Why is a virus always reported for these files?

A laptop has been telling me for a while now that I want to open or download a pdf file that it has a virus. Since I've had this a lot lately, it's definitely not because of the files, but because of my laptop.

Can I fix it somewhere or do I have to buy a new laptop?

Who said that? So which program?

Reinstalling Windows over it helps in any case, but depending on the exact error, a "milder" approach is certainly possible.

Instructions regarding the former e.g.

Sorry, I don't know the name of the program: /

Assuming that there are different PDF files from different sources, it will probably be a "false positive", ie an erroneous detection of your virus protection. It would also be important to state the original wording of the message here.

In the settings of your AV there are settings on how to set the detection less "sharp", if necessary, an update of the scanner also helps.

Nonsense! Why should you do that?
Just because a virus guard does his job?
Nothing happened.

Is it always the same file?

upload one of the files at https://www.virustotal.com/...ome/upload and have it checked. Then you can be sure in all cases whether it is a virus or a false alarm.

if there's one false alarm we can see further.

But we need the name of the antivirus or at least the logo. Is it e.g. B. Orange, green, red or blue?

Was mainly related to the question:

"Can I fix it somewhere or do I have to buy a new laptop?"

Definitely help.

I also wrote that there's certainly a "milder" option.

Red

It is then that false positives are unlikely if either the virus monitor is useless (and therefore there's generally an increased risk of infection) or the computer is already infected in some other way.

Malware spreads particularly well via pdf files - the reader itself may be affected.

If the logo is red it will probably be Avira, Bitdefender, TrendMicro or GDATA.

You should first update the database in the antivirus. You can upload the file (PDF) to VirusTotal.com or Metadefender.com. If they report that the file is safe, you have to report to your antivirus support. It is then a false positive, so the program detects secure files as malware / virus.

Annotation:

Never buy a new labtop due to a software bug. Hardware and software are two things, if the "broken" you only have to replace the corresponding one. The hardware of your labtop is definitely completely good!

If it can't be fixed, you can simply reinstall the operating system and it is good.

Not correct. JUST THEN False positives are likely when it comes to DIFFERENT files from DIFFERENT SOURCES.

The fact that malware likes to be distributed via PDFs is not new. But then this affects at most several PDFs from ONE source.

Whether the reader is affected would prove AFTER you have downloaded the PFD and then wants to OPEN.

There's a reason why I ignore the answer options for surveys on this protal. I can only recommend it to everyone. It's mostly nonsense anyway - so here too

That is your opinion - we will speak to you when you get into the situation yourself.
Otherwise it is pointless if we do not have the subjunctive of your assumption confirmed.

No, that's not just my opinion. But you are welcome to ask Felix Leitner, Lutz Donnerhacke or Urs Tränkner, with whom I learned a lot about malware 20 years ago.