Not playing nice with Windows 10?

[Pluto]

Possibly since updating to current beta edition (4.5.9.198 / 1.0.54490 / 1.0.1672), I cannot persuade Windows 10 21H2 to accept MB as the de facto security software. MB itself seems happy enough and is showing all the right indicators but Windows Security Centre / Security Providers appears not to acknowledge the existence of MB as an alternative.

Your thoughts and advice please.

[AdvancedSetup]

Are you using the Release version of Windows 11 or one of the Insider Preview builds?

 

[Pluto]

Windows 10 21H2, if you look carefully.

[Pluto]

OK -- uninstall, reboot, reinstall, reboot appears to have restored Windows 10's ability to accept MB as a valid security system.

BUT, and I'm really unsure of the relevance of this, despite having the "beta" switch enabled, at this moment MB only updates as far as 4.5.8.191 / 1.0.54492 / 1.0.1666.

So we'll see how things progress and I'll report back.

[AdvancedSetup]

Sorry about that. I had another ticket opened and was replying to them but posted to you.

Yes, please let us know if you continue to have any issues.

 

[Firefox]

Just a note... sometimes after a Malwarebytes update, even thought it does not ask you to reboot, I always reboot after updating any security software, a simple reboot may have helped your issue.... (of course I am assuming you did not reboot).

[Pluto]

3 hours ago, Firefox said:

 a simple reboot may have helped your issue.... (of course I am assuming you did not reboot).

I did In fact, but it made no difference. This required the old tried and tested uninstall, reinstall approach which, I have to note, did not preserve all my existing settings. Please don't ask which ones it kept and which it did not [although I recall it did not retain the display theme] because I didn't have the time to stop and make notes; I merely had to get the job done as quickly as possible. It did retain important stuff like my license number but the reinstall process was not 100% painless which it would have been had all the settings been preserved.

[Porthos]

19 minutes ago, Pluto said:

It did retain important stuff like my license number but the reinstall process was not 100% painless which it would have been had all the settings been preserved.

The clean function of the support tool is supposed to remove everything except the licensee info. If it did not it would not be a clean reinstall. In many cases a users settings if not left at the defaults are part of the users issues.

[Pluto]

1 hour ago, Porthos said:

The clean function of the support tool is supposed to remove everything except the licensee info

Who said anything about “clean function” or “support tool”?

[Porthos]

2 minutes ago, Pluto said:

Who said anything about “clean function” or “support tool”?

Ok, basically the same. When uninstalled the built in uninstaller is supposed to remove it and all the settings.

Currently I understand a way to save settings is worked on but no ETA on release.

[Porthos]

@Pluto Now back you your original post. I personally like to have Malwarebytes off in the Windows security center so it does not turn off Windows Defender.

I want to have the full protection of both.

If you would like to help us figure out why this happened to you do the following.

To begin, Please do the following so that we may take a closer look at your installation for troubleshooting:

NOTE: The tools and the information obtained is safe and not harmful to your privacy or your computer, please allow the programs to run if blocked by your system.

 

• Download the Malwarebytes Support Tool
• In your Downloads folder, open the mb-support-x.x.x.xxx.exe file
• In the User Account Control pop-up window, click Yes to continue the installation
• Run the MBST Support Tool
• In the left navigation pane of the Malwarebytes Support Tool, click Advanced
• In the Advanced Options, click Gather Logs. A status diagram displays the tool is Getting logs from your machine
• A zip file named mbst-grab-results.zip will be saved to your desktop, please upload that file on your next reply

Thanks

 

[Pluto]

Just now, Porthos said:

…the built in uninstaller is supposed to remove it and all the settings.

Fair enough, although a more sensible (and more typical) convention would be for a simple uninstall to retain settings unless the user specifically opts otherwise viz.

1. Delete user settings except license number
2. Delete user settings including license number
3. Retain all user data (i.e. perform a remedial install)

It certainly would be useful to have the ability to save settings in a single, simple file so that complicated exclusion lists and the like could be easily transferred from one machine to another.

[Porthos]

1 minute ago, Pluto said:

simple file so that complicated exclusion lists and the like could be easily transferred from one machine to another.

That is one of the issues with that approach. All settings are encrypted so saving and restoring them to the same system much less to another is not possible.

I believe  there encrypted as they are entered. It is to keep other process from adding exclusions.

I do miss the old days when settings could be saved. I feel for you.

[Pluto]

3 minutes ago, Porthos said:

If you would like to help us figure out why this happened to you...

Much as I would like to take up the offer, I'm too busy at the moment. So as long as this remains a one-off incident, I'm happy to file it under “just one of those things”. I certainly don't disagree with your philosophy of using Windows Defender as well as…

I did take a few minutes to look at the system event logs from around this time and I am reminded that it was about then that a system update (KB4023057) went in. So it's just as likely that the fault lies there as anything to do with MB. As I said, as long as it doesn't become a habit, I'm content to move on.

[Porthos]

4 minutes ago, Pluto said:

system update (KB4023057) went in.

That update gets reissued often so I hope it is not your issue.

 

[Pluto]

4 minutes ago, Porthos said:

I believe they're encrypted as they are entered. It is to keep other process from adding exclusions

That makes sense, but it can't be that difficult to provide a tool to convert the settings to something portable for export, with red flashing lights and alarm bells to warn the user to delete this information after it has served its purpose.

[Pluto]

2 minutes ago, Porthos said:

That update gets reissued often so I hope it is not your issue

Indeed; also KB5012599 at the same session I notice, so he might be the culprit…

[Porthos]

1 minute ago, Pluto said:

Indeed; also KB5012599 at the same session I notice, so he might be the culprit…

I have not encountered the issue because all of my clients have this off.