lmacri

Hi MJL: I can't give you a definitive answer but the Mullvad VPN web page at https://mullvad.net/en/help/partnerships-and-resellers notes that "Malwarebytes has partnered with Mullvad in order to utilize our global network of VPN servers for its own VPN application, Malwarebytes Privacy, since October 2019". Mullvad is based in Sweden. Someone from Malwarbytes will have to explain why the new Malwarebytes v5.x still attempts to connect to the Mullvad servers if the user dos not have Malwarebytes Privacy VPN installed on their system. That's something that could be checked on the local computer before the connection is even attempted. ---------- Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4291 * Firefox v125.0.2 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24030.9-1.1.24030.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.1.3.110-1.0.1219 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783

That doesn't excuse the fact that I was forced to upgrade to v5.x when v4.x is still fully supported. As long as v4.x is still supported I should be able to postpone the upgrade to v5.x until I decide that problems identified by early adopters have been dealt with. If Malwarebytes is preventing users who still have perpetual / lifetime licenses with an "old-style" (KEY + ID) product key then that might be because they're still trying to root out the last of these users still using single-device product keys to active Premium features on up to three devices (a practice Malwarebytes turned a blind eye to for years) and want to finally force those users to either switch to a "new-style" (KEY only) single-device product key or start paying for a multi-device product key. I also don't understand the reason for having the "Other Devices" panel on the main dashboard on a home consumer product. Before I purchased my Win 10 machine I used Norton Security as my antivirus and always purchased a multi-device subscription. I was the individual who paid for the license so I was the registered owner and could log in to my online Norton Account and manage devices there (e.g., add / remove different devices), but it would be unnecessary (and quite frankly, concerning) if every person using one of the available Norton installation seats on their personal device was able to monitor the status of every other device sharing that product key. That would be fine in a business environment if you were the system administrator responsible managing multiple devices, but this is completely unnecessary in a home consumer environment when the family "manager" has their own online Norton Account. The same logic applies for a multi-device Malwarbytes license. I don't know if Malwarebytes is using telemetry data they collect to populate the "Other Devices" panel to help them detect illegal product keys, but at the very least I'd like to see that "Other Devices" panel moved off the main dashboard and accessed from a separate menu item on the far-left of the GUI as suggested in my 20-Apr-2024 post in Unexpected Upgrade to Malwarebytes v5.1.3 - Initial Impressions. ---------- Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4291 * Firefox v125.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24030.9-1.1.24030.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.1.3.110-1.0.1219 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783

Hi Porthos: No, it's a "new-style" single product key (xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx with no ID). My "old-style" perpetual / lifetime product key (xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx with ID = xxxxx ) had to be replaced with a modern key by Customer Support back in June 2019 (after I provided my original Cleverbridge proof of purchase) so that I could create an online Malwarebytes Account. ---------- Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4291 * Firefox v125.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24030.9-1.1.24030.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.1.3.110-1.0.1219 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783

Hi Porthos: At the very least, I was expecting that when I ran a manual check for updates that the installer would display a pop-up informing me that an upgrade to v5.x was available and give me the choice of answering "Yes" (to upgrade to v5.1.3.110-1.0.1219, rel. 19-Apr-2024) or "No" (to update to v4.6.13.324-1.0.2319, rel. 19-Apr-2024). I purchased my Win 10 machine in Aug 2019 and according to my notes I initially installed Malwarebytes v3.8.3.2965-1.0.613. By Feb 2020 the component package had updated to 3.8.3.2965-1.0.629, but I was able to stay on that version for several months and just keep my malware definitions up-to-date. By July 2020 most of the initial bugs in 4.x had been fixed and I decided it was safe to to upgrade, but I was able to do so by wiping v3.8.3 off my system with the Malwarebytes Support Tool and performing a clean installing of v4.1.2.73-1.0.972 with the v4.x full offline installer. ---------- Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4291 * Firefox v125.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24030.9-1.1.24030.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.1.3.110-1.0.1219 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783

Hi Wisewiz: Would checking for updates from the system tray icon have produced a different result than checking at Settings | General | Application Updates | Check for Updates? For example, if I had checked for updates from the system tray icon would I have received the update to v4.6.13.324-1.0.2319 (rel. 19-Apr-2024, release notes <here>) instead of the upgrade to v5.1.3.110-1.0.1219 (also rel. 19-Apr-2024, release notes <here>)? ---------- Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4291 * Firefox v125.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24030.9-1.1.24030.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.1.3.110-1.0.1219 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783

I've been following this thread for a few months and appreciate all the feedback early adopters have posted here about their experiences with Malwarebytes v5.x. I was unexpectedly upgraded from Malwarebytes v4.6.12.323-1.0.2309 to v5.1.3.110-1.0.1219 yesterday when I ran a manual check for updates (Settings | General | Application Updates | Check for Updates), and I agree with the majority of users posting in this topic who dislike the unnecessary clutter on the new dashboard. See my 20-Apr-2024 topic Unexpected Upgrade to Malwarebytes v5.1.3 - Initial Impressions for further details. ---------- Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4291 * Firefox v125.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24030.9-1.1.24030.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.1.3.110-1.0.1219 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783

I updated to Malwarebytes Premium v4.6.12.323-1.0.2309 on 04-Apr-2024 and ran a manual check for updates yesterday (Settings | General | Application Updates | Check for Updates) expecting that I would be updated to v4.6.13.324-1.0.2319 (rel. 19-Apr-2024, release notes <here>). The installation appeared to get stuck for several minutes but I was eventually warned that Malwarebytes would be restarted to apply the update, and I was dismayed to discover that I had actually been upgraded to v5.1.3.110-1.0.1219. Given the number of bugs that early adopters are still reporting I'm not sure why Malwarebytes is silently pushing this upgrade out (i.e., without giving v4.x users the opportunity to decline the upgrade for now) via the built-in updater. I have to agree with the majority of users posting in Edzila's 21-Feb-2024 topic Malwarebytes 5 who dislike the new dashboard. Like many home consumers, I have not purchased Malwarebytes' Privacy VPN (and have no intention of doing so) and my Premium license is for a single device, so the entire bottom half of my v5.x dashboard is wasted space and nothing more than an annoying advertisement for up-selling unwanted services. I'd like to see Malwarebytes move those VPN and Other Devices panels off the main dashboard and display them as separate menu buttons on the left of the dashboard (i.e., below the Dashboard and Settings buttons) to reduce some of the clutter. I also must have spent 15 minutes tabbing through all the settings before I finally found the "About Malwarebytes" link to see my version information. I don't understand the logic of removing the version number of the main product (e.g., 5.1.3) from the title bar of the main dashboard where it was clearly displayed in Malwarbytes v4.x. Online support for Malwarebytes v5.x at https://support.malwarebytes.com/hc/en-us still appears to be a work in progress (assuming that the section titled "Desktop Security" is where I should be looking for Malwarebytes 5.x support articles), and if I try to link to a user guide or support articles from within the Malwarebytes v5.1.3 Help menu I'm directed to outdated Malwarebytes v4.x documentation. I was pleased that my weekly scheduled scan for 6 PM on Fridays ran on time yesterday and I continue have confidence in Malwarebytes' real-time protection, but I have to say that I'm deeply disappointed with what I've seen so far in the re-designed v5.x interface. mbst-grab-results.zip ---------- Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4291 * Firefox v125.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24030.9-1.1.24030.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v5.1.3.110-1.0.1219 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783

Hi AdvancedSetup: I'm not worried, I'm just annoyed that it isn't listed in the Malwarebytes v5.0 system requirements. I currently have .NET Runtime v8.0 installed on my system but I uninstalled all my unnecessary .NET Runtimes last week, including the .NET Runtime v6.0 I haven't needed since I uninstalled my Dell SupportAssist v3.x utility over a year ago. I'm just surprised to hear that the newly released Malwarebytes 5.0 requires a .NET Runtime v6.0 that reaches end of support in Nov 2024 when the current .NET Runtime v8.0 will be supported until Nov 2026 (see https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet). ------------ Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4170 * Firefox v124.0.2 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24020.7-1.1.24030.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.6.11.320-1.0.2302 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783

Hi @AdvancedSetup : Does that mean that the Microsoft .NET Runtime v6.0.x is a system requirement for Malwarebytes v5.x and that this .NET Runtime will be installed on my system when my current Malwarebytes v4.6.x is eventually upgraded to Malwarebytes v5.x? There's no mention of a .NET Runtime in the system requirements at https://support.malwarebytes.com/hc/en-us/articles/22266192061075-System-Requirements-for-Desktop-Security. ------------ Dell Inspiron 15 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4170 * Firefox v124.0.2 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24020.7-1.1.24030.4 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.6.11.320-1.0.2302 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783

Hi QuiGonJohn: Do you have a Win 7 SP1 OS, and does that mean that you used the Malwarebytes for Windows 4 legacy build installer described in AdvancedSetup's 23-May-2022 post in rickoz's Definitions Not Updating that can be used to install the old Malwarebytes v4.3.0.128 on a Win 7 SP1 machine that is not patched to end of support on 14-Jan-2020 and does not have the KB4474419 update (rel. 23-Sep-2019) that adds SHA-2 code signing support for digital certificates? A fully patched Win 7 SP1 OS that has KB4474419 installed (or a higher OS like Win 10 or Win 11) can use the Malwarebytes v4 offline installer at https://downloads.malwarebytes.com/file/mb4_offline. Once that installer has run to completion and Malwarbytes v4.x is updated (Settings | General | Application Updates | Check for Updates) you should have the current Malwarebytes v4.6.11.320 with component package v1.0.2302 - see the 21-Mar-2024 release notes <here>. From my Win 10 machine: If you have a Win 7 SP1 OS go to Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features | View Installed Updates and search your installed updates to check if KB4474419 are already installed. Just make sure you search for the complete KB number (i.e., search for "KB4474419" and not "4474419"). If KB4474419 is missing then see the installation instructions in my 18-Feb-2024 post in MsN Bhatti's How to Fix Live Update Failed Error 8504, 102 in the Norton forum. Note that the latest version of Norton 360 and many other software programs will not run on a Win 7 SP1 machine unless KB4474419 is installed. ------------ Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4170 * Firefox v124.0.1 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24020.7-1.1.24020.9 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.6.11.320-1.0.2302 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783

Hi Porthos: I understand that, but it doesn't change the fact that the current inconsistencies between the MBSetup installer version (v4.6.12.xxx) and the actual Malwarebytes program version it installs (v4.6.11.xxx) are mucking things up for customers who use anything related to winget to check for available program updates. A similar problem just happened in January 2024 when I had the latest Malwarebytes v4.6.8.311-1.0.2249 (rel. 25-Jan-2024) and winget recommended an update to v4.6.8.370, which was the version number given to the MBSetup.exe installer after a new component package v1.0.2249 was released. I still haven't heard a reasonable explanation why Malwarebytes can't use something similar to the old naming / numbering system for installers (e.g., mb4-setup-consumer-4.6.11.320-1.0.2302-1.0.82xxx.exe for the installer that installs Malwarebytes 4.6.11.320 with component package 1.0.2302). AdvancedSetup's 12-Jul-2023 post <above> implies that the current system simplifies distribution of new MBSetup.exe installers, but Malwarebytes should also consider the confusion this creates for their customers. Perhaps there needs to be re-think on this. ---------- Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4170 * Firefox v124.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24020.7-1.1.24020.9 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.6.11.320-1.0.2302 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * QuickInstaller (Preview) v0.3.8830.19890

The inconsistent version numbering of the Malwarebytes v4.x installers continues to cause issues for me. For example, the latest full offline installer for Malwarebytes v4.6.11.320-1.0.2302 that I downloaded today from https://downloads.malwarebytes.com/file/mb4_offline is MBSetup.exe v4.6.12.399. As a result, the winget upgrade command recommends that I update Malwarebytes v4.6.11.320 to v4.6.12.399 (a version number that does not currently exist in H4V0C's Malwarebytes v4.6 release notes <here>) .... ... and software updater utilities like QuickInstaller that use winget for detecting and installing available updates also flag my current Malwarebytes installation as outdated. ---------- Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4170 * Firefox v124.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24020.7-1.1.24020.9 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.6.11.320-1.0.2302 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783 * QuickInstaller (Preview) v0.3.8830.19890

Hi Porthos: If I show my dismissed items in Trusted Advisor it confirms the item for Tamper Protection that I dismissed (again) yesterday is currently hidden. but I also noticed that the General section of your Tamper Protection dashboard is missing the item for Wi-Fi Protection that shows my Wi-Fi connection is secure. I don't know if it's relevant but are you using a Win 11 OS and / or a VPN (which I don't use on my Win 10 machine) that might alter the behaviour of Trusted Advisor? ------------- Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4046 * Firefox v123.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24010.12-1.1.24010.10 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.6.9.314-1.0.2276 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783

Hi Porthos: Yes, that notification setting is currently turned ON in my Malwarebytes v4.6.9. I wasn't even aware there was a notification setting for Trusted Advisor recommendations in Malwarebytes v4.x, and there's no mention of that setting in the Malwarebytes v4.x support article Notifications Settings in Malwarebytes for Windows v4. I did find the following in the Malwarebytes Desktop Security v5.x support article Manage Desktop Security Settings on Windows Devices : Was this setting recently added to Malwarebytes v4.x to improve migration to Malwarebytes v5.x, or did I just not notice it before? Based on the above description I assume that this Trusted Advisor notification setting could be used to control pop-up system tray notifications from Trusted Advisor in Malwarebytes v5.x, but it doesn't seem logical that having that setting enabled would allow Malwarebytes to silently re-enable dismissed items in Trusted Advisor without my permission. ------------- Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4046 * Firefox v123.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24010.12-1.1.24010.10 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.6.9.314-1.0.2276 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783

Since updating to Malwarebytes Premium v4.6.9.314-1.0.2276 on 25-Feb-2024 Trusted Advisor has been nagging me to enable Tamper Protection (General | Tamper Protection | Limit who can change your Malwarebytes security settings) even though that item was hidden (dismissed) in Trusted Advisor in previous versions of Malwarbytes v4.x. I reported the same problem about a year ago in my topic MB v4.5.27 - Security Advisor Alerts for Tamper Protection Have Returned when that dismissed item re-enabled itself. I've dismissed that Trusted Advisor warning about Tamper Protection again so the problem is resolved for now, but I'm still curious if Malwarebytes deliberately unhides that warning on occasion to remind users their Tamper Protection is disabled, or if there's a glitch in Malwarebytes where Trusted Advisor occasionally loses track of dismissed items after a version update. Note that the attached logs were gathered after I re-hid (dismissed) the Tamper Protection warning in Trusted Advisor. mbst-grab-results.zip ------------- Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v22H2 build 19045.4046 * Firefox v123.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.24010.12-1.1.24010.10 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.6.9.314-1.0.2276 * Macrium Reflect Free v8.0.7783