Solved Can't get Malwarebytes (Premium) to start on 8.1 laptop

nougart

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Tried to start Malwarebytes on my 8.1 laptop and it wouldn't start but it started on my other laptop. I did wonder if it could be that I was trying to scan both laptops at the same time but I haven't been able to open it since. I have looked on Malwarebytes website and couldn't find a solution (and don't know what chameleon is :confused:) and am waiting for a reply. Would the issues be sorted if I uninstalled and re-installed it? I have scanned my laptop with Spybot to see if that threw anything up.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Sony Vaio

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    AsRock
    CPU
    Intel Core2 Quad Q8200
    Motherboard
    AsRock N7AD SLI
    Memory
    8GB DDRII
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Geforce GTX760 Twin Frozer
    Sound Card
    On Board Realtec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Hanns G 221A
    Hard Drives
    Hitachi_HDP725050GLA360
    Case
    Yes, I have one. Less messy that way
    Mouse
    Squeek
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Avast
Laptop might already have a virus? Always possible as they like to block Mbam. A few suggestions can be found here
For those having trouble running Malwarebytes Anti-Malware - Am I infected? What do I do?
and here
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090610174136AAjitYl

Also try running it in safe mode.


Thanks but unfortunately Chameleon (all 13) failed and tried the advice from yahoo but that failed too.

@ mickey12gauge - Was it the premium or the freebie? and did you contact Malwarebytes - like me, but got no reply?
.​
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Sony Vaio
It wouldn't hurt to uninstall/reinstall it. Are you getting it from the legit site? If you d/l it from other sites, it's always a possibility that site has added a unwanted extra.

https://www.malwarebytes.org/free/

Malwarebytes presents you with a couple boxes towards the end of the installation, be sure to untick the "Start free pro trial" before launching it.

Chameleon is a program that attempts to block malicious processes running that are preventing Mbam from running. It attempts to cloak the actions of Mbam. You can run another tool called Rkill which attempts to do the same thing. Please read the documentation on this tool & do not reboot after running it.

RKill Download

If you would like to do a scan on your PC to determine if infection is present, SuperAntiSpyware makes a portable tool that can be run from a USB. D/L it on another PC that is infection free & run it as per the directions on the site.

SUPERAntiSpyware - SUPERAntiSpyware Portable Scanner
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 32, Win 7 64 Pro, Win 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    It's a Dell, Dude.
    CPU
    Intel Caffinated Core Duo
    Motherboard
    Father is bored too.
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVidia something-or-another
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" HD TV/Monitor/Alternative Dimensional Viewing Portal
    Screen Resolution
    Fuzzy after a couple drinks
    Hard Drives
    2 or 3, depending on if it's a night they're arguing about having a "split personality crisis" because I partitioned the drive.
    Case
    Don't get on my case....man
    Cooling
    Scotch on the rocks on the weekends..
    Keyboard
    Mad Catz Cyborg V7. Or maybe Cyborg Catz Are Mad At V7's??? I know it lights up...far out.
    Mouse
    currently being stalked by the cat...
    Internet Speed
    Never fast enough...
    Browser
    Defeated by Mario...wait...OH...BRowser...
    Antivirus
    Various
It wouldn't hurt to uninstall/reinstall it.
I thought that I had to get rid of the malware/infection before I did uninstall/reinstall? - but yes I can do it.

Are you getting it from the legit site?
Paid for the premium version from Malwarebytes last month and a back-up CD. Would the back-up CD repair it?

Chameleon is a program that attempts to block malicious processes running that are preventing Mbam from running.

All the 13 Chameleon testers failed and unable to start the scan.

You can run another tool called Rkill which attempts to do the same thing.

Yes, I will do that I really do feel like killing this. :think:

If you would like to do a scan on your PC to determine if infection is present, SuperAntiSpyware makes a portable tool that can be run from a USB. D/L it on another PC that is infection free & run it as per the directions on the site.

I've got SuperAntiSpyware on the my laptop and I do a full scan twice a day and perhaps this malware hasn't been removed with the scan.:huh:

Thanks for your help, I wrongly thought that my laptop(s) were clean of malware.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Sony Vaio
At this point it's unknown if you do have a virus or you are just having Mbam problems. The first assumption is you are infected & something is preventing Mbam from engaging. It could just as easily be a conflict problem, such as another program preventing it from running.

Start with uninstalling it/reinstalling it & see if the same problem presents itself. Take notes on the error messages you get (if any) & submit them to the Mbam forum, or do a search to see if others have encountered the same error.

Being that I use the free version, I do not know if paid Mbam offers a repair option.

Do you have an AV installed? This could be causing a conflict as paid Mbam offers full time background scanning. Mbam generally plays well with AV's, but there are exceptions.

Have a look at this article & check out the "Troubleshoot malwarebytes" (1/2 way down the page)

How to use Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to scan and remove malware from your computer

Another option, boot into safe mode & attempt to run Mbam.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 32, Win 7 64 Pro, Win 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    It's a Dell, Dude.
    CPU
    Intel Caffinated Core Duo
    Motherboard
    Father is bored too.
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVidia something-or-another
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" HD TV/Monitor/Alternative Dimensional Viewing Portal
    Screen Resolution
    Fuzzy after a couple drinks
    Hard Drives
    2 or 3, depending on if it's a night they're arguing about having a "split personality crisis" because I partitioned the drive.
    Case
    Don't get on my case....man
    Cooling
    Scotch on the rocks on the weekends..
    Keyboard
    Mad Catz Cyborg V7. Or maybe Cyborg Catz Are Mad At V7's??? I know it lights up...far out.
    Mouse
    currently being stalked by the cat...
    Internet Speed
    Never fast enough...
    Browser
    Defeated by Mario...wait...OH...BRowser...
    Antivirus
    Various
Borg 386, I d/l Rkill and then installed my Malwarebytes backup CD and ran Anti-Rootkit and no malware was found. I re-activated. my licence and doing a full scan. I use Windows Defender as an a/v so I don't have another one, but after this I do wonder how safe my laptop is even with WD, SuperAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes :confused:. Not sure how to get into safe mode even tho I have followed the tutorial.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Sony Vaio

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 32, Win 7 64 Pro, Win 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    It's a Dell, Dude.
    CPU
    Intel Caffinated Core Duo
    Motherboard
    Father is bored too.
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVidia something-or-another
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" HD TV/Monitor/Alternative Dimensional Viewing Portal
    Screen Resolution
    Fuzzy after a couple drinks
    Hard Drives
    2 or 3, depending on if it's a night they're arguing about having a "split personality crisis" because I partitioned the drive.
    Case
    Don't get on my case....man
    Cooling
    Scotch on the rocks on the weekends..
    Keyboard
    Mad Catz Cyborg V7. Or maybe Cyborg Catz Are Mad At V7's??? I know it lights up...far out.
    Mouse
    currently being stalked by the cat...
    Internet Speed
    Never fast enough...
    Browser
    Defeated by Mario...wait...OH...BRowser...
    Antivirus
    Various
Glad you got it sorted. :D Suggest you do a full system scan if you haven't already just to be sure. If all is good, mark the thread as solved.

No one is 100% safe, there is no AV that catches everything. The only thing you can do is be vigilant & think before you click. Keep backups of important files & consider making a system image on a regular basis. Keep 2 or 3 of them on a separate HD so that if you accidentally make one containing malware, you have another to fall back on.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/8956-system-image-create-windows-8-a.html

This tutorial will show you how to create a system image backup in Windows 8 and 8.1 to be able to use to restore the contents of your computer back to the state it was in when the system image was created if your HDD or computer ever stops working.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 32, Win 7 64 Pro, Win 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    It's a Dell, Dude.
    CPU
    Intel Caffinated Core Duo
    Motherboard
    Father is bored too.
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVidia something-or-another
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" HD TV/Monitor/Alternative Dimensional Viewing Portal
    Screen Resolution
    Fuzzy after a couple drinks
    Hard Drives
    2 or 3, depending on if it's a night they're arguing about having a "split personality crisis" because I partitioned the drive.
    Case
    Don't get on my case....man
    Cooling
    Scotch on the rocks on the weekends..
    Keyboard
    Mad Catz Cyborg V7. Or maybe Cyborg Catz Are Mad At V7's??? I know it lights up...far out.
    Mouse
    currently being stalked by the cat...
    Internet Speed
    Never fast enough...
    Browser
    Defeated by Mario...wait...OH...BRowser...
    Antivirus
    Various
No one is 100% safe, there is no AV that catches everything. The only thing you can do is be vigilant & think before you click. Keep backups of important files & consider making a system image on a regular basis. Keep 2 or 3 of them on a separate HD so that if you accidentally make one containing malware, you have another to fall back on.

Thanks very much for the advice Borg. :)


http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/8956-system-image-create-windows-8-a.html

This tutorial will show you how to create a system image backup in Windows 8 and 8.1 to be able to use to restore the contents of your computer back to the state it was in when the system image was created if your HDD or computer ever stops working.

Hmm this is something I have never done, thanks for telling me. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Sony Vaio
Yepperz, a system image can be a lifesaver. I have an ext HD I keep my copies on & that HD is only turned on when needed to minimize the threat of infection. I'll warn you ahead of time, put the image on a HD or FD, since putting it on Optical Media is inefficient. (I tried it once to see how many disks I would need....8 DVD's :shock:)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 32, Win 7 64 Pro, Win 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    It's a Dell, Dude.
    CPU
    Intel Caffinated Core Duo
    Motherboard
    Father is bored too.
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVidia something-or-another
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" HD TV/Monitor/Alternative Dimensional Viewing Portal
    Screen Resolution
    Fuzzy after a couple drinks
    Hard Drives
    2 or 3, depending on if it's a night they're arguing about having a "split personality crisis" because I partitioned the drive.
    Case
    Don't get on my case....man
    Cooling
    Scotch on the rocks on the weekends..
    Keyboard
    Mad Catz Cyborg V7. Or maybe Cyborg Catz Are Mad At V7's??? I know it lights up...far out.
    Mouse
    currently being stalked by the cat...
    Internet Speed
    Never fast enough...
    Browser
    Defeated by Mario...wait...OH...BRowser...
    Antivirus
    Various
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