Suspected cessation of support for pre-SSE2 processors at version 1.09.1.1130

[hake]

The beta installs but then halts after startup with an illegal instruction (MBAE.exe) on a Windows XP  Professional SP3 which uses an Athlon XP 3000+ processor.  This processor is known not to be able to execute SSE2 and later instructions.  I guess that this system will therefore not be able to execute versions of MBAE after version 1.08.  I mentioned the possibility of this issue a while ago.  Will the installation executables for next and subsequent production releases of MBAE check for a pre-SSE2 processor and refuse to install if one is found?  This goes for automatic installers also.

MBAE 1.09.1.1130 Beta works fine on Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64bit and Windows XP Professional SP3 (Celeron and Pentium 4 but not AMD Athlon XP 3000+).

 

Edited June 25, 2016 by hake

[hake]

I hope that future production releases of MBAE will automatically test for SSE2 (and later) compatibilty before attempting to automatically update.  I expect that my Windows XP with AMD Athlon XP 3000+ (pre-SSE2) equipped system is one of only a modest few to be running MBAE but I do hope that the developers can incorporate this processor check into MBAE 1.09 and later versions.

In trying the MBAE 1.09 beta, I found that no such processor check is yet in operation.  This beta MBAE was successfully installed but could not execute.

I realise that while the HOSTS file can be used to inhibit MBAE version updates, this is inconvenient if the HOSTS file is used as a means of blocking websites.

Edited June 27, 2016 by hake

[hake]

I would be very glad if someone would state if pre-SSE2 processors are supported by MBAE 1.09.

[hake]

I had preciously assumed that the failure of the new MBAE beta was due to the processor not being SSE2 capable.  I now realise that this is probably not so.  The installer reports that installation is complete and instructs me to restart the system.  On restarting, MBAE.exe fails with a report of an illegal instruction which is why I initially jumped to the conclusion that the processor was the problem.  Not so.  On looking at the list of services, Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit Service is absent from the list.

What information should I supply to help you to investigate this issue?  MBAE 1.08.1.2563 installs and works well although I did notice that after reinstalling MBAE 1.08.1.2563 over MBAE 1.09.1.1130 beta that the version number shown in the MBAE GUI was still 1.09.1.1130.

I am running my trusty ancient Windows XP Pro SP3 powered by an even more ancient Athlon XP 3000+.

MBAE 1.09.1.1130 beta has however installed and works successfully on another Wndows XP SP3 system, this time running on an Acer 220 TravelMate laptop powered by an Intel Celeron 1.3Ghz processor which, I believe, also does not support SSE2 instructions.

 

Edited June 29, 2016 by hake

[hake]

I have found that what prompted me to post this was subsequently realised to be an installer failure with MBAE 1.09.1.1130 beta which resulted in the MBAE service not bein installed on one particular pre-SSE2 processor system.  I still imagine that the issue I was concerned with might still be an issue in the future when Malwarebytes further develops MBAE but for the moment it seems to ba a non-issue.

[pbust]

Hi @hake. It sounds as if the original install was somehow blocked by some other security software.

Try re-installing and monitoring your other programs for signs of blocked components during installation.

[hake]

Hi Pedro.  I tried what you suggested but without success.  Outpost Firewall Pro 9.3 and Avast were completely disabled and no signs of the MBAE 1.09.1.1130 beta installation process being obstructed were apparent.  The MBAE service remained absent from the services list and MBAE.exe again fell over the illegal instruction after system restart.  I reinstalled MBAE 1.08.1.2563 as I had done previously and it worked properly though still with the wrong version number for 1.08.1.2563.

The MD5 for the MBAE 1.09.1.1130 beta used for the installation is fc92e509abb62079e068a78ca2d2b164.

I have PMd you with the DDS.com output files in a zip.

Regards,
Chris

Edited June 30, 2016 by hake

[pbust]

Thanks for the details. We found a bug that may be causing this. We're working on a new 1.09 build. Please stand by.

 

[hake]

Thank you Pedro.
 

[hake]

Hello Pedro.  I have tried MBAE 1.09.1.1140 and this problem still persists.  The system state is the same as when I PMd the DDS.com output files to you on about June 30.

[CeeBee]

On 7/23/2016 at 5:27 PM, hake said:

Hello Pedro.  I have tried MBAE 1.09.1.1140 and this problem still persists.  The system state is the same as when I PMd the DDS.com output files to you on about June 30.

I just tried 1.09.1.1140 on one of my legacy computers (IBM Intel P3 CPU) with SSE only and it didn't work.  Install went well, then rebooted, only to get an error screen telling me that the service didn't start.  No time to trouble shoot so I reinstalled 1.08.1.2563 without a hitch.

Can Pedro and/or someone in the know confirm that version 1.09.x.x will run on older SSE only computers or (I hope not) is SSE2 now required?  Thanks.

[hake]

MBAE 1.09.1.1140 (and also 1.09.1.1130) runs fine on an Acer TravelMate 220 with Celeron 3 (mobile) SSE only processor.

I imagine that MalwareBytes will, eventually, be unable to continue to offer updated versions of MBAE to users of wrinkly hardware.  I accept this but hope to be able to continue to use whatever version last worked by being able to switch off the update feature but without having to block updates by modifying the HOSTS file (which also prevents MBAM from downloading data updates). Out-of-date MBAE is better than no MBAE.

Edited July 26, 2016 by hake

[CeeBee]

On 7/1/2016 at 8:53 AM, pbust said:

Thanks for the details. We found a bug that may be causing this. We're working on a new 1.09 build. Please stand by.

I just tried release 1.09.1.1232 on my legacy computer with SSE only and it didn't work.  Install went well, then rebooted, only to get an error screen telling me that the service didn't start.  I reinstalled 1.08.1.2572 without a hitch.

Can you confirm that version 1.09.x.x will run on older SSE only computers or is SSE2 now required?  Thanks.