External HDDs don't work with MB installed

[Vicx]

When Mbam is installed, my external HDDs, both made by Western Digital (500gb and 1tb ' WD elements') won't load up. They don't show up in My Computer, properties doesn't open either, it freezes. I can't restart either, the whole system freezes if I try. The first time I plugged them in, the 'new hardware found' bubble pops up, but the icon in the taskbar just sits there and freezes.

I've tried both Mbam 1.5 and 1.6, neither work, even when the module is disabled, even if I close the program and mbamservice.exe. I'm using the free version.

With Mbam uninstalled, they both load up fine within seconds!

I'm using WinXP SP3. E6750, Asus P5K SE, 2gb ram, 500gb HDD. I've only just installed XP on a new HDD, only have firefox, thunderbird and AV software installed so far (NOD32 and SuperAntispyware).

[CWilliams]

Hello Vicx and Welcome to Malwarebytes Forums.

Malwarebytes the free version is just an on demand scanner but let reload Malwarebytes to try to resolve the problem.

Run this clean up tool and allow a reboot when prompted. If this tool displays an error, continue on with reinstall please.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam-clean.exe

Install Malwarebytes using this link

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam-download.php

Save the file to your desktop and double-click it to begin the installation, selecting options you desire when presented. Once you open Malwarebytes for the first time please select decline.

Try to have your external HDD plugged in again to see if the computer freezes again.

[Vicx]

yes I'd already tried mbam-clean and restarted then installed for both 1.5 and 1.6, neither would let me open my external HDDs. Am I the only one?

[CWilliams]

Please start your computer into safe mode and see if you can open both of your external HDD.

[shadowwar]

This may pertain to the issue. What version of nod?

http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN2854

[Vicx]

yes the HDDs start in safe mode because all services are disabled. In normal mode, they only start up when Mbam is uninstalled. They work even when NOD32 is installed so that can't be the cause, but it's v3.0.642.0

[CWilliams]

I have sent you a private message, please check your inbox.

[Vicx]

attached the DDS files

attach.txt

dds.txt

[CWilliams]

Vicx,

Please uninstall Malwarebytes using the mbam-clean.exe. Once done please restart your system. Scan with DDS again and send me the log to make sure the mbamservice was removed from your system.

[Vicx]

uninstalled, restarted, ran mbam-clean, restarted again, here's the result.

btw, when the external HDDs boot I notice rundll32 opens and closes quickly in the task manager. When Mbam is installed, rundll32 freezes. If Mbam could leave rundll32 alone maybe it would be ok?

attach.txt

dds.txt

[CWilliams]

Install Malwarebytes using this link

http://www.malwareby...am-download.php

Save the file to your desktop and double-click it to begin the installation, selecting options you desire when presented. Once you open Malwarebytes for the first time please select DECLINE.

This will make sure that mbamservice will not run.

Try to have your external HDD plugged in again to see if the computer freezes again.

[Vicx]

yes it worked in trial without mbamservice. Once I started the trial and enabled mbamservice, the HDDs stopped booting. I was thinking of closing the service when I want to use the HDDS, but I can't even close mbamservice, it'll just freeze on me even before I plug the HDD in. Even with the service unticked (disabled), the HDDs freeze because the service is already running in the background.

[CWilliams]

Have you tried excluding the drive or drives from Malwarebytes to see if they will run. Also make sure that your exclusions from NOD32 and Malwarebytes are set. It could be someting is trying to scan once you plug in the HDD and it is not allowing it to scan.

[Vicx]

you mean adding the HDDs to the ignore list? I can't boot the HDDs with mbam installed, I even tried closing mbamservice first, but it still locks up once I plug the HDD in and it doesn't display in my computer either. Even with Superantispyware and NOD32 installed the HDDs boot up fine. As soon as I reinstall Mbam, they stop booting, nothing else has changed.

[shadowwar]

Have you tried upgrading your antivirus to the latest version? i notice the version you mentioned is rather old.

[Vicx]

Those programs have nothing to do with Mbam, my HDDs start fine with the same version. Is there really no solution to this problem?

[shadowwar]

I understand But your running a very old program version of nod and the newer version may be more compatible with mbam and other programs.

If you uninstall your antivirus and just leave mbam does the problem still occur? This will tell us if there is a conflict between the two.

Most of the time, if not all it is a issue between an antivirus and malwarebytes with not having proper exclusions set up.

Also running an old version of antivirus software still leaves you wide open to attacks. You simply dont have the latest technology to deal with emerging threats.