Malwarebytes detecting / deleting Advanced System Care - stop closing these threads and address the issue!!

[ronaldbelfordscott]

I see that Malwarebytes has closed the other 2 threads on this subject, which leads me to think they are avoiding this issue as they don't seem to want people discussing it. Therefore, I will open a 3rd thread on the topic.

I have been using Advanced System Care by Iobit for many years without any issues.  I trust it completely.  It is NOT malware.  Yet, with Malwarebytes recent position regarding PUP's, it is now detecting Advanced System Care as malware and therefore quarantine/deleting ASC from my computer.  It detected over 1000 files with ASC thereby deleting it from my computer (and causing other people more problems who use Advanced System Care).

I have read MWB's stance on the subject here: https://blog.malwarebytes.com/malwarebytes-news/2016/10/malwarebytes-gets-tougher-on-pups/

Unfortunately, whenever someone complains in these threads, MWB simply directs them to the above link....and then they close the thread from further comments.  This smells badly, as it is obvious they do not want people discussing this issue....hence me starting this new thread.

If Malwarebytes does not rethink their position here, they will lose many subscribers.  They are not the only malware program available.  In fact, Iobit has a malware program as well.

MWB - when will you start listening to your subscribers in this regard??  If Advanced System Care was malware, it would have never survived all these years with top marks.

Stop hiding (closing threads)...and start addressing this issue!!  Update your software so that Advanced System Care is not detected/deleted as malware!!

 

[TucoRamirez]

Same issue happened October 2016 --> Malwarebytes decided ASC putting into category PuP. However, after a period of time Malwarebytes reversed their initial decision (probably due to heavy complaints)

Like you, I use both program (and Ccleaner) over many years without any problem untill now. I advice you to 1)uninstall ASC 2)install again 3)thereafter quickly excludes the ASC main folders in Windows (see picture below) 4)When Malwarebytes instantly show pop up message of ASC detection (restore those few files) 5)Thereafter run full scan (and unclick and ignore always the ASC files).......

Bear in mind risk of ignoring those ASC files permanently (no defense if those files would contain viruses or malware)

Hopefully Malwarebytes will again reverse their ASC decision. If ASC is stealing/copying Malwarebytes products/definitions, Malwarebytes should start lawsuit.

Adios Amigos!

Edited March 18, 2017 by TucoRamirez

[EvanPJ]

Just letting MWB know that if they do not update their software so that Advanced System Care is not detected/deleted as malware I (along with a significant number of our Computer Club members) will be cancelling MWB subscription. MWB is not the only proven reliable provider in this field! It is not smart business practice to involve customers in corporate warefare. Will check in at the end of the week to decide.

[QuaZulu]

Ditto for me.  March 20, 2017 - Just had fully updated Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Home utterly remove fully updated and current Advanced System Care from both my computers.  It seems like a definition update at the end of last week is causing the problem since they were both in harmony until then (except for October 2016!)

[VintagePwrJunkie]

Ditto for me.  March 20, 2017 - Just had fully updated Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Home utterly remove fully updated and current Advanced System Care from both my computers.  It seems like a definition update at the end of last week is causing the problem since they were both in harmony until then (except for October 2016!)

MWB is not the only proven reliable provider in this field!

[MontanaBob]

Same problem with my computer and those of five of my clients.  As AdvancedSystem Care is far more important, I am deleting Malwarebytes Pro from all computers until this situation is rectified.  My own subscription for MWB expires in 60 days per a message that I received from MWB yesterday.  Needless to say I will not be renewing unless the error is corrected to my satisfaction.  Same for the five client computers.

FIX IT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[deamon1311]

first i am a long time user of asc pro and now asc ultimate.

ok lets be objective about the program using malwarebytes stated criteria.

• obtrusive, misleading, or deceptive advertising, branding, or search practices:
•  
• action center offers in paid versions for software they dont actualy sell on their website(negitive)
•  
• excessive or deceptive distribution, affiliate or opt-out bundling practices:
•  
• tool box might be viewed in this way but it is part of the feature set of the program.(positive depending on user knowledge level)
•  
• aggressive or deceptive behavior especially surrounding purchasing or licensing:
•  
• special pricing on various sites might be seen this way, but many shareware programs do this.
• the purchase of asc pro/ultimate on any site counts as a purchase from iobit.
•  
• unwarranted, unnecessary, excessive, illegitimate, or deceptive modifications of system settings or configuration (including browser settings and toolbars):
•  
• any modification the software makes is listed under the fix listing and is unselectable by the end user.(positive)
• turbo boost might be considered deceptive if the user is not knowledgable on its usage
•  
• difficulty uninstalling or removing the software:
•  
• uninstall is simple and easy even with ultimate.(positive)
•  
• predominantly negative feedback or ratings from the user community:
•  
• depends on the site you visit for reviews this is the same with any software
•  
• diminishes user experience:
•  
• on a whole most users who pay for asc pro/ultimate or use the free version have no loss in user experance(positive)
•  
• other practices generally accepted as riskware, scareware, adware, greyware, or otherwise commonly unwanted software by the user community:
•  
• adware  is technicaly applicable to the software due to the action center page in the progran as would scareware due to some driver booster popups asc can produce(for inexperanced users)(negitive)

in conclusion i would say if asc removes the action center tab malwarebytes should find away to detect free and not the paid versions

the detection of paid versions could be difficult unless asc makes a liscense file.

feel free to comment on any point i made if you disagree.

Edited March 28, 2017 by gonzo
Your previous post was deleted because you had forgotten the last line. Everything else intact.

[MontanaBob]

Below is a message exchange which I have had with MalwareBytes support.  I have reversed the order of the message thread so you should read from the top down.

It appears to me that Tech Support has no control of the issue so that it has devolved into a war between Malwarebytes and IOBit/AdvancedSystem Care.  The problem for Malwarebytes is that they have dragged their customers into their battle which has only infuriated them.  Not a very intelligent business plan sez me.

MontanaBob

==========================================================

MAR 22, 2017  |  07:28AM PDT
Original message
Bob wrote:

From: MontanaBob
Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2017 1:28 PM
To: MB - Corporate Sales <SharedCorporateSales@malwarebytes.com>
Subject: Fwd: Serious Malwarebytes Problem--Reference #91891541: Your Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium subscription is expiring
Importance: High

I know that you are the sales team, but if you expect me to re-up on my subscription, then this very serious issue will have to corrected immediately.

As do many users, I run other security utils, one of the most important being Advanced System Care.

Malwarebytes auto-updated yesterday and immediately quarantined all Advanced System Care executables. I have restored them using Malwarebytes only to have them quarantined anew by Malwarebytes.

This is a serious issue that must be rectified immediately!

Please forward this message to your Tech Support team immediately, without delay.

One of my clients, on whose computer I have also installed Malwarebytes Pro and AdvancedSystem Care experienced the same issue, so my guess is that this problem is widespread.

Apparently this problem is extremely wide spread as the blog on your website is replete with complaints. I just registered for the blog and posted a message as well.

Ya better git on it, or you're going to loose a ton of subscribers. I just uninstalled MWBs in order to re-install AdvancedSystem Care which is far more important than MWBs. It also has an anti-malware utility.

Bob

MAR 23, 2017  |  10:59AM PDT
Dan replied:

Welcome to Malwarebytes support, my name is Dan and I’ll be assisting you today..

Our Research Team has been monitoring this application for some time and has decided to add detection based on triggers against our PUP detection criteria.

https://blog.malwarebytes.com/malwarebytes-news/2016/10/malwarebytes-gets-tougher-on-pups/

The detection is correct and not a false positive. We will continue monitoring this application and if we notice a change in the behavior we will review it again.

If for whatever reason you want to continue using Advanced SystemCare, you can simply uncheck the detections and click Next after a scan with MBAM, and the prompt will ask you if you want to “Ignore Once” or “Ignore Always”. If you Ignore Always it won’t be detected any more.

You may contact either legal@malwarebytes.com or pup@malwarebytes.com if you have concerns about this detection.

Thank you for contacting Malwarebytes, and please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.

Dan
Customer Success

MAR 23, 2017  |  11:54AM PDT
Bob replied:

Dan,

I thank you for your response.

I was forced into making a decision as to which program was more important and useful to me and my many clients on whose computers I have installed Malwarebytes and AndvancedSystem Care.  ASC is, by far, the most important.  As a result, I have uninstalled MWB from all.

I am due to renew MWB on most systems in two months or less.  Needless to say that won't be happening until you have ceased targeting ASC, restoring MWB to it's previous settings, regarding ASC.

Reviewing just a few of the numerous blogs on MWB's attack on ASC reveals that I am certainly not alone in my reaction.

You are obviously in a protracted war with ASC which has dragged your customers into the battle.  From what I gather from the blogs, this is a battle that you will lose.

Bob

MAR 23, 2017  |  01:10PM PDT
Dan replied:

Bob,

Thank you for your feedback; I’ll pass that on to my manager.

Is there anything else I can do for you?

 

[daniellindstrm]

I'm here for the same reason. Got ASC deleted from my computer today and had to spend several hours on rectifying the issue. 

[chrispybacon007]

The simple but expensive answer for me was to use iobit uninstaller to remove my paid sup subscription of malwarebytes! Ah the irony of it all...

MBW 0

IOBIT 1

ME -$  

 

[MontanaBob]

Chrispybacon,

Precisely!  I had to do the same thing.  That said, below is message exchange between myself and Malwarebytes Tech Support.

==========================================

Dan from Malwarebytes Tech Support wrote:

Hello Bob,

Just checking in – I wanted to see if your issue was resolved or if you need further assistance. If we do not hear back from you soon, we will assume your issue was resolved and does not require any additional assistance. The support request will then be marked as Solved.

Please reply and let us know, thanks.

Dan
====================================

Dan,

Just happened to notice that you said that should I not request additional assistace from you, you'll consider the issue "solved".  True enough, the issue is resolved but it is I that resolved it and I that accomplished it by uninstalling Malwarebytes.  That, most certainly, is not a resolution.  Resolution would be having Malwarebytes and AdvancedSystem Care co-exist successfully on the same computer, a situation which is presently impossible due to Malwarebytes rendering ASC inoperable the second that the computer is booted.

I trust that this clarifies the actual situation.

MontanaBob

Edited March 28, 2017 by MontanaBob
Typo

[MBbetatesterlabrat]

 

 

No words.     

Just Unbelievable ...

 

Needless to say I'm in the same boat as all of you guys here. Has Malware Bytes totally lost it's common sense and mind ?? I could have easily written the topic myself. I have been using both Malware Bytes premium and Advanced System Care Ultimate Pro for years. Now all of a sudden Malware Bytes dares to put ASC Ultimate and UC browser mind you, which possibly could be one of the best browsers around in quarantine and delete automatically without asking ANY questions. I find this type of behavior just unacceptable. I have 2 freaking years left on my Malware Bytes premium account. I had to delete Malware Bytes off ALL my machines because of this pathetic problem.

So Advanced System Care is malware now. Oké but it's malware I need and been using for years on end and I consider this GREAT VIRUS more important than Malware Bytes to be honest. It keeps my system running smoothly. At least it does something for my computer unlike Malware Bytes giving me those annoying Pop ups all of the time. And you can close them if you want they just return ten fold !

Why doesn't Malware Bytes put itself in quarantine and delete itself because obviously a program that keeps giving unwanted popups like that and doesn't want to stop bothering you while working on your pc is malware itself. Not Advanced System Care ! This is just utterly ridiculous. INSANE. Great job and thanks MB ! Just let me know when the problem is fixed (which I highly doubt by the way) and if I can ever put the program back on (which I also very highly doubt) but for now this bull stuff is staying OFF ALL of my machines !

 

 

Nice rip off though ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MontanaBob]

MBbetatesterlabrat,

Here's the latest exchange between myself and MWBs Tech Support.

From: Malwarebytes Support <support@malwarebytes.com>

Date: 3/28/17 10:45 AM (GMT-07:00)

Subject: FW: Serious Malwarebytes Problem--Reference #91891541: Your Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium subscription is expiring

This message was sent to info@xxxxxxxx.com in reference to Case #: 1271930.

MAR 28, 2017  |  09:45AM PDT
Dan replied:

Bob,

The email that I sent was a “we haven’t heard from you” email, and I apologize that the message was not conveyed clearly.

In the original email, I provided instructions on how to allow Malwarebytes and Advanced System Care to continue to operate together; was I not clear in identifying those instructions?

And since you have stated that you want to cancel your subscription to Anti-Malware and Anti-Exploit (as I show those two on file for you), would you like me to take care of that for you?

======================================

MontanaBob replied:

Dan,

I tried the "ignore these files method" before I contacted you AND IT DIDN'T WORK!  Once I completed the aforementioned "ignore" process, a reinstall of AdvancedSystem Care resulted in Malwarebytes quarantining ASC again.  

As for canceling my subscription to MWBs and AE, good grief, there are less than 60 days left until expiration, so there is no point in it.  Secondly, maybe, just maybe, the powers-that-be at MWBs will wake up and cease this silly game of attacking competitors.  One can always hope that sanity will prevail eventually.

Montana Bob

PS:  Until this fiasco, I liked MWBs, installing on my machines and those of my clients, and recommending it to others

The foregoing clearly shows the arrogance of Malwarebytes people.

MontanaBob

 

[MBbetatesterlabrat]

I don't understand this. Both programs to my great surprise were running smooth and fine running extremely well together on all my computers not slowing anything down in any way until a few weeks ago all of a sudden there was an automatic scan and it automatically erases my favorite browser and Advanced System Care Ultimate and asked for a restart for the changes to take effect.

Those incredibly annoying popups won't go away ! You can press them away into eternity they will come back a 1000 fold. Talking about a anti popup security program here. Yeah like we wouldn't have tried the "ignore these files method" either before we wrote to support. What do they think ? That we are total freaking morons ?? It just goes back at it after the reboot and it's like a merry go round and again it erases ASC ultimate and my favorite browser right after the automatic scan and reboot. It all happens automatically like they don't know about this. Nice update Malware Bytes ! This is starting to look like Windows 10 anniversary update allover again but this time with Malware Bytes ...

As for your correspondenties with Malware Bytes support team, ahhh ... what to say bro. I didn't expect ANYTHING better to tell you the truth. I didn't even bother making the effort. They would have probably asked me if my computer was plugged into the AC power plug wall socket and if I was connected to the internet. I can't be bothered anymore contacting these so called "support teams". Really can't do that anymore ...

[MontanaBob]

MBbetatesterlabrat,

I agree with you regarding contacting TS.  In most cases I find that I am head and shoulders above their skill level. There are times that I am forced to contact them for some piece of proprietary information.  In those cases, I cut them off when they start with the power cable BS.  I then list to them that which I have already done, at which point I am generally passed on Level 2 or sometimes the developer.  In this case, I was flabbergasted that Malwarebytes, a util that I've used successfully for years along with ASC, was suddenly not playing "nice", so I contacted them thinking that I had tripped onto an anomaly.  Not getting a satisfactory answer, I performed a web search and discovered that this was definitely not an anomaly, but a full blown war!  There is no question that ASC/IOBit is a bit heavy with the sales popups, as are all developers.  That's called capitalism!  I tell everyone that their keyboard possesses a "Delete" key, so press it.

I first learned of this mess with a phone call from a client, who told me that ASC had disappeared from his computer.  I walked him through a couple of searches for ASC files and executables, all of came up dry.  Even though he denied it, I suspected that he had inadvertantly dumped ASC.  A couple of days later, I returned to my office, booted my computer and, lo and behold, a Malwarebytes window announces that ASC is considered a PUP, so they did me a favor and quarantined all files and executables for me including the frickin' icons!  Shades of Microsloth which now takes total control of your computer, when they damned well please and shove a bunch of crap down your throat, in some cases, crashing your system with nary an "Oops!  Sorry about that!"

One last thing: A couple of hours hours ago, I accessed the IOBit/ASC forum and discovered, with great surprise, that this issue is hardly mentioned.  This leads me to believe that there is intense litigation going on and the attorneys on both sides are telling their respective clients to keep their mouths shut.  One thing is for sure, this is going to get very interesting.

Montana Bob

[AdvancedSetup]

Our Research Team has been monitoring this application for some time and has decided to add detection based on triggers against our PUP detection criteria.

https://blog.malwarebytes.com/malwarebytes-news/2016/10/malwarebytes-gets-tougher-on-pups/

The detection is correct and not a false positive. We will continue monitoring this application and if we notice a change in the behavior we will review it again.

If for whatever reason you want to continue using Advanced SystemCare, you can simply uncheck the detections and click Next after a scan with MBAM, and the prompt will ask you if you want to "Ignore Once" or "Ignore Always". If you Ignore Always it won't be detected anymore.

You may contact either legal@malwarebytes.com or pup@malwarebytes.com if you have concerns about this detection, or ask for a no-questions asked refund from our Customer Support team.

 

[MontanaBob]

1 hour ago, AdvancedSetup said:

AdvancedSetup said:  Our Research Team has been monitoring this application for some time and has decided to add detection based on triggers against our PUP detection criteria.

MontanaBob said:  . . . and that, AdvancedSetup, is precisely the reason why, I will no longer, be using, recommending, nor installing Malwarebytes on any of client's computers. 

AdvancedSetup said:  The detection is correct and not a false positive.

MontanaBob said:  That, AdvancedSetup, may be your assessment, but it is not mine, the difference being that it is I who will make the ultimate decision.  As I indicated previously, you are forcing me to select between ASC and MWB.  ASC is infinitely more important to me, so the decision is a simple one.

AdvancedSetup said:  We will continue monitoring this application and if we notice a change in the behavior we will review it again.

MontanaBob said:  Should you decide to cease the policy of attacking competitors, let me know and will reconsider.

AdvancedSetup said:  If for whatever reason you want to continue using Advanced SystemCare, you can simply uncheck the detections and click Next after a scan with MBAM, and the prompt will ask you if you want to "Ignore Once" or "Ignore Always". If you Ignore Always it won't be detected anymore.

MontanaBob said:  Tried that several times on different computers and it didn't work.  The only option that I saw was to deactivate detection of all PUPs, which negates one of main reasons for using any anti-malware util.

AdvancedSetup said:  You may contact either legal@malwarebytes.com or pup@malwarebytes.com if you have concerns about this detection, or ask for a no-questions asked refund from our Customer Support team.

MontanaBob said:  You may process my refund forthwith.  I have less than sixty days left on my suscription.

MontanaBob

 

[AdvancedSetup]

You may contact Customer Support for a refund @MontanaBob

Thank you.

Ron

 

[Torontoyto]

[AdvancedSetup]

As the question has been answered many times now I will go ahead and close this topic now.

Thank you