Running Antivirus and Malware is this okay

[GloriaJean]

I have an antivirus software that I purchased a license for, but I also purchased a license for Malwarebytes.  Now the Antivirus software company wants me to remove this program because they conflict.  Since I have had both on my computer I haven't had any issues but they want me to delete it.  I looked in the firewall section of the antivirus program and this program is allowed so what is the problem.  They say they already have a malware protection in their program, but before purchasing Malwarebytes I lost a computer to either a malware or a virus.  Why can't both work together in harmony?  Or should I delete Malwarebytes because it conflicts with my Antivirus program?  Any help would be appreciated.  

[exile360]

Greetings,

Generally speaking Malwarebytes shouldn't conflict with your antivirus as it was specifically engineered to work well alongside other active security programs including antivirus.  With that said, if you do notice any problems at all you can always contact Malwarebytes Support or just create a topic in the Malwarebytes 3 support area by clicking here and we'll assist you with troubleshooting any issues and should be able to resolve any conflicts.

Also, if you haven't done so already it may improve overall system performance to exclude both programs from one another.  For Malwarebytes you should exclude the items listed in this support article from your antivirus and exclude your AV's program folder from Malwarebytes via the method under the Exclude a File or Folder section of this support article and it may also help to exclude the AV's data folder, likely located under C:\ProgramData the same way.

Also, what specific AV product is it that you're using?  It would help to know so that we can check for any known issues etc.

[GloriaJean]

1 hour ago, exile360 said:

Greetings,

Generally speaking Malwarebytes shouldn't conflict with your antivirus as it was specifically engineered to work well alongside other active security programs including antivirus.  With that said, if you do notice any problems at all you can always contact Malwarebytes Support or just create a topic in the Malwarebytes 3 support area by clicking here and we'll assist you with troubleshooting any issues and should be able to resolve any conflicts.

Also, if you haven't done so already it may improve overall system performance to exclude both programs from one another.  For Malwarebytes you should exclude the items listed in this support article from your antivirus and exclude your AV's program folder from Malwarebytes via the method under the Exclude a File or Folder section of this support article and it may also help to exclude the AV's data folder, likely located under C:\ProgramData the same way.

Also, what specific AV product is it that you're using?  It would help to know so that we can check for any known issues etc.

Thank you for getting back to me.  Your right, I have had no issues, they are working perfectly together.  I am using Avast Antivirus but I also have Avast Cleanup Premium and Secure Line.  Now the Secure Line doesn't work right and Avast says it's because I have Malwarebytes, well they don't know which malware program I have but they want me to delete it.  

Your suggestions sounds great to exclude them from each other, but I would have to read the directions on how to do this.  When I look under Avast's firewall, Malwarebytes is there and it says allowed, so to me that tells me that it accepts the program.  

Tell me more about this exclude, or maybe everything is just the way it should be?  

[exile360]

You're welcome

Yes, it should be allowed in the firewall.  Excluding it from the antivirus component would also be a good idea.  I don't have precise steps as I don't have Avast on my own system, however there should be something under Avast's settings for excluding items such as an 'Exclusions' or 'Ignore List' kind of function.  For Malwarebytes the steps are outlined in the other link I provided and the main thing would be to exclude the folders for each Avast program located under C:\Program Files and/or C:\Program Files (x86).

Secure Line is a VPN, and to my knowledge Malwarebytes should not conflict with any VPNs (though we have seen a few cases where some VPNs would prevent Malwarebytes from being able to function properly, however this does not appear to be the case for your system so I'm guessing that particular VPN doesn't cause the issue).

Please do the following and I will take a look and see if I can determine what the cause of the problem with your VPN might be:

1. Download and run the Malwarebytes Support Tool
2. Accept the EULA and click Advanced tab on the left (not Start Repair)
3. Click the Gather Logs button, and once it completes, attach the zip file it creates on your desktop to your next reply
   

Thanks

[GloriaJean]

I clicked on choose files and selected the zip folder and now don't see it anywhere.  I will try it again.  

[exile360]

OK, no problem.  If we have to, we can perform a simple test to find out if they are right by temporarily removing Malwarebytes to see if the issue clears up (I doubt it will but we should test just to be sure if we can't find any other likely cause) but I'll wait to see your logs first.

[GloriaJean]

Had to drag it in.

mbst-grab-results.zip

[exile360]

Thanks.  I don't see anything too obvious so far though I did find this entry related to McAfee:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\AV\McAfee VirusScan\upgrade.exe

It shouldn't be causing the problem but you can go ahead and remove it using the McAfee removal tool located here.  It's pretty straightforward but if you need instructions on using the tool they can be found here.

Once that's done be sure to restart your system when prompted then see if your VPN is now working properly or not.

If it still isn't working then please disabling Malwarebytes from running on system start temporarily to see if it indeed is somehow causing the issue.  To do so, open Malwarebytes and navigate to Settings>Protection and scroll down the page until you locate the Startup Options section and click on the switch under Start Malwarebytes at Windows startup to toggle it off then close Malwarebytes and restart your system and test to see if your VPN now works properly or not.

Please let me know how it goes.

Thanks

[GloriaJean]

Removing McAfee now, I thought I got rid of it, but I think another program downloaded it again.  Didn't see it in Removal Program using the Control Panel.  This is probably what is making my VPN go haywire.  

 

[exile360]

It might be, though it does just look like a leftover item.  Still, there's no reason for it to be there since you're using Avast as your AV so we might as well remove it.  Hopefully we'll get lucky and that will resolve the issue.

[GloriaJean]

Ooops.  Sorry, but thank you so much for all your help.  I knew contacting Malwarebytes before deleting it would solve my problem.  Avast just thinks it was the Malware program was causing all the problems, but I told them I don't think it was.  

I wish I could have gone to school for computers, be a engineer or something, I love to fix the problems but I don't know as much as you do.  I do know a lot than most people.  Databases is my thing, and I can take a desktop computer apart and I know where all the parts go.  I have cleaned many in my days and I'm 60 years old.  1982 was the year I got my first IBM, and I love it.  

Thank you again.  

God Bless

[exile360]

Hehe, well I never went to school for it honestly.  I'm self taught for the most part, though I have had my mentors on the web over the years, including some of the veterans here on these very forums.  It began for me as a hobby when I got my first PC.  I took it apart, put it back together, upgraded it in pretty much every way that I could and any time I had a problem with it I did my best to figure out how to fix it on my own.  I'm no expert by any means, but I have learned my share of info over the years.  In truth the best thing you can learn is how to do research though, and how to identify reliable/trustworthy sources (there are a LOT of junk websites just trying to generate ad revenue and clicks by claiming to have the fix for any and every issue under the sun but they turn out to just have generic data that is of little or no real use).

[GloriaJean]

That's me too, you must have ADHD or something, sorry if you don't, but I always got bored in school, can't sit still for a lot of things, but when I got my first computer, I just seemed to understand everything, programs, and then when Windows came out, I learned more and more by myself too.  Everything I know I did by myself, clicking here and there and the help button too.  If the screen is upside down I just knew how to fix it.  My coworkers would be stunned by how I knew, but all I did was guess and I fixed a lot of things by guessing.  

One time the IT department was trying to fix an audio problem in the conference room, huge receivers and such. I bought a new audio wire cause someone spliced the other one and then I plugged it in the back of the receiver and boom, I got it working and the IT person said what did you do, I just said, I plugged the wire in the back.  They didn't even think of looking there and I got it working and they felt dumb as a box of rocks because three of the guys were trying all these other things and I figured it out.  I got their respect after that, and whatever I needed for my agency I got from the IT department and I could go into their department and get whatever I wanted.  No questions asked.  I was asked to critique databases and join committee's, they wanted my input and I don't have any college degrees, just a secretary..

So, you and I share the same experience, but since I retired I am out of the loop.  If you see me on here again, I hope I get you.  

By the way, I restarted my computer, started my VPN, it was on Public Computer, don't know how that happened.  But is seems to be working great now.  Thank you so much.  Have a wonderful weekend and holiday and I hope your company respects you and gives you a raise.  That is all I ever wanted more money for all the knowledge I had, but never got it.  

Good luck and God Bless

Gloria 

[exile360]

Hehe, you nailed it.  I do indeed have ADHD (though never officially diagnosed as I tend to self-treat with high doses of caffeine via Mountain Dew/Coke/Pepsi and the occasional iced coffee and by smoking a lot of cigarettes (bad for me, I know, but they are stimulants and help me focus plus I enjoy it)).

You sound a lot like me.  When I was originally hired by Malwarebytes it was due to my efforts here on the forums.  I spent a long time lurking and learning and eventually started jumping in and helping out where I could, including using my own knowledge and intuition to find solutions to issues.  I also started beta testing for them in the early days before the software was released and they eventually hired me on as their first QA.  While doing the QA thing constantly breaking the software and telling the Devs how I broke it, I'd also report on feature requests and feedback from the users here on the forums as well as provide my own ideas and suggestions for enhancements and improvements so once they filled out the QA team with more members than just me they decided to move me up to become their first Product Manager.  At first I was in charge of all of their products for business and consumer which was a massive task.  Eventually they filled out the QA team and I continued to be the PM for the main Malwarebytes consumer product, their technician focused products/tools as well as the standalone Anti-Rootkit scanner (which we eventually integrated into the main Malwarebytes product).  Eventually I decided to move into a different, more user-focused area as I missed my days on the forums interacting directly with the users/customers so they allowed me to shift to a new role as their very first 'User Advocate' (a title/position my boss at the time and I essentially made up) and I began coming up with ideas, both my own as well as from the users on the forums and around the web as well as gathering intel on what the competition was up to, especially with regards to new and emerging threats and technologies.  Unfortunately my position eventually came to an end so now I just help out here on the forums.  I still send the team feedback and ideas from the users on the forums here though, and I get to help out where I am able and I enjoy it a lot.  I'm just a lowly independent contractor now, but I'm able to get by (thankfully) and it's nice to get to do something I enjoy for a living (Malwarebytes was the first job I could ever truly say that about 100%, and I've always been passionate about the company and their mission too which makes it easy for me to want to help them as much as I can to improve their products).

I hope you have a good weekend and holiday as well.  I'll be here on the forums as always, and if there is anything else we can assist you with just post and let us know.  I'm always happy to prove the big AV guys wrong whenever they try to claim that Malwarebytes is incompatible with their products .

[GloriaJean]

I thought you were a lot like me, but probably much younger.  Like I said in 1982 I was 25 maybe and when my office manager was showing me how to get to Word Perfect through the c> and since I typed over 60 wpm I was jumping from Word Perfect to Lotus to VAX and then formatting disc drives.  One time I actually formatted the hard drive because I was going to fast.  But how I took off was knowing Word Perfect.  I learned all the little tricks with that program.  That job went under and when I got hired from a Research and Development firm in Emeryville CA they basically hired me for my Word Perfect experience and there I taught the clerical staff and my Office Manager.  I got three raises in 12 months all around 7%.  I loved working out in CA, I never was without a job for more than a week.  When I came back to PA I had to start all over again and went from a job making 32,000 to 12,000 and they had MAC's and I could have died.  When I got my first IBM at the county (almost 10 years later, every comes to the east 10 years later) I went off like a storm.  My bosses were floored, asking me how do you know how to use the computer like that, I said I lived in CA for 11 years and was on this same computer 10 years ago.  So then they gave me forms to create through a really old program, I showed them off on that, then I got databases to critique, they were moving up slowly, did a conversion and the new database was all wrong, the conversion went bad.  Then I talked them into the a better database and I was in charge of that, finding the bugs and reporting them to the tech guy to fix them.  But the problem was I didn't get the raises and I didn't get the titles.  

Since it was a local government job you can work for 20 years and be 55 years old and you can retire.  So the day of my 55th birthday I put in my letter.  They burned me out so fast because I was cleaning computers, putting them together for new employees, teaching people, helping people, setting up board rooms, typing, filing and answering the phones.  I almost had a nervous breakdown.  They knew I had MH problems and they didn't care.  I actually hated everyone when I was leaving.  It took me 2 years to get over the bad memories of that job.  My boss wouldn't let me take a day off because she needed me there everyday.  That did it.  I lost it on Secretary's Day when I got nothing.  My temper was really bad but they still could have got me a muffin or something.  I saved all their asses for 22 years, all the work that they did they almost lost, I got it back.  

Well, you take care my friend, if you ever need to talk computers problems, you can help me.  I'm out of the loop.  

Gloria 

[exile360]

Wow, that's incredible.  Not to mention really messed up.  It sounds like they didn't appreciate what they had.  I don't know how you could stand it.  I was very lucky in that regard because Malwarebytes was always a great place to work.  They treat their employees great.  Yeah, I don't blame you at all for leaving when you did.  In fact, I'm surprised you stuck it out as long as you did.  I wouldn't have been able to.