Unable to run Malwarebytes

[MustangMan]

I have uninstalled and reinstalled Malwarebytes completely and keep running into this issue. Malwarebytes will open, but when I go to run a scan it say windows has encountered an error and needs to close. CPU usage also goes up to 100%. This has been going on for months. Uninstalled and ran Avast which worked fine. Just tried again with Malwarebytes and not working. I have attached logs to this post. 

mbst-grab-results.zip

[MustangMan]

Any quick help would be appreciated! I had an email disappear on it's own so I want to make sure there;s no Malware on here!

[Maurice Naggar]

Hello @MustangMan.   

My name is Maurice. I will guide you.  Please await till my next reply while I review your report.

I am curious as to just how you had gone about uninstalling MB  & reinstalling.   All manual ?

[MustangMan]

Hi Maurice... I uninstalled both through add/remove programs and also through the malwarebytes diagnostic tool. It will allow me to open the program but not run a scan. 

[Maurice Naggar]

Real quick note. Windows has some file rename operations pending, which require a Restart.

Do a RESTART.

This OS is a Windows 7. That is way out of Microsoft support altogether. It is a security risk. 

Keep in mind to eventually upgrade ( free  no cost ) to  Windows 10.

More after a few.

[Maurice Naggar]

Next action.

The Microsoft Safety Scanner is a free Microsoft stand-alone virus scanner that can be used to scan for & remove malware or potentially unwanted software from a system. 

The download links & the how-to-run-the tool are at this link at Microsoft 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/intelligence/safety-scanner-download

 

Look on Scan Options & select FULL scan.

Then start the scan. Have lots of patience. It may take several hours.

 

Let me know the result of this.

The log is named MSERT.log  

the log will be at  

C:\Windows\debug\msert.log

Please attach that log with your reply.

[MustangMan]

Thanks Maurice. I restarted the computer and did a full scan. After 3 hours and 15 minutes it seems to have frozen on Y:/logs/factorysetup.dll.20160521033044_0.log->(UFT-16LE). Its been locked on this item for a while now and the only option I can choose it to cancel. Any ideas?

[Maurice Naggar]

Go ahead & Cancel.

Then Restart msert.exe

This time just select QUICK scan.

[MustangMan]

I tried running a custom scan of the C drive only to bypass it and it said 468 infected files found, which was around the same as the full scan before it froze. The custom scan froze up again 2 hours and 45 minutes into it. I ran the quick scan and that worked fine, but didn't find any infected files. 

msert.log

[MustangMan]

I was able to have it run a full scan by booting up in safe mode, but when running in safe mode it doesn't find any infected files. Whenever I try to do any scan that results in infected files the scanner freezes and won't finish. See attached screen shot as I ran a custom scan only for program files where it found 3, and then the scanner froze. Also attaching logs from the full scans in completed in safe mode. 

 

msert.log

[Maurice Naggar]

Hello.

Thanks. Let's not run anymore of the MSERT tool.

Close any user programs that are open that you do not now need.

Then get & run the Malwarebytes MBAR anti-rootkit tool to do 1 run with it.

Disregard the title subject of the topic.

Run the MBAR tool as listed here 

https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/198907-requested-resource-is-in-use-error-unable-to-start-malwarebytes/

 

 

when done, I need the MBAR log.

Upon completion of the scan or after the reboot, two files named mbar-log.txt and system-log.txt will be created.

 

Both files can be found in the extracted MBAR folder on your Desktop.

Please attach both files in your next reply

Have patience. We will be doing different runs with several tools, over the next few days. As time permits for you & I.

[Maurice Naggar]

By the way, did you attempt to install BitDefender antivirus on or about 2 April ?

And if yes, How did that go ?

How long has this pc been without a working antivirus?

Edited May 11, 2021 by Maurice Naggar

[MustangMan]

Thanks Maurice... I ran the scan and have attached both log files for you. I tried to download BitDefender yesterday but it wanted me to remove both Avast and Microsoft Security Essentials so I decided not to move forward with it. I've had MWB on this PC for years and I'm not sure when it stopped working. For the last couple of months I would try and run a scan and it would shutdown, but then I would see it running in the processed tab and get a pop-up later that said scan completed, no malware detected. My guess is a few months, and I downloaded Avast about a month ago. 

mbar-log-2021-05-11 (14-09-37).txt system-log.txt

[Maurice Naggar]

Take time, study, and do the CLEAN procedure with the Malwarebytes Support tool to cleanly remove Malwarebytes & then have it do a new clean install of Malwarebytes, as per help article 

https://support.malwarebytes.com/hc/en-us/articles/360039023473-Uninstall-and-reinstall-Malwarebytes-using-the-Malwarebytes-Support-Tool

 

Have lots of patience after the pc Restart till the GUI reappears for the New install. Wait for it. It may be a few minutes till it gets on-screen.

[MustangMan]

I just did a clean procedure with the Malwarebytes support tool and still having the pop up close it. I've tried that in the past with no success. One note is my computer does not ask me to restart the PC during the process. 

[MustangMan]

Here is the log from the process as well... 

mbst-clean-results.txt

[Maurice Naggar]

Malwarebytes for Windows was installed successfully.

2021-05-11 15:15:28.912  

that is from the last run of the Clean proc.

please do not take any action on your own, without asking me first.

Thanks.

From before all this, Malware yes for Windows seemed to have been having aborts.  Eg, app crashes.

I suspect interference or glitch in Windows' itself.  Alas, regrettably this rig is running Windows 7, not Windows 10.

This pc has installed on it  BitDefender Agent Version: 25.0.1.177

Can you see if you can start it ?

if it runs, you may be able to Scan with it.  Please try & let me know.

Patience & persistence are needed all the time, as we handle this entire case. This will be a drawn out situation over multiple sessions & days.

[MustangMan]

Sounds good. I do not have BitDefender on here, I downloaded it yesterday and deleted it right after as it wanted me to remove Microsoft Security Essentials to run it which I did not think was a good idea. I currently have Avast Antivirus, MWB, and Microsoft Security Essentials installed. 

[Maurice Naggar]

You have at least one too many antivirus programs !!!

That all leads to friendly deadlocks, as well as deadlocks at the worst possible times.

I am unsure at this time of year 2021  whether MS is still doing updates for Security Essentials.

Notice.  You will need to Cleanup any trace of BitDefender.  I ll hunt for their cleanup uninstall tool & post back.

[Maurice Naggar]

At BitDefender, drill down into their section for Consumer products.

https://www.bitdefender.com/uninstall/

 

Save the tool first to your pc, like Downloads folder.

Once done, run the tool to have it Uninstall any BitDefender remains.

When all done, Restart Windows.

 

[MustangMan]

I found that it was still on here actually... I completed the install and am running a scan now like you said. Bitdefender seems to be working. I'll keep you updated. 

[MustangMan]

Just ran a scan with BitDefender and no infections found. 

[Maurice Naggar]

Hi. That is encouraging that BitDefender found no virus or suspicious type.

Did you pay for a license ?

You should make a note of what MS says regarding Security Essentials. The MSE app itself has stopped being developed or maintained for like over a year +.

Though you can still get definitions updates till 2023.

SEE MS. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/what-is-microsoft-security-essentials-c25ad47a-7d15-8072-1438-b07dffcbbb20

 

Frankly, you would be better off with a paid BitDefender OR better yet, upgrade OS to Windows 10 & just use Microsoft Defender antivirus. That is free, & the OS upgrade is Free.

.

Tell me, are you able to start Malwarebytes for Windows & scan & without a abort ?

 

I would like you to run a tool named SecurityCheck to inquire on the current-security-update  status  of some applications.

 

Download SecurityCheck by glax24 from here  https://tools.safezone.cc/glax24/SecurityCheck/SecurityCheck.exe

and save the tool on the desktop.

If Windows's  SmartScreen block that with a message-window, then

Click on the MORE INFO spot and over-ride that and allow it to proceed.

This tool is safe.   Smartscreen is overly sensitive.

Right-click  with your mouse on the Securitycheck.exe  and select "Run as administrator"   and reply YES to allow to run & go forward

Wait for the scan to finish. It will open in a text file named SecurityType.txt. Close the file.  Attach it with your next reply.

You can find this file in a folder called SecurityCheck, C:\SecurityCheck\SecurityCheck.txt

Edited May 12, 2021 by Maurice Naggar
Added link to notice at MS on MSE

[MustangMan]

I did not pay for a license, I just have the free version. I could always buy the paid bit defender and use that as I would prefer not to upgrade, but that is always an option as well. Malwarebytes continues to encounter an error as soon as I try to start a scan. 

It looks like that tool is coming from a russian forum... is that 100% safe to download?

[Maurice Naggar]

What tool ?

What Russian ??

SecurityCheck is trusted .  Please get & run it.