complete

    0 of 74 engines flagged the file.

  • Sandbox

    Partial

    Runtime data is present, but no completed sandbox environment is recorded.

  • Network

    Not run

    No contacted-host reputation check is recorded.

    No timestamp recorded

  • YARA

    Complete

    Rule evaluation completed with no recorded matches.

  • External intel

    Complete

    3 of 3 independent reference sources completed.

Chapter 03

Behavior

Plain-English impact first, then the observed runtime evidence.

Chapter 04

Detection & Forensics

Consensus, attribution, signatures, code structure, prevalence, and identity.

Chapter 05

Safety & FAQ

Complete recovery guidance and answers for the next decision.

What to do now

This file appears low risk based on the evidence available now.

  1. Recovery step 01

    Open it only when its sender or download source is one you independently trust.

  2. Recovery step 02

    A clean result reduces known risk, but it cannot guarantee that every new or targeted threat has been detected.

  3. Recovery step 03

    Keep your antivirus and Windows updates switched on so you stay protected.

Safety FAQ

Direct answers grounded in the saved verdict and evidence in this report.

6 evidence-based answers
Is startup.meta safe?
Evidence-based answer
startup.meta appears safe. 0 of 74 antivirus engines flagged it. Open it only when its sender or download source is one you independently trust.
What is startup.meta?
Evidence-based answer
startup.meta is a file, about 1 KB. Our analysis did not identify a verdict-driving threat signal. A file's name can be reused by different files, so we identify it by its cryptographic hash (below).
How many antivirus engines detected startup.meta?
Evidence-based answer
None — 0 of 74 antivirus engines flagged startup.meta. That's reassuring, though it is not proof that a file is safe, so we also weigh its behaviour, identity, and reputation.
What is the SHA-256 hash of startup.meta?
Evidence-based answer
The SHA-256 hash of startup.meta is d932b8feb1282bf901986352d90a849f249c0a0d27133d930878981555bace14, and its MD5 is 03be9c1d8253fc80a5dd9e50929ac582. This hash is the file's unique fingerprint — two files with the same SHA-256 are identical. Use it to confirm you're looking at exactly this file (not just one with the same name) when comparing against antivirus databases or a download's published checksum.
Is it safe to open startup.meta?
Evidence-based answer
Based on the recorded evidence, startup.meta has a low observed risk. The important caveat is source: make sure you downloaded it from the official website or a trusted store, because attackers sometimes distribute malware-laced copies under a legitimate file's name. If your own antivirus flags it, verify the source and the exact hash before overriding the warning.
How up to date is this analysis of startup.meta?
Evidence-based answer
This report reflects the scan run on September 9, 2026. Because a file's hash never changes, the identity of startup.meta is fixed — but antivirus coverage improves over time, so a file that looks clean today can pick up detections later (and vice-versa). If you need the latest picture, MalwareTips staff can re-run the analysis from scratch.
Chapter 06

Community

Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.

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The raw file is processed temporarily and is not retained after processing. Its hash and report are public and permanent, so the next person who checks the same file gets an instant answer. Unknown files may be submitted to VirusTotal for analysis. If you ran this file on your computer and are worried, scan your system with an up-to-date antivirus and change critical passwords from a different device.