Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Update Discussions

[Digerati]

Double hmmm. The Notification/System tray icon indicates all 4 functions are "On". But I still cannot open Malwarebytes. ???

A quick look in Task Manager show MBAMService is running.

Mine scans every day at 12 noon (almost 9am now) so I am going to wait to see what happens. I might have to uninstall then reinstall.

[Pete!]

I'm getting very similar symptoms to those described by Digerati.

If I try to open it, or check for updates, the mouse pointer temporarily becomes an Hourglass, then reverts to an arrow, and nothing happens. 

[Corrine]

I'm seeing the same issue on my laptop with Malwarebytes not opening.  However, on my desktop, it has Update package version 1.0.28157 and it opens fine. 

[plodr]

Thanks folks. At least I know it might be something on malwarebytes end and not my computer.

I plugged in my husband's laptop late last night because we had thunderstorms most of the day and mbam was acting strange on there. I didn't want to deal with it then and figured I'd do something today. Because my computer was acting strange, I decided to wait to deal with his. One problem at a time.  :D

[Digerati]

I'm getting very similar symptoms to those described by Digerati.

If I try to open it, or check for updates, the mouse pointer temporarily becomes an Hourglass, then reverts to an arrow, and nothing happens. 

I'm seeing the same issue on my laptop with Malwarebytes not opening.

Well, this is not good but glad it is not just me. FTR, my not opening issue is with my PC. I haven't checked my laptop or other PCs yet.

Since this clearly is an issue with the program and not out computers, no doubts Malwarebytes will be issuing a fix in an update soon. So now, with the Check for Updates feature "appearing" not to work, I wonder if Malwarebytes is able to actually go out and check, find the update, then run the update on itself? ???

[Pete!]

Shut Down -> cut & restore power -> boot, did not make any difference.
Unless I hear about another solution, or get an automatic fix, in a few days, I might uninstall, download, and reinstall.

[Digerati]

Unless I hear about another solution, or get an automatic fix, in a few days, I might uninstall, download, and reinstall.

I would hold off on that for now. It seems we are not alone (assuming Petebo is not you).

https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/262597-opening-mbam-412/

[Pete!]

No that's not me, but I was going to wait a few days, to see what develops, anyway.

[Digerati]

Well, its fixed for me but I am very unhappy with the process.

As suggested in that thread I ran the Support Tool. I am very unhappy that no where in Maurice's post, or in the tool itself does it say a reboot is required, and worse, there is no way to delay the reboot after running the tool. When prompted to reboot, your only option is Reboot now. If you click the X to close that prompt window, it reboots anyway!  >:(

And no where does that tool tell you it will reset any and all custom settings back to their defaults.  >:(  >:(

Fortunately, Word automatically saved a draft of the large document I was working on and Edge recovered all my open tabs.

As for Malwarebytes, that support tool also says it is running a repair, but as noted, in reality, it is not a "repair" No! It forces a whole new install on the system. And that did fix the problem with Malwarebytes not opening. So at least that is resolved.

HOWEVER - the forced new install resets any custom settings you might have had in Malwarebytes. :( That means if you like to run Malwarebytes Premium along with "real-time" Windows Defender, you have to, once again, disable the Malwarebytes option to "Always register Malwarebytes in the Windows Security Center". If you don't slide that to Off, Windows Defender will disable itself.

If you had Malwarebytes set to scan for Rootkits too, you now have to re-enable that.

If you changed the default scheduled scan times, it is now reset to run daily at some off-the-wall time. Mine reset to 2:33PM.

If you had it set to "Warn" you of PUPs, that setting is reset to "Always (recommended)", which will automatically quarantine them - even the "wanted" potentially unwanted programs. :(

Oh, and if you changed the "Automatically quarantine" setting to Off so it would warn you instead of automatically moving the suspect item, you have to disable that again too.

The only setting it didn't reset is my registration information. That is, it remembered my License ID and key for my Lifetime Premium license. So goody for that that.  ::)

My advice - do NOT run the Support Tool - it is VERY user UNfriendly! :(

[Corrine]

Running the Support Tool solved the problem for me as well.  Perhaps an uninstall/reinstall was all that was needed.  The interesting part of using the Support Tool is that it wasn't necessary to input the license information again. 

[Digerati]

I just ran the tool again based on a discussion I am having with the staff over there. And if you click on the Advanced option when running the tool, it says the action preserves license information.

The issue with me is the default option, call Dashboard, is not very informative at all.

Oh well.

[Pete!]

Running the tool appears to have fixed the problem.

Settings appear to be unchanged.

License information remained
McAfee still running
Defender still set to "Periodic Scanning". The icon disappeared from the tray during the re-installation. It reappeared when I rebooted again.

Thanks to Digerati for the warning about the forced reboot.

[Digerati]

Glad it worked but I see this fix similar to "format and reinstall". Nothing is learned.

That is, what caused the problem? What fixed it? How do I prevent it from recurring? That's "I don't know X 3". :(

[Corrine]

My guess is that it had something to do with update package 1.0.28155 and apparently the only way to fix it is with the Support Tool, which likely had some update added to it to remove the faulty update package.  My desktop is on a different scan schedule than than the laptop so I'm guessing that is why it didn't have the problematic update package.

[DR M]

I had the same problem yesterday, but I didn't run the Support tool.

Today MBAM opens without any problem.

And I just installed the latest update package: 1.0.28195.