Freezing Issues

[RubbeR DuckY]

If you are experiencing freezing issues please follow these directions carefully. Please do not overlook any details.

1. Download this package and extract the files to your desktop.

You will need version 1.32 for these directions. You can find it here. Do not update the database or product.

2. Copy mbam.exe to the C:\Program Files\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. Make sure you overwrite the file.

3. Double click the debug.reg file, this will create the proper settings for DebugView which we will use next.

4. Open DebugView and leave it running. This step is important.

5. Click start, run, and type in mbam.exe /debugfreeze

6. The scanner should open, please run a full scan or quick scan, whichever one makes the freeze or crash happen.

7. The scan will take a longer time than usual, allow it to run. You should see DebugView start showing items on the list, this is good. If after 5 minutes you do not see anything on the list, you did something wrong, please try again.

8. When the freeze or crash happens, switch back over to DebugView and click File, Save As. Save the log file to your desktop. Open the log to see if it saved correctly before you close DebugView.

9. Now reinstall version 1.33 from here and the files should be back to normal.

Please send the log file to me by personal message on the forums. You can either attach it, upload it somewhere, whatever, just make sure I get it somehow. We really appreciate your help in this matter.

Do not post your log here.

[RubbeR DuckY]

Bump to show up as latest news.

[josspi]

My computer is a Dell Dimension 8300 with 512 MB of Ram and Windows XP Home Edition. I do not have Zone Alarm. MWB worked fine until I downloaded 1.32. Now it freezes both with Quick Scan and Full Scan on one of the C:Windows\Installer files. In Safe Mode it did not freeze but for some strange reason the Log Files did not save.

I have 2 questions about the fix:

1. In #2 what is meant by "do not overwrite the file" and how do I do this.

2. In #6 as MWB freezes in both Quick Scan and Full Scan do I run both of these scans one after the other.

Is this download a temporary fix and will an updated program be issued with the fix in it?

[RubbeR DuckY]

For question 1, it says make sure you DO overwrite the file. Simply copy it over to the main program directory and when it asks do you want to overwrite click Yes. For question 2, just run the quick scan since it freezes on the quick scan.

This is a debug build. It will not fix any problems, but it will help us find them and fix them for the next version.

[woodsfortysix]

Ran throught the recommended proceedure, but when the system froze, could not do a save as. Actually, normally it just freezes and locks everthing up, but with this setting, it froze for about 30 seconds and then I got the "blue screen of death" and a reboot.

However, yesterday, I tested version 1.32 and the same problem of locking up after about 5 - 6 seconds. However, when I run it is safe mode, seems to be okay with no problems.

[RubbeR DuckY]

Can you please try on more time and see if you can get it to work? And, can you please send me the minidump file, it should be located in C:\Windows\Minidump.

[josspi]

I think that I followed instructions 1 to 5 properly but each time I typed in mbam.exe/debugfreeze I received the message that the file could not be found. I tried this several times with the same result. Finally I redownloaded MWB and lo and behold I ran both a quick scan and a full scan and both scans worked perfectly. Quick Scan 60,330 files in 4 minutes 52 seconds and full scan 139,815 files in 39 minutes 42 seconds.

[acooldozen]

mbam.exe/debugfreeze

..................did you type it in like shown?

[Swandog46]

There should be a space between mbam.exe and /debugfreeze

[h.r. pufnstuf]

I am having a similar issue but not exactly the same. When running an mbam scan on the c drive, the system locks up for about 4 seconds and then is available for about 1 second. The pattern repeats until I get lucky clicking the pause or abort buttons. Usually I've had to end task mbam to stop the issue. The mbam process is taking very little cpu resources when this occurs. Interestingly, the d (sata) and e (usb) drives scan at normal speed without issues. I tried running mbam with and without avg8 running. The fact that only the c drive is an issue tells me it probably isn't another process causing the problem. About two weeks ago I ran mbam for the first time, scanning all drives without any problems.

Do you want me to give the debug freeze a try?

[Geno55]

Tried following the steps outlined here, but I ran into the following issue on step 5. When i try to run mbam.exe, I get this error message:

---------------------------

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

---------------------------

The database you are using is not supported by this version of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. Download the latest version of the program.

---------------------------

OK

---------------------------

I am running a clean install of 1.33 with no updates (I am behind a firewall).

[RubbeR DuckY]

Yea, this has to be run with version 1.32 . I need to prepare another test sample.

[CaliGirlinGA]

Hi,

I'm having the same problem as Geno55 (post #11)...I'll wait to see what to do next based on your next answer to Geno.

[Walt@CampSwampy]

Hi, Martin. Congratulations on a great product, which identified and removed the rogue program which had been frustrating us for some time. On the other hand, it took the better part of a day to complete scanning because of system lock-ups, or

[taoofpu2]

I just installed MBAM as a first time user, version 1.33 and it freezes after 8 seconds. Reading the forum I understand the debug package won't work with 1.33. I guess I either need a copy of 1.32 to try or wait for an update to the debug tools. Thanks

Steve

[Geno55]

I was able to track down version 1.32 and test it out with DebugView. This led me to figure out the problem: a giant WebsiteCache folder in Application Data that contained ~6000 directories. I was able to clear out this cache, and the full scan ran fine.

It appears that MBAM was performing an EnumerateFolderContents on each of these directories and never coming up with items to scan. Unfortunately, this gives the appearance of a "freezing" program, since the view only seems to update when a scannable file is found. Perhaps directories should be shown during scanning as well to fix this behavior.

My advice to anyone else having this problem is to mark which file was last scanned when it "froze" and search around that area for a folder structure like the one I described. I hope these results are helpful.

-Dan

[RubbeR DuckY]

Thanks Dan,

That helps a lot!

[taoofpu2]

How can I get a copy of v1.32? I'd like to try what Geno55/Dan did to see if I can catch the problem on my system. I already scanned for number of files & folders in Application Data and I have nothing as big as he did.

[fixmylaptop]

How can I get a copy of v1.32? I'd like to try what Geno55/Dan did to see if I can catch the problem on my system. I already scanned for number of files & folders in Application Data and I have nothing as big as he did.

I also had the freeze problems running Windows 2000 on an old laptop. I uninstalled Malwarebytes and did the debug but neither the debug or the newly downloaded version of Malwarebytes will open. I am trying too clean up Spyware guard 2008 and can not shut it down. Is this causing the problem with Malarebytes? If so, any suggestions on how to shut it down?

Thanks in advance!

[esam]

hi, i ran scan and crashed again...i have the debug veiw file saved..how do i send it to you?

[Spinosa]

Bonjour,

Depuis le 14 janvier 09,alors qu'auparavant je n'avais aucun probl

[Perth2008]

(Reposted from another forum on the "freezing" issue ... not sure if this will help clarify or further confuse.)

I have the same problem (see Helpdesk Ticket #2575) with Ver 1.33 and the suggested debugging procedure did not work for me.

I got the following message after Step 5 in the procedure:

"The database you are using is not supported by this version of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. Download the latest version of the program."

I then reinstalled Ver 1.33. What I have noticed, based on comments on another forum page discussing Malwarebytes freezing, is that if I uncheck "Always scan memory objects" on the Settings tab the (Quick) Scan completes albeit it takes about 20 minutes, much longer than usual.

For me the freezing issue "coincided" (more or less) with the upgrade of Ad-Aware to the Anniversary Edition and my installation of Spyware Blaster ... but it's probably just a coincidence. Perhaps there is a compatibility issue with other anti-malware/virus products?

FYI I run the following PC protection programs:

Norton 360 2.0 (the only active anti-virus product)

Malwarebytes 1.33

Ad-Aware Anniversary Edition*

Spybot S&D (I am aware of some compatibility issues between Ad-Aware and Spybot ... BTW, I do NOT use the Tea Timer feature ... after all how do I tell if a process is OK to run?)

SpywareBlaster*

CCleaner

* Marks recently installed or upgraded.

I do NOT have Zone Alarm which is cited on other forum pages as a possible cause of the problem.

System info (via dxdiag log):

Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.080814-1236)

BIOS: BIOS Date: 07/09/08 09:28:35 Ver: 08.00.12

Processor: Intel

[Spinosa]

You must read C:\Windows\Installer\111 fa.msi

[Gadgetman496]

Hi,

I'm having exactly the same freezing issue & posted HERE before I found this thread.

I'm using v1.33 so can run the Debug tool (I did try).

I've been using Malwarebytes for a while now but never actually performed a full scan (only the quick scan).

I started a full scan & much to my surprise my system hung.

I could do nothing but force my system off by holding the power button.

After the restart I tried again & exactly the same thing happened.

I uninstalled Malwarebytes, downloaded the latest version, done the updates & ran a "Full Scan" but it hung my system yet again.

I've tried it many times now but it hangs the machine everytime I run a full scan?

It does complete a quick scan successfully everytime but not a full scan.

I'm using XP Pro SP3 & have no idea as to where to start to troubleshoot this.

Can anyone help?

Thanks, Gman.

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[Gadgetman496]

Soryy, that should of read "Can Not run the Debug tool"

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