# sam.gov attachment virus scan failed: how to fix it

A sam.gov attachment virus scan failure usually means the file is corrupted, password-protected, or in a format the scanner cant read. Re-export the file as a clean PDF with no protection and upload again. If a clean PDF still fails, the scanner service itself may be having a bad day, so wait an hour and retry.

```text
sam.gov attachment virus scan failed
```

## When to use this skill
- Attachments fail with a virus scan error
- Clean-looking files get flagged

## When not to use this skill
- The upload fails before any scan runs (a size or session issue)
- Your file actually contains macros you need (flatten them first)

## Tool compatibility
sam.gov bid attachments. Antivirus scanning on upload.
Related area: business SaaS platforms and vendor portals.
Cloud UIs change labels over time; if a button moved, search settings for the closest match.

## Before you start
- Sign in to the tool and keep one tab open so sessions stay clean
- Copy the exact error text and note the time it happened
- Set aside 15 to 20 minutes; most of these resolve in a single pass

## Quick diagnosis
Make sure this is the right skill before you invest the 15 minutes.
- If you are dealing with attachments fail with a virus scan error, start at step 1 below.
- If instead the upload fails before any scan runs (a size or session issue), stop here; you need a different skill.
- If neither quite matches, compare your screen against the verbatim error block at the top; that block is exactly what this skill covers.

## Fix it in steps
### 1. Remove any file protection

```
Open the PDF and remove passwords or restrictions, then save a clean copy.
```
Expected: the file opens without prompting for anything.

### 2. Re-export as a plain PDF

```
Export the document fresh as a standard PDF with no embedded scripts or forms.
```
Expected: a simple, clean PDF file.

### 3. Re-upload the attachment

```
Delete the failed attachment and upload the clean file.
```
Expected: the virus scan passes and the file is accepted.

### 4. Wait and retry if it still fails

```
If a clean PDF fails twice, wait an hour and try once more before escalating.
```
Expected: scan passes, pointing at a transient scanner issue.

## Confirm each step worked
Run through this checklist before moving on. If a check fails, redo that step instead of pushing ahead.
- Step 1 (remove any file protection): Expected: the file opens without prompting for anything.
- Step 2 (re-export as a plain pdf): Expected: a simple, clean PDF file.
- Step 3 (re-upload the attachment): Expected: the virus scan passes and the file is accepted.
- Step 4 (wait and retry if it still fails): Expected: scan passes, pointing at a transient scanner issue.

## Quick recap
1. Remove any file protection
2. Re-export as a plain PDF
3. Re-upload the attachment
4. Wait and retry if it still fails

## Still stuck?
Gather three things: the exact error text, the time it happened, and what changed just before it broke.
Check the vendor status page for an active incident. Then open a support ticket with those three things;
it cuts the back-and-forth in half. For agent runs, attach the last 50 lines of the agent log too,
since the loop or timeout signature in the log usually names the cause.

## Variant phrasings
### sam.gov virus scan failed attachment
Clean PDF, no protection, re-upload. If this matches what you saw, the steps above apply as written.

### attachment rejected virus scan sam.gov
If clean files fail repeatedly, the scanner service is likely degraded. If this matches what you saw, the steps above apply as written.

## Why it happens
The scanner cant inspect password-protected or malformed files, so it fails closed and rejects them. Complex PDFs with embedded objects sometimes trip the same path even when they are harmless.

## Edge cases
- Zipped attachments get scanned inside the zip, keep zips simple
- Very large files can time out the scan, split them
- A failing scanner service affects everyone, check with peers before panicking

## Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_45gnaVrvdP0-Wm41RWr9pQ