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Does MBAM need admin rights to update?

spg SCOTT
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spg SCOTT

spg SCOTT

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Hi,

I use MBAM on a limted vista account, and usually run it limited. When there is an update available it seems to download the update but it downloads the one I currently have, and says I am updated.

However, if I 'Run as Admistrator' and try to update, it actually updates itself to the most recent database version.

Is this right?

Thanks,

-Scott-

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exile360

exile360

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Greetings :) .

MBAM does indeed require administrative privelages to update, however, if you're using the paid version which updates automatically it should be able to successfully update without a User Account Control prompt as long as you initially installed it and set up the scheduled updating on an administrative user account.

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spg SCOTT

spg SCOTT

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Greetings :) .

MBAM does indeed require administrative privelages to update, however, if you're using the paid version which updates automatically it should be able to successfully update without a User Account Control prompt as long as you initially installed it and set up the scheduled updating on an administrative user account.

Hi exile360,

Thanks for the reply,

I use the free version.

From your post I get the impression that updating in a limited account should incur a UAC prompt?

Mine doesn't, it just claims that it updated when in fact it seems to have downloaded the database version that I already had, saying it has updated.

-Scott-

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exile360

exile360

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Thanks for the reply,

You're welcome :) .

From your post I get the impression that updating in a limited account should incur a UAC prompt?

Correct, because it actually invokes mbam.exe, which requires administrative privelages to run properly. You should also get a UAC prompt when starting the scanner, if you're not then there is likely an issue with your installation of MBAM.

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spg SCOTT

spg SCOTT

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Interesting, so just starting MBAM should cause a UAC prompt...

...if you're not then there is likely an issue with your installation of MBAM.

Following that reasoning, I have just re-installed MBAM from an admin account, with the same results.

Rebooted and run MBAM from a limited account, no UAC prompt. I tried to update and was presented with this, which is weird:

post-21904-1255174908_thumb.png

However when I choose, via the start menu to run as admin, it updates successfully:

post-21904-1255175013_thumb.png

Any ideas?

-Scott-

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exile360

exile360

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There's definetely an issue there :) . I'm not sure why it's working this way, but I'll walk you through some basic steps first to see if we can fix it.

Step 1:

Follow the instructions in this post to see if it fixes it. If it does not, then proceed to step 2.

Step 2:

Note: This fix is a workaround to make the software behave as it should. No one except the original poster should use these instructions unless specifically instructed to by one of the Trusted Advisors Experts Moderators or Administrators

  • Go to C:\Program Files\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware (Note: if you're running a 64 bit version of Vista then the location will be C:\Program Files (x86))
  • Locate mbam.exe and right-click on it and select Properties
  • Click on the Compatibility tab
  • Check the box next to Run this program as an administrator
  • Click on OK
  • Try updating MBAM again and let me know if it behaved as expected
  • Also note that if you followed these instructions that you should absolutely reverse the process upon installation of the next version of MBAM (likely 1.42) to avoid any possible problems with the software in future versions

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spg SCOTT

spg SCOTT

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There's definetely an issue there :) . I'm not sure why it's working this way, but I'll walk you through some basic steps first to see if we can fix it.

Step 1:

Follow the instructions in this post to see if it fixes it. If it does not, then proceed to step 2.

So I have tried this one.

I did the whole process from an admin account.

Here's the weird thing:

In the admin account, there is the UAC shield icon on the desktop shortcut, and a UAC prompt appears when clicked.

In the limited account(s) There is no shield icon and it opens with no UAC prompt at all.

Step 2:

So this works as a workaround, not my preferred option, but it works as it's supposed to at least.

Weird...

Thanks for the help :)

-Scott-

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Falkra

Falkra

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Hi,

I use MBAM on a limted vista account, and usually run it limited. When there is an update available it seems to download the update but it downloads the one I currently have, and says I am updated.

However, if I 'Run as Admistrator' and try to update, it actually updates itself to the most recent database version.

This is like generating HijackThis reports with Vista : the first report file is generated with no special rights (run HijackThis by double clickling the executable), and it creates a hijackthis.log file. But then, if you don't use right click => run as... => administrator, it will not overwrite the file and update to a new report, because Vista won't let it write on the existing file, unless you run HJT with admin rights.

Being here the same filename (I don't know exactly how the downloaded file overwrites the old one), it keeps your old database.

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mountaintree16

mountaintree16

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quick question for you spg Scott, since I didn't see it in here (maybe I missed it)

do you have UAC turned off? On the two Vistas that I have used MBAM on, I have always gotten a UAC prompt when opening the program. I can't quite remember if I got a prompt when updating, though.

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Falkra

Falkra

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Thanks for breaking that down Falkra :) . Hopefully one of the developers will jump in with an idea as to why it isn't requesting the appropriate privelages on execution.

I don't know exactly how the software pushes the new file, if it is a direct overwrite, a copy over the old file from a temp file.

There might be some tweaks, depending on how this is done. :)

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chimpy

chimpy

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Yes, for some reason it's not requesting elevated privelages for execution the way that it's supposed to in your limited account. Hopefully they'll chime in here when they get a chance. I expect we'll have to be patient though as I know for a fact that they are very busy people :) .

I thought this was normal, I cannot update in limited without first right clicking the MBAM icon on my desktop and running as admin (updating in this way just gives me the message "updates from 2910 to 2910") Also scanning in limited never asks for a UAC either and I have different logs in my limited and admin accounts.

I only get a UAC when I right click on MBAM to run as admin, this seems normal to me as if I was sharing my computer then for some one else on it to scan they would have to know the admin password?

I am sure I asked the same question when I first DL'd MBAM as I could not work out how to get it to update and admin was the only way.

This was my thread http://www.malwarebytes.org/forums/index.p...c=11886&hl=

Sorry if I am getting the wrong end of the stick about this :)

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spg SCOTT

spg SCOTT

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quick question for you spg Scott, since I didn't see it in here (maybe I missed it)

do you have UAC turned off? On the two Vistas that I have used MBAM on, I have always gotten a UAC prompt when opening the program. I can't quite remember if I got a prompt when updating, though.

UAC is on

chimpy,

The way I understand it is, MBAM should incur a UAC prompt when you open MBAM.exe, but mine doesn't...

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chimpy

chimpy

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@ SCOTT and everyone else

Why would you get a UAC prompt in a limited account for scanning? or just opening MBAM? Like I said before it would mean if you shared your computer that the person on the non admin account would HAVE to know the admin password just to scan :)

I never get a UAC prompt in my non admin account for scanning either quick or the long scan, and if I try to update in that I get the same screen as you got, I can only update in admin and the only way I can access admin and get the UAC prompt is via right clicking the icon and selecting "run as admin"

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exile360

exile360

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Well, MBAM requires administrative privelages to scan the locations it does, and certainly to perform any removals so scanning without admin privelages would be pretty useless.

edit: @chimpy - if you follow the instructions in my post to Scott it will allow you to run MBAM in your limited account without having to right-click on it. I still don't think it's supposed to work this way in non-admin accounts though, at least in Vista, because any UAC aware program (which I believe MBAM is) will invoke a prompt by requesting privelage elevation on execution from any user account, be it admin or limited.

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chimpy

chimpy

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@Exile I also tried updating and scanning with Ad-aware, SAS and Spybot in my non admin account and only Spybot gave me a UAC prompt :)

I might try the uninstall method you gave me but one question, Is it worrying that some do not ask for the UAC and the fact that they are shortcuts on my desktop, would that affect the UAC prompt?

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