mbshlext.dll Disappeared from Malwarebytes installation area

[NoelC]

Hi foiks,

Happy New Year 2018!

I use MalwareBytes free for occasional disk scans to double-check my security strategy and see that nothing bad has been accumulated on disk.  As far as I can see the product is keeping itself up to date.

I happened to be comparing my Program Files folder tree with an ever-accumulating file backup my system keeps updated for another reason, and I noticed the Malwarebytes subfolder was highlighted in the comparison listing, which struck me as curious.  When I navigated into the subfolder, I saw that a single file that was once in the MalwareBytes installation folder is now gone:

C:\Program Files\Malwarebytes\mbshlext.dll

The version I have in my backup area is dated August 30, 2017.

The name implies "shell extension", and I presume that could mean the "Scan with Malwarebytes" right-click context menu in Explorer (the shell).  Sure enough, I didn't see that entry there any more, until I restored the mbshlext.dll file that was apparently somehow deleted. 

I verified that I did still have the Windows Context Menus setting to On.  I have always kept it set this way.

Malwarebytes folks:  Do we have reason to believe a recent Malwarebytes update removed this file, mbshlext.dll, on purpose? 

Or should this file still be there, and should I look for a specific reason why it was deleted?  This is an otherwise secure, stable system on which Malwarebytes scans never turn up any badware.

Other users: Do you have a mbshlext.dll file in your folder with a normal free version setup, and if not do you have the Windows Context Menus setting On?

-Noel

[dcollins]

This file should be there, and is needed for the right click menu like you mentioned. As for why the file was deleted, it could have been from a failed update (that file gets replaced on upgrades) or a number of other reasons. It's hard to say what happened without seeing logs from around the time the file disappeared.