107 replies to this topic

[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]

Quote

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 “freezes.” Visiting Malwarebyte’s Forum, I was immediately drawn to your notes on “Freezing Issues” and attempted to follow the instructions. I’ll tell what happened, but first let me offer some background:

I’m running Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600. The processor is an x86 Family 15 Model 6 Stepping 5 GenuineIntel ~3415 Mhz, and the BIOS version is AMI P1.50, 3/3/07. Total physical memory is 2,048.00 MB; available physical memory is 1.47 GB; total virtual memory is 2 GB; available virtual memory is 1.96 GB, and page file space is 3.85 GB. I run AVG Free v 8.0.176, and Spybot S&D 1.5.2. Before employing your Anti-Malware program, I defragged all drives, updated and then did a complete scan using AVG and Spybot, then disconnected from the Internet and turned off System Restore.

Now, bearing in mind that I downloaded Malwarebyte’s Anti-Malware only a few hours earlier and ran it successfully* (after numerous computer freezes), here’s what happened when I attempted to follow the instructions in “Freezing Issues”:

1. I successfully downloaded the debug package and extracted its files to the Desktop.

2. Instruction No. 2 was unclear to me. I opened Explorer and dragged mbam.exe into the C:\Program Files\Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware folder, but as I couldn’t open that folder, I was unsure that the overwrite occurred as it should have. (Should I have simply deleted that folder, then copied mbam.exe into its place?)

3. I double-clicked the debug.reg file.

4. I opened DebugView and left it running.

5. I clicked START, then RUN, and typed in mbam.exe /debugfreeze, taking care to ensure that there was a space before the forward slash. At this, I was surprised to see the “Save” window appear, asking me for confirmation that I wanted to save mbam.exe to My Documents.

6. Unsure of what to do next, I simply activated your anti-malware program from its icon on the desktop toolbar and directed the program to scan my backup (N) drive. I was gratified to see the DebugView log begin to fill almost at once, until after about 5 minutes my computer locked up.

7. Now I am completely unclear regarding Instruction No. 8. When my system freezes, there ain’t no switching back over to DebugView or anything else, not to mention clicking File and Save As, or opening the log to see if it saved correctly.

What am I missing?

— Walt
______________________

* I could get through a complete scan only in Safe Mode, and only once (which happily seems to have been sufficient to identify and clear the rogue.

[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]

 taoofpu2, on Jan 24 2009, 07:58 AM, said:

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?