Search Results for 'malwarebytes'

WCHS wrote:

… Do you have Drive Encryption in the left panel at Settings | Update & Security?…

Hi WCHS:

Just to clarify, the category shown in your image at Settings | Update & Security is Device Encryption (i.e., not Drive Encryption).  See TheWindowsClub article Difference Between Device Encryption and BitLocker.

I do not have a category at Settings | Update & Security called Device Encryption on my Win 10 Pro machine. According to the MS support article Device Encryption in Windows, if your device doesn’t support BitLocker (e.g., if you have Win 10 Home), you may be able to use Windows Device Encryption instead at Settings | Update & Security | Device Encryption if you meet certain system requirements.  Similar information is posted in the MS support article Turn On Device Encryption.

I deliberately enabled BitLocker during my initial OOBE setup when I first purchased my Win 10 Pro laptop (BitLocker has since been disabled) and I always managed BitLocker from Control Panel | System and Security | BitLocker Drive Encryption.

I don’t know if it’s relevant but my Inspiron 5584 / Win 10 Pro v21H2 laptop does not support Modern Standby (S0 Low Power Idle).

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Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1889 * Firefox v104.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2205.7-1.1.19500.2 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.14.210-1.0.1751 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.6867

WSBirdLady wrote:

…I discovered that the Windows Modules Installer Service was not running. I set the startup type to Automatic, started the service and tried the installation again. Success! I had addressed the Windows Update Service earlier, but wasn’t aware of this one.

Hi WSBirdLady:

Thanks for the status update. I didn’t realize that the Windows Modules Installer service had to be running in order to install a standalone .msu update package but according to the MS support article Error message when you install a .msu update package on a computer that is running Windows: “The Windows Modules Installer must be updated before you can install this package” an outdated Windows Module Installer can cause standalone .msu installers to fail, so it must provide some required functionality.

Just an FYI that stopping the Windows Update service (wuauserv) shouldn’t affect the installation of standalone .msu installers. These .msu installers are associated with with the Windows Update Standalone Installer (C:WindowsSystem32wusa.exe) and can be installed on computers without an internet connection.

Also note that the Windows Modules Installer service (service name TrustedInstaller) has a Startup Type of “Manual” on my Win 10 Pro machine and it doesn’t automatically run at boot-up (see image below). According to Black Viper’s list <here> of Win 7 SP1 services “Manual” is also the default Startup Type for this service for all Win 7 SP1 editions (Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, etc.) so I’m not sure why it was necessary for you to start this service manually before the .msu installer for KB4474419 would run correctly.  If it were needed I would assume that the Windows Update Standalone Installer (wusa.exe) would start the service.

It doesn’t really matter now since you already found a workaround to your problem. Were you able to update your Firefox browser on your desktop once KB4474419 was installed?
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Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1889 * Firefox v104.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2205.7-1.1.19500.2 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.14.210-1.0.1751 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.6867

1 user thanked author for this post.

WSBirdLady

lmacri wrote:

… The default settings in my Dell BIOS are closely integrated with proprietary Dell utilities (e.g., Dell Power Manager, SupportAssist, Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery, etc.) …

Hi WCHS:

… and further to my post # 2474238, some of the security vulnerabilities patched by Dell BIOS updates are specific to Dell computers. For example, see Sergiu Gatlan’s 24-Jun-2021 Bleeping Computer article Dell SupportAssist Bugs Put Over 30 Million PCs at Risk – a full list of affect Dell models and the minimum BIOS version to patch these Dell BIOSConnect vulnerabilities was listed under “Additional Information” in the Dell Security Advisory DSA-2021-106: Dell Client Platform Security Update for Multiple Vulnerabilities in the BIOSConnect and HTTPS Boot Features as Part of the Dell Client BIOS. I’ve had a few Dell BIOSConnect bugs and security vulnerabilities patched by a Dell BIOS update in the past few years and sometimes all the Dell BIOS release notes say are “Firmware updates to address security vulnerabilities“.
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Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1889 * Firefox v104.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2205.7-1.1.19500.2 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.14.210-1.0.1751 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.6867

Hi WSBirdLady:

The MS support article Windows Update Troubleshooting lists some of the common causes of this “The update is not applicable to your computer” error. According to the MS support article <here> for KB4474419 there are no prerequisites for this update, and as far as I know KB4474419 has not been superseded (replaced) by a newer update, so I would agree with PKCano the most likely reason for that error on your computer (assuming you are certain you have a 64-bit OS and downloaded the correct 64-bit .msu installer) is that KB4474419 is already installed on your desktop computer.

Go to Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features | View Installed Updates and search there for KB4474419. When searching, enter the full KB number in the search box (e.g., enter KB4474419 and not a partial string like 4474419). I’m not sure about Win 7 SP1, but searches for KB numbers at Windows Update at Control Panel | Windows Update | View Installed Updates never worked correctly on my old Vista SP2 machine (and wouldn’t list any update manually installed with a standalone .exe or .msu installer)  so I always searched at Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features | View Installed Updates.

You can also open an elevated command prompt with Administrator rights and enter the command wmic qfe | find “KB4474419” (include the quote marks around the KB number) to see if KB4474419 is installed. See the Pureinfotech article How to Check Update History on Windows 10 for more information about using this wmic command.

Also see Malwarebytes employee Advanced Setup’s 05-Jun-2021 instructions in Now MBAM Wants a Microsoft Security Update for adding SHA-2 code signing support to a Win 7 SP1 computer. You might want to try the 64-bit download link for KB4474419 (2019-09 Security Update for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems) in those instructions just to make sure you’re using the correct standalone .msu installer. If you are also missing KB4490628 (2019-03 Servicing Stack Update for Windows 7) note that you will have to perform Step # 2 of AdvancedSetup’s instructions to finish activation of SHA-2 code signing support on your system.
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Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1889 * Firefox v104.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2205.7-1.1.19500.2 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.14.210-1.0.1751 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.6867

1 user thanked author for this post.

WSBirdLady

WCHS wrote:

The BIOS probably came from Microsoft originally and when DELL vetted it for DELL machines, DELL likely let the trigger remain in the code — that’s my hypothesis.

Hi WCHS:

I also have a Dell computer with a Dell motherboard and Dell BIOS. I might be wrong, but I think Dell BIOS updates that are delivered by Windows Update are actually developed in-house by Dell and then released to Microsoft for distribution via Windows Update (e.g., the same way that Intel graphics drivers are developed by Intel before they are released to Microsoft).

The default settings in my Dell BIOS are closely integrated with proprietary Dell utilities (e.g., Dell Power Manager, SupportAssist, Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery, etc.) and I’ve found that a BIOS update will sometimes fix odd glitches on my system. For example, if you have a problem with SupportAssist the first step that Dell recommends <here> for their clean reinstall process is that you update your BIOS and Intel Chipset Device Software drivers, and that is also the first troubleshooting step Dell recommends <here> if you have problems waking your computer from sleep mode. I even recall one problem I had where my Intel Driver & Support Assistant could not detect available updates for my Intel UHD Graphics 620 drivers until I updated my Dell BIOS – see my 02-Feb-2022 post in my topic Intel DSA Not Detecting Update for UHD Graphics 620 Since Win 10 Pro v21H2 Installed in the Intel forum. As shown in that Intel forum post, some Dell BIOS firmware updates come bundled with important updates for Intel components.

I never used to perform regular BIOS updates on my old HP laptop (I tend to adhere to “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” when it comes to firmware and driver updates) but since purchasing my Dell laptop I’ve found that the occasional BIOS update is needed to avoid glitchy behaviour. I’m still in the process of removing my proprietary Dell utilities (e.g., I’ve replaced Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery with Macrium Reflect Free) but as a general rule I always install BIOS updates rated as “Urgent” that patch a CVE vulnerability and skip “Recommended” updates. The only caveat is that I don’t allow Dell Update or SupportAssist to install these BIOS updates – I always download the standalone .exe installer from the support page for my Inspiron 5584 and save it to my desktop, close all my open programs, right-click the .exe installer, and choose “Run as Administrator“. There are even some Dell users who don’t feel this “Update from Windows” method is safe and prefer to use the “Update from BIOS Boot Menu” method to flash their BIOS using a removable USB thumb drive. Both these methods are described in the detailed release notes Dell provides for each BIOS update (see the section titled “Installation Instructions”).
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Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1889 * Firefox v104.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2205.7-1.1.19500.2 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.14.210-1.0.1751 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.6867

2 users thanked author for this post.

wavy, WCHS

Hi HanJohnJo

Please see the 16-Aug-2022 BleepingComputer article Windows KB5012170 Update Causing BitLocker Recovery Screens, Boot Issues and Susan Bradley’s 30-Aug-202 comments about KB5012170 in Master Patch List for August 30, 2022.

I have a Win 10 Pro v21H2 computer and Control Panel | System and Security | BitLocker Drive Encryption shows that BitLocker is turned OFF on my system so installation of KB5012170 did not cause any problems for me. However, if BitLocker is enabled on your system and you are not able to access you 48-digit Bitlocker recovery key after KB5012170 is installed you could be in serious trouble – see See ecarpenter’s 11-Aug-2022 Inspiron 7391 BIOS Update Enabled Bitlocker and Eric Koch’s 28-Aug-2022 Windows PIN Unavailable / BitLocker Asking for Recovery Key in the Dell forum for just a few examples.
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Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1889 * Firefox v104.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2205.7-1.1.19500.2 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.14.210-1.0.1751 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.6867

2 users thanked author for this post.

HanJohnJo, PKCano

Nice of Apple to do this (as it has been doing to some extent since “Mountain Lion” with “Gatekeeper” that, I understand, is still around and coordinating security-related tasks such as those of Xprotect and MRT), but don’t trash your AV just yet.

For one, the new version of Xprotect (“Remediator”), according to the article linked by Alex above, scans only for 13 malware bugs. So I still use and shall continue using Intego’s “Virus Barrier” (that runs in background all the time) and “Malwarebytes”, the free version. I scan by hand (i.e. “on demand”) the system with both once every day, before ending the last session of the day.

Because, although the following is from 2020, and so before the current upgrade of Xprotect, it seems like a fair question to ask just how much have things changed since then:

https://www.securemac.com/blog/is-xprotect-enough-to-keep-you-safe

Quote (emphasis is mine):

“It’s pretty clear that XProtect is only intended for basic protection against well-known threats. In the past, XProtect was notorious for going long stretches without any significant updates to its malware definitions — and even now, it still isn’t updated with the regularity of third-party malware detection tools. On the one hand, that makes perfect sense, especially when you consider that these third-party tools are backed by dedicated malware research teams whose job is to study the state of Mac malware in real time. But it also means that XProtect may fail to detect new malware families, or variants of older malware that have been altered just enough to fool its detection rules.

In addition, many Mac threats inhabit something of a “gray area” in terms of whether or not they’re actually considered malicious by Apple; and also in terms of how seriously they’re taken as threats. This can include things like Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs), adware, and cryptocurrency mining software. While these may not be considered “top priority” threats for the Apple security teams that update XProtect, they’re definitely not anything you want running on your system. They can be annoying and resource-intensive, for one thing. But beyond that, there is evidence that they can also lead to more serious issues that impact user privacy and security.

Lastly, XProtect is designed to be a fairly simple, single-use tool. Third-party malware detection apps, on the other hand, provide additional functionality and features that many users find helpful. Some examples include full-scale malware removal (not offered by XProtect, although macOS does come with a basic malware removal tool called MRT); the ability to schedule and conduct regular system scans (as opposed to only scanning files at download time); as well as privacy and performance features like tracking cookie blacklists and cache cleanup.“

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

2 users thanked author for this post.

bassmanzam, BobbyB

b wrote:

One found his key, another couldn’t remember if he had manually installed BitLocker and is still unsure if his disk is encrypted but at least his PIN works to login now, and the third hasn’t been heard from for the last 20 days.

Hi b:

That’s just a small sample of three users and it doesn’t change the fact that there are far too many Dell and HP users who had no idea that their BitLocker disk encryption was either suspended (i.e, waiting for activation ) or turned ON – and had no idea where their recovery key was stored – before they installed KB5012170. The Dell support article Automatic Windows Device Encryption or BitLocker on Dell Systems states in part:

 “… Automatic device encryption allows Windows to encrypt the system drive automatically after you completed the setup of your system….Automatic device encryption is only enabled on systems that meet above system requirements and support Connected Standby or Modern Standby…Automatic device encryption only starts after the Out-Of-Box Experience (OOBE) is completed and a Microsoft Account (MSA) is used on the system…”

You would think that Microsoft would display some sort of system tray icon showing the status of their BitLocker encryption if the status was anything but OFF so that people would at least have a visual clue to warn them that they would either need to turn BitLocker off or make sure their BitLocker recovery key was stored where it could be easily accessed. Unlike WCHS, I imagine most Dell users with a Pro edition of Win 10 / Win 11 would never think to go to Control Panel | System and Security | BitLocker Drive Encryption to check the status of BitLocker after their OOBE setup or a BIOS update. Unless you’ve printed off a hard copy of your 48-digit BitLocker recovery key and stored it in a safe place, saving the recovery key to a removable USB thumb drive or storing it online in your Microsoft Account isn’t going to help you if you’re unexpectedly prompted to enter your BitLocker recovery key (e.g., because your system won’t boot and you need to enter your recovery environment) and don’t have easy access to another computer you can use to view your recovery key.

The way it stands right now it’s much too easy for someone to accidentally click through a few screens, especially during the initial OOBE setup of a computer, and enable BitLocker disk encryption without paying attention to where their recovery key was stored.
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Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1889 * Firefox v104.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2205.7-1.1.19500.2 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.14.210-1.0.1751 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.6867

3 users thanked author for this post.

satrow, Microfix, PKCano

Hi WCHS:

What is your Dell computer model,  operating system, and current BIOS version (enter msinfo32 in a Run diaglog box and look for the “BIOS Version/Date” field)?

I’ve come across a few topics in the Dell forum where Win 11 users saw the dreaded prompt to enter their Bitlocker recovery key after installing the Aug 2022 Patch Tuesday update KB5012170: Security Update for Secure Boot DBX: August 9, 2022 (see the 16-Aug-2022 BleepingComputer article Windows KB5012170 Update Causing BitLocker Recovery Screens, Boot Issues), and many are convinced that a BIOS update triggered the activation (i.e., not just the suspension) of BitLocker disk encryption.

I’m not sure how a BIOS update could actually finish the disk encryption and turn on BitLocker without prompting these users to back up their recovery key, but there are many Dell users who recently saw this prompt for a BitLocker recovery key (probably after installing KB5012170) and had no idea that BitLocker had been enabled on their system.  See ecarpenter’s 11-Aug-2022 Inspiron 7391 BIOS Update Enabled Bitlocker and Eric Koch’s 28-Aug-2022 Windows PIN Unavailable / BitLocker Asking for Recovery Key in the Dell forum for just a few examples.
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Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1889 * Firefox v104.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2205.7-1.1.19500.2 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.14.210-1.0.1751 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.6867

1 user thanked author for this post.

PKCano

Hi Alex5723:

Thanks for the reminder about this upcoming change for Chrome (and MS Edge, per the Microsoft support article Overview and Timelines for Migrating to Manifest V3).  After reading that ghacks.net article I have a better idea why the developers of some content blockers like uBlock Origin have said they might stop releasing Chrome-compatible versions of their browser extensions. From that ghack.net article:

“AdGuard MV3 Browser takes that into account. The developers have added warnings to the extension that inform users when the rules limitation is forcing the extension to reduce the number of rules that it supports. In fact, the developers note that even the basic filter lists, which is the primary list of AdGuard, may be disabled in the worst case, as it has more than 30,000 rules. For users, it can mean that the installed content blocker does nothing at all….Most Chrome users may want to switch to another browser when Manifest V3 becomes the standard to get a reliable protection and not a chaotic one.“

I use Firefox as my default browser and hope that the developers of my content blockers (uBlock Origin, Malwarebytes Browser Guard) will continue to create Firefox-compatible versions of their add-ons if they decide it isn’t practical to develop a Manifest v3 compliant add-on for Chromium-based browsers.  The last time I checked the StatCounter site Firefox only had about an 8% market share of browsers used on desktop PCs/Macs, while Chrome and MS Edge accounted for about 77%.
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Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H2 build 19044.1889 * Firefox v104.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2205.7-1.1.19500.2 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.5.14.210-1.0.1751 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.6867

2 users thanked author for this post.

Alex5723, Microfix

I have manually run Malwarebytes free on a weekly basis since forever. It is a good second-opinion scanner, just to double check that Windows Defender is doing its job!

I also run the Emsisoft Emergency Kit, another free (for private use) manual scanner. I like that it uses a *dual-scanner engine, one of which is based on the Bitdefender scan engine. https://www.emsisoft.com/en/home/emergencykit/

(*) https://blog.emsisoft.com/en/17657/an-in-depth-look-at-the-emsisoft-scanner-technology/

Windows 10 Pro 22H2

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SheltieMom

Ran into similar problems on my system with Malwarebytes (seemed to always slow things way down by using too many resources) so I switched to the free version which I only run once a week as a backstop for my standard virus detection.

Glad to hear they seem to have fixed those problems but, since they moved the Premium version to a subscription model (like a lot of other S/W providers), I’ll just stick with the free version.

2 users thanked author for this post.

SheltieMom, PKCano

bbearren wrote:

It has been my experience that Malwarebytes works very well with Microsoft Defender; neither seems to get in the other’s way, and they’re both always loaded and running.

I went through well over a year of constant issues before I just gave up using it, not helped by the (lack of) support from Malwarebytes’ support staff.

The experience of @bbearren suggests that Malwarebytes Premium has now worked out the wrinkles. I’m pleased to hear this.

1 user thanked author for this post.

SheltieMom

I can’t remember how many years I’ve been running Malwarebytes Premium trouble free.  I do remember I bought and installed it a few years before they went to a subscription model.  Mine is v4.5.13 with a license that never expires, and it still gets updates.

At the moment it is sitting in the Taskbar tray using 0% CPU and 15.2 MB of memory. Power usage is “Very low” and Power usage trend is “Very low”.

Rick Corbett wrote:

At the end of the day it has to be *your* decision, based on *your* type of computer usage

Rick said he has had lots of trouble with it.  I’ve had none. I have it scheduled for daily scans in the wee hours.

It has been my experience that Malwarebytes works very well with Microsoft Defender; neither seems to get in the other’s way, and they’re both always loaded and running.

 

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

4 users thanked author for this post.

WSAnklebuster, opti1, Coldheart9020, SheltieMom

SheltieMom wrote:

My question – do I need Malwarebytes in addition to my standard MS protection? I do not have any additional antivirus or other software. I regularly update my firmware for the router and just got a new cable modem. Last I knew, MS protection was sufficient for the SOHO user — is that still the case?

At the end of the day it has to be *your* decision, based on *your* type of computer usage and taking into account whether you mean Malwarebytes Free (on-demand) or Malwarebytes Premium (always-on). Only *you* can work out the risks.

Me? I have a perpetual license for Malwarebytes Premium… but I haven’t installed or used it for more than three years. Hopefully it’s improved since then, but I grew so very, very tired of the many and constant issues caused by it at the time. Despite regular contact with Malwarebytes support (and its forums) I just gave up… so I no longer install it, despite my browsing habits.

On the other hand, Malwarebytes Free has, IMO, always offered a useful belt-and-braces adjunct to ‘Windows/Microsoft Defender’ (whatever it’s called this week) which I’ve  now used exclusively for ~4 years.

Hope this helps…

8 users thanked author for this post.

Charlie, opti1, Coldheart9020, SheltieMom, Microfix, satrow, PKCano, Just another Forum Poster