37 replies to this topic

[MattsComputers]

exile360, on Nov 18 2010, 08:31 AM, said:

Wow, thanks for doing all of this testing, that's great info .

When you do test the beta, please set McAfee back to High Priority (default) and see if it's necessary to change it to avoid the problem.

If that doesn't work then simply exclude McAfee's Program Files folder from MBAM by using the Add button on the Ignore List tab (a new feature available in 1.50). Just make sure it's the folder that contains McShield.

Once that's done, reboot and see how performance is and if you can scan with McAfee.

No problem Exile. If I can get my clients with McAfee set up and running with a license for MBAM it's going to be a big help for me and also for them. I'm happy to share that info here so that others can also benefit.

I will try your suggestions and post my results with the beta.

So far its looking to me that McAfee/MBAM conflicts seem to fall in to two categories:
1) The problem of setting proper exclusions. (workaround= creating the registry values for exclusions manually)
2) McAfee hogging too many resources on older systems. (workaround = Lowering Priority?)

[hwedin]

Hi

Thanks for all this help. I have just read through everything and realised that I didn't say what the problem was! The problem occurs when I try and use McAfee eg run a scan or update it. This causes the system to freeze, then I have to reboot in safe mode and remove Malwarebytes then everything is fine. My computer is a little sluggish when the two are installed but this can't be a RAM issue as both programs use a small amount, and I use MATLAB which needs a minimum of 1GB. There are no problems when the free version is installed, but I bought Malwarebytes as I wanted my computer to be fully protected, not ultra secure in one area and a big gaping hole elsewhere!

Thanks

[GT500]

hwedin, do you have any other security software installed other than Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and McAfee Internet Security 2010? The last time I did testing with McAfee Internet Security 2010, there were no issues, but I have to admit that I did not test running a scan in McAfee.

[hwedin]

GT500, on Nov 18 2010, 08:00 PM, said:

hwedin, do you have any other security software installed other than Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and McAfee Internet Security 2010? The last time I did testing with McAfee Internet Security 2010, there were no issues, but I have to admit that I did not test running a scan in McAfee.

I only use McAfee and Malwarebytes nothing else. Malwarebytes is not installed at the moment for obvious reasons.

[GT500]

hwedin said:

I only use McAfee and Malwarebytes nothing else. Malwarebytes is not installed at the moment for obvious reasons.

OK, I will do some testing, and see if I can replicate the issue.

Your computer is running Windows XP Pro SP3, correct?

[hwedin]

GT500, on Nov 18 2010, 08:09 PM, said:

OK, I will do some testing, and see if I can replicate the issue.

Your computer is running Windows XP Pro SP3, correct?

Yes, not the most modern but it still works

[GT500]

OK, when I installed McAfee Internet Security 2010, my VM froze the moment its real-time protection activated, and again on startup. All I had to do to prevent this freezing was add two folders to the ignore list in Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.50. Those folders are listed below:

• C:\Program Files\McAfee
  
• C:\Program Files\Common Files\Mcafee

I will continue testing to see if there are further issues, as I did not add any of McAfee's drivers to the ignore list in Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware.

Also note that I did not need to delay the startup to prevent the freezing on startup issue. I only had to add those two folders listed above to the ignore list in Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware.

[MattsComputers]

More testing from me this morning. My old AMD Athlon XP 2100+ system is still running great with MBAM 1.46 and McAfee.

I then updated to the 1.50 beta installing over the top. Still no problems with running scans from both MBAM and McAfee.

As per Exile's suggestion I then removed the McAfee registry value for priority. So it's back to the default of "high". Everything in McAfee is default except for the registry exclusions for MBAM's files.

I can still scan with McAfee! No freezing or getting stuck. The system is noticeablely slower with scanning after McAfee is back on high priority but there are no freezes!

I can even do simulataneous scans with both MBAM and McAfee. I have tried McAfee quick scan alongside MBAM flash scan. Also McAfee quick scan with MBAM quick scan. All good with no freezes. There is the occasional long pause but I have not had to end task at all.

Currently running full scans with both MBAM and McAfee. Taking a long time but no freezes.

I have not added any of McAfee's files or folders to MBAM's ignore list. I do still have MBAMGUI on a delayed start..

[exile360]

MattsComputers, on Nov 18 2010, 06:45 PM, said:

I have not added any of McAfee's files or folders to MBAM's ignore list. I do still have MBAMGUI on a delayed start..

Please try removing the delayed start and instead adding McAfee's folders to MBAM's Ignore List as this method is far preferrable, especially since the startup delay is not a guarantee as McAfee may alter their startup routine and timing in an update at any time. One of the primary reasons ignoring folders and files manually was added to version 1.50 was for the sake of making us more compatible with other security software.

Also note that in my testing I've generally seen substantial performance improvements when I did exclude other realtime security software from MBAM using the Ignore List tab.

[GT500]

I just did some testing (still with just those two folders added to the ignore list in Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware), and I was able to run Quick and Full scans in both McAfee and Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware without issues, as well as update both without issues.

McAfee's interface was a bit slow, so I may need to add McAfee's services to the ignore list in Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware as well. I'll let you know if it makes a difference.

[MattsComputers]

exile360, on Nov 19 2010, 02:40 AM, said:

Please try removing the delayed start and instead adding McAfee's folders to MBAM's Ignore List as this method is far preferrable, especially since the startup delay is not a guarantee as McAfee may alter their startup routine and timing in an update at any time. One of the primary reasons ignoring folders and files manually was added to version 1.50 was for the sake of making us more compatible with other security software.

Also note that in my testing I've generally seen substantial performance improvements when I did exclude other realtime security software from MBAM using the Ignore List tab.

Done! Delayed start for mbamgui has been removed and I have also set MBAM to ignore same two McAfee folders that GT500 did. Pleased to report that everything is normal! Simultaneous scans are still working.

As for performance improvements it does seem faster. It doesn't seem to have the long pauses now during the scans. A lot better I think! Will keep testing it to make sure it's right.

Hope hwedin can get his freezing issues resolved. I know he tried ignoring McAfee but I am not sure if he selected both folders?

[GT500]

OK, after adding McAfee's drivers to the ignore list in Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, the startup time on my VM is now a little faster, and McAfee's user interface is no longer sluggish (it pops right up and responds very quickly when I click on something). Here the list of files that I added this time:

• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfeapfk.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfeavfk.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfebopk.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfeclnk.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfefirek.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfehidk.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfendisk.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mferkdet.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfetdi2k.sys

With those files added to the ignore list, in addition to the two folders I mentioned earlier, most of your issues with McAfee Internet Security 2010 and Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.50 should disappear.

Once again, note that with these exclusions that there was absolutely no need to delay the start of the protection in Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. Adding files to the ignore list solved all of the issues by itself.

[GT500]

I just realized I missed a McAfee folder, so I fired up ProcessExplorer and AutoRuns to make sure that I really did have everything this time. Here's what I'm pretty sure is the final list of McAfee folders and files that need to be added to the ignore list in Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.50:

Folders:

• C:\Program Files\McAfee
  
• C:\Program Files\McAfee.com
  
• C:\Program Files\Common Files\Mcafee

Files:

• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfeapfk.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfeavfk.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfebopk.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfeclnk.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfefirek.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfehidk.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfendisk.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mferkdet.sys
  
• C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\mfetdi2k.sys

[hwedin]

Hi

Thanks everyone for all this help. I have added the exclusion to Malwarebytes and added exclusions to McAfee for Malwarebytes. I had to delay the start up of Malwarebytes. Everything is working well, I'll keep changing settings etc. to see if the problems reoccur but it doesn't seem that that will happen again. Also ran McAfee Virtual Technician which found no problems.

Many More Thanks

[GT500]

hwedin said:

Thanks everyone for all this help. I have added the exclusion to Malwarebytes and added exclusions to McAfee for Malwarebytes. I had to delay the start up of Malwarebytes. Everything is working well, I'll keep changing settings etc. to see if the problems reoccur but it doesn't seem that that will happen again. Also ran McAfee Virtual Technician which found no problems.

Glad to hear it. Let us know if you have any more trouble.

[MattsComputers]

Pleased to see hwedin has resolved his freezing issue! I'm happy to report that my old AMD test system is still working fine as well.

Unexpectedly I have just encountered the very same issue with a modern system running Windows 7 64 Bit.

The specs on this machine are: Intel Core i5 750 2.67ghz, 4gb ram. Running Win 7 Home Premium x64

After turning on the protection module I was unable to complete a scan with McAfee Total Protection. Just gets stuck and won't progress past 0% ...

I have set MBAM to ignore these folders:

C:\Program Files(x86)\McAfee
C:\Program Files(x86)\McAfee.com
C:\Program Data\McAfee

I then manually created registry exclusions for McAfee TP on the following MBAM files:

4|3|%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\mbam.exe
4|3|%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\mbamgui.exe
4|3|%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\mbamservice.exe
4|3|%windir%\system32\drivers\mbam.sys
4|3|%windir%\syswow64\drivers\mbamswissarmy.sys

For details how to create the registry exclusions please refer to my previous posts..

All good no more freezing from McAfee scans! MBAM scans also working fine. Simulataneous scans are also now working without issue.

[GT500]

MattsComputers said:

I have set MBAM to ignore these folders:

C:\Program Files(x86)\McAfee
C:\Program Files(x86)\McAfee.com
C:\Program Data\McAfee

...
All good no more freezing from McAfee scans! MBAM scans also working fine. Simulataneous scans are also now working without issue.

Theoretically, the performance (especially in McAfee) will be better if you add the McAfee drivers I listed in this post to the ignore list in MBAM.

[MattsComputers]

GT500, on Nov 26 2010, 10:57 PM, said:

Theoretically, the performance (especially in McAfee) will be better if you add the McAfee drivers I listed in this post to the ignore list in MBAM.

Thanks GT500 I added all the McAfee drivers that you listed to my old test rig. But on the Win 7 machine I just added the folders and tested from there. As the system was a fast modern one I thought it probably wasn't worth the effort in entering those drivers in 1 by 1. I also realise just now that I should have added the McAfee folders under "Program files" in addition to the ones under "Program Files x86".

Speaking of adding to the ingore list. Is there any easier way to do this instead of having to browse for each file and folder? A box to copy and paste would be great. But even if MBAM would remember the location of the last added item it would save a lot of time. Is it possible to add to the ignore list via command line?