Malwarebytes Premium 'Randomly' Auto Launching (not at startup)

[mbuckingham24]

Unless I'm knowingly entering dangerous territory, I prefer to use Malwarebytes Premium as an on-demand service.  By unchecking "Start with Windows" this has been working for me up until about a week ago.

I needed to scan a specific file, so I right clicked, and from the Context Menu, scanned with Malwarebytes.  The scan ran like normal, but the program stayed running.  I didn't think anything of it, and just closed it out, and all was well.  Until I restarted Windows (8.1 Pro x64).

Since then I've had the following issue.  Note that "Start with Windows" remains unchecked.  And (usually) Malwarebytes does in fact NOT start with Windows.  However, it will just randomly start up anywhere from a half hour to an hour after launching Windows.  Also, if I exit Malwarebytes, inevitably I'll look down to the task bar some time later, and there it will be again.  I'm not understanding what is queuing it to launch, and I see no other setting to disable it.

Is it maybe just launching so that it can update as per its schedule defined in Automated Scheduling (every hour)?  If this is the case, it is a new development, as for the last year before I ran this particular on-demand scan, it hasn't done this.

The only things I can think of to try is to completely disable its service from the Services list in Task Manager, or downgrade back to the free version, although I would prefer to not have to do either.

[daledoc1]

Hello and :
 
If you are a Premium user with scheduled tasks, then the scheduler in the current version will activate certain MBAM services, even when the option  for the PROTECTION MODULES to start with Windows has been disabled.
This is largely a cosmetic issue of no functional consequence.
However, the developers have mentioned that there may be a change with a future program version, such that "disable start with Windows" will disable ALL MBAM services, not just the protection modules.
As just a home user, I don't know the ETA for that feature change.
 
For the record, running the paid, Premium version of MBAM as a manual, on-demand scanner defeats the purpose of having the Premium version.
Disabling real-time protection significantly reduces your security.
By the time you'd realize you were in "dangerous territory", it could be too late.
It's certainly up to you, but it's not recommended that the user disable the real-time protection modules.
 
If you need further assistance with running or configuring MBAM on your system, it would help to have a bit more info.
If so, please read the following and attach to your next reply the 3 requested logs - Diagnostic Logs (the 3 logs are: FRST.txt, Addition.txt and CheckResults.txt)

 

Thank you,

[mbuckingham24]

It seems like you are suggesting that to keep Malwarebytes from auto launching, I simply need to remove Updates from the Scheduler.  I'm fine with that, and will give that a try.  When I manually launch the program, I usually need to manually update anyway.

For the record, I haven't disabled any real-time protections within Malwarebytes.  When Malwarebytes launches (manually, or automatically) those protections are active.  All I disabled was "Start with Windows", which as stated earlier, was working great for me, because up until a week or so ago the program wasn't starting itself to acquire updates.  Apparently when I did that last on-demand scan, it acquired an update which changed that behavior.

 

If my reasons for not wanting to start Malwarebytes with Windows matter, the biggest are the following:

1.) Malwarebytes seems to consume anywhere from 200-500 MB of RAM (between the separately listed services in Task Manager) at any given check.  I currently only have 4 GB (dark ages, I know) of total RAM, and it feels like that (up to) half gigabyte matters.

2.)  I do a lot of online gaming, and I don't know if Malwarebytes is intercepting packets of data to analyze them between me and a given game server, but I assume so.  That seems to me like that would take some time and introduce latency in game.  Milliseconds count you know.

[daledoc1]

Hi:
 

It seems like you are suggesting that to keep Malwarebytes from auto launching, I simply need to remove Updates from the Scheduler.  I'm fine with that, and will give that a try.

Actually, no, I'm not suggesting removing auto-updates from the scheduler.
That will even further reduce your real-time protection.
The whole point of running the paid, Premium version is to be able to use both the real-time protection modules and the automated scheduling.
I was merely explaining the behavior that you observe.
Rather, it is suggested that MBAM Premium be run with default settings ("start protection with Windows", automated scheduling for update checks and scans, etc.), in order to provide the maximum protection.

 

When I manually launch the program, I usually need to manually update anyway.

Yes. MBAM Free (and MBAM Premium that is running with the protection modules disabled and the scheduler disabled - which is functionally the same as MBAM Free) needs to be manually updated before scanning.
(The program will actually "automatically" offer the user an update check before a manual scan in all versions.)
Premium users can take advantage of the automated scheduler, to configure the program to check for database updates hourly, as recommended.
That is very important, as databases are updated 12-15 times a day, to keep abreast of zero-hour and zero-day threats.
This is recommended to maximize protection.

 

For the record, I haven't disabled any real-time protections within Malwarebytes.

By disabling "start with Windows", yes, you are disabling the real-time protection modules from starting until you manually start the program.
 

When Malwarebytes launches (manually, or automatically) those protections are active.  All I disabled was "Start with Windows", which as stated earlier, was working great for me, because up until a week or so ago the program wasn't starting itself to acquire updates.  Apparently when I did that last on-demand scan, it acquired an update which changed that behavior.

I don't know when or how that would have happened.
There have been no major program updates for several months (there was a minor bug fix a few weeks ago).
Perhaps some of your program settings have been inadvertently changed?
 

If my reasons for not wanting to start Malwarebytes with Windows matter, the biggest are the following:
1.) Malwarebytes seems to consume anywhere from 200-500 MB of RAM (between the separately listed services in Task Manager) at any given check.  I currently only have 4 GB (dark ages, I know) of total RAM, and it feels like that (up to) half gigabyte matters.
2.)  I do a lot of online gaming, and I don't know if Malwarebytes is intercepting packets of data to analyze them between me and a given game server, but I assume so.  That seems to me like that would take some time and introduce latency in game.  Milliseconds count you know.

 
Well, again, that's certainly up to you.
Plenty of folks run MBAM Premium on 4 GB of RAM with no issue. The program does not consume inordinate resources, especially when not scanning.
And without any data to support your assumption about latency during gaming, it seems risky to turn off real-time protection?
 
If you continue to experience issues, then we would suggest starting with routine troubleshooting:

• Please follow the steps in this pinned topic to uninstall your current version of MBAM and reinstall the latest build - MBAM Clean Removal Process 2x
• If that does not correct the issue, then please read the following and attach to your next reply the 3 requested logs - Diagnostic Logs (the 3 logs are: FRST.txt, Addition.txt and CheckResults.txt)
• NOTE: There is an FAQ section with valuable information located here - Common Questions, Issues, and their Solutions

Thank you again,