Malwarebytes vs. AVG Free 2011

[Eric Hutchins]

Until this week AVG free and Malwarebytes Paid have been a good solution for protection, but since AVG 2011 free was released cant stop lock ups. I experienced the same problem trying to use Malwarebytes and Panda Antivirus together. Please let me know if there is a solution to this problem or if I need to go shopping yet again for a good Antivirus software to run with Malwarebytes.

[Haider]

Hello Eric Hutchins:

It would be difficult to provide targeted help due to insufficient information. Please provide following details, someone will help you:

1. OS version
   
2. Installed Security Product(s) including Firewall
   
3. MBAM version (current 1.46)
   
4. Definition version (current 4723)
   

Do you have all exclusions for MBAM in AVG in place?

Should you have any other question(s) please post back using button

[Eric Hutchins]

OS - Windows XP SP3 with all updates

Antivirus Software - AVG 2011 Free edition using Windows Firewall

Mbam ver. - 1.46

Definition ver. - 4723

No exclusions added in AVG, but none were required when I used AVG 9.0 free

[Haider]

Hello Eric Hutchins:

Please add the following exclusions and you will be all set

• C:\Program Files\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\mbam.exe
  
• C:\Program Files\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\mbamgui.exe
  
• C:\Program Files\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\mbamservice.exe
  
• C:\Program Files\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\zlib.dll
  
• C:\Program Files\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\mbam.dll
  
• C:\Program Files\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\mbamext.dll
  
• C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Malwarebytes\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\rules.ref
  
• C:\Windows\System32\drivers\mbam.sys
  
• C:\Windows\System32\drivers\mbamswissarmy.sys
  

Should you have any other question(s) please post back using button

[DarkSnakeKobra]

Usually adding exclusions fixes the problems. Due to how real-time protection works sometimes they do conflict.

[Eric Hutchins]

We also sell your Malwarebytes software to most of our customers, is there a faster way to add these exceptions to AVG, Norton, or Microsoft Security Essentials?

[Eric Hutchins]

ok I tried adding the exceptions to 2 seperate computers and this did not resolve the lock up problem.

[Eric Hutchins]

As an added note, talking with AVG's Support they recommend turning off the realtime protection in Malwarebytes. This is not a solution I want to follow, due to the number of customers we've saved by using your real time protection.

[yardbird]

@ Eric Hutchins

Just one question please? Do you have a Corporate license? regards...

[Eric Hutchins]

No Corporate, these are individual customers with seperate licenses.

[yardbird]

Thank you! Has anyone shown you Section H http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?s...mp;#entry167851

Then read on and scroll down past step 2. To see the files to exclude, (My AV comp. told me that Trend Micro & Malwarebytes won't work in real time. Its been working on 3 pc's sinc e 2009.) Look over the section. see if anything was missed. post back with the issue, regards...

[GT500]

ok I tried adding the exceptions to 2 seperate computers and this did not resolve the lock up problem.

Does AVG 2011 run a scan on startup? Does the freeze happen if you don't allow the protection module to start with Windows, but enable it later on?

[Eric Hutchins]

If I disable Mbam from launching when Windows starts the computer seems to boot and run ok, until i enable it. AVG 2011 does have a start up scan enabled, but only if last scan was missed. When both are enabled the computer seems to boot to windows then about 30 sec. after full boot it will lock up, to the point the computer must be shut down with the power button.

[Eric Hutchins]

I double checked the list of exceptions and all the files are added to the list. Disableing AVG's Resident Shield also stops the computer from locking up.

[yardbird]

In the AVG forum which I'm going thru now. They show Malwarebytes files to exclude! It works until a user turns on there Resident Shield. I need to find an AVG user Eric! Hope to get you an answer soon.

[MikeRepairsComputers]

In the AVG forum which I'm going thru now. They show Malwarebytes files to exclude! It works until a user turns on there Resident Shield. I need to find an AVG user Eric! Hope to get you an answer soon.

I am an AVG and MBAM user, I am also a full time computer technician, can I help test something?

AVG Free 2011 locked up my computer with MBAM realtime, I had to do an Acronis restore.

My AVG 2011 install failure:

http://forums.avg.com/us-en/avg-free-forum...241#post_110241

I also posted this on the AVG form

AVG 2011 Resident Shield - File Exclude - "Add List" Feature was removed

http://forums.avg.com/ww-en/avg-free-forum...w&id=110289

[mountaintree16]

This is pretty bad that they took away this: "AVG 2011 Resident Shield - File Exclude - "Add List" Feature was removed"

If I still used AVG, I would be more than happy to try and help out here, but since I switched earlier this year I won't be able to do so.

Good luck! I hope it's resolvable in a timely manner and hopefully AVG puts that feature back in place.

[GT500]

I am an AVG and MBAM user, I am also a full time computer technician, can I help test something?

If you want to assist us with testing to see if you can come up with a procedure for preventing this system freezing issue, then that would be appreciated.

AVG Free 2011 locked up my computer with MBAM realtime, I had to do an Acronis restore.

Was the system not able to boot in Safe Mode? What version of Windows? 32 or 64 bit?

I'm going to install some virtualization software, and start trying to come up with some solutions. I will also send a note to our QA department, and ask them if they can give me a hand.

[GT500]

OK, I appear to have just come up with a procedure for resolving the issues with AVG 2011. Please stand by while I take screenshots and write a tutorial.

I take that back. My virtual machine just froze after a minute or two. Very odd...

[noknojon]

I'm going to install some virtualization software, and start trying to come up with some solutions. I will also send a note to our QA department, and ask them if they can give me a hand.

Just spoke to a USA retailer that also combines AVG with MBAM and he is having similar problems -

(IT Expert - Hon Member) - He is talking to AVG now about the issue - I will repost if he calls me back -

EDIT -

I was advised to reinstall the earlier version of AVG until the problem is sorted out , if you prefer a quick fix -

From AVG Forum -

Why was the Resident Shield - File Exclude List feature removed?

I use this feature to exclude Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware on several installations daily.

This no longer works in AVG 2011 and it is an inconvenience

[GT500]

I take that back. My virtual machine just froze after a minute or two. Very odd...

This is interesting. The system freezing may not be a compatibility issue with AVG's anti-virus engine, but instead with their LinkScanner component which protects you from visiting malicious websites. It's possible that it is conflicting with our IP blocking. I will have to do some more testing to verify this.

[MikeRepairsComputers]

here are more details... This is my personal computer only 3 weeks new.

Win7 Pro 64bit, 6G ram, Intel i7 950, 128G SSD drive.

Had AVG free 9.0.856 and MBAM 1.46 paid version with exceptions in AVG so MBAM was working good.

Installed avg_free_x64_all_2011_1120a3152.exe

---------------------

Why does the 64 bit version install to Program Files (x86)??

C:\Program Files (x86)\AVG\AVG10\

Install failed uninstalling AVG 9 with error:

Product: Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable - x86 9.0.30729.4148 -- Error 1935.An error occurred during the installation of assembly 'Microsoft.VC90.MFC,version="9.0.30729.4148",publi cKeyToken="1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b",processorArchitecture ="x86",type="win32"'. Please refer to Help and Support for more information. HRESULT: 0x80070091. assembly interface: IAssemblyCacheItem, function: Commit, component: {AFA 31654-361E-33B5-9ED5-049A6889325C }

Tried again:

--------------

uninstalled AVG 9 from program uninstall menu

Installed 2011 again...

computer froze up after it installed and was updating (conflict with MBAM realtime?).

Had to reboot.

no avg icon in tray

no uninstall avg icon in "uninstall programs"

open avg icon on desktop and get error "key is not activated" (probably just did that because the program was not loading correctly)

Try to reinstall AVG 2011 again to see if it can repair itself:

----------------

Product: AVG 2011 -- Error 1921. Service 'AVG WatchDog' (avgwd) could not be stopped. Verify that you have sufficient privileges to stop system services.

I restored the whole system drive C with last nights Acronis backup because I do not like tht messed up install that could not be uninstalled.

Back to AVG 9 indefinitely, or try Avast? I am trying Avast on a test system, is Avast compatible with MBAM realtime?

[GT500]

... is Avast compatible with MBAM realtime?

Yes. Both avast! and AntiVir are compatible with our protection module. Microsoft Security Essentials is as well, but only if you add exclusions to MSE so that it leaves our files alone.

[GT500]

This is interesting. The system freezing may not be a compatibility issue with AVG's anti-virus engine, but instead with their LinkScanner component which protects you from visiting malicious websites. It's possible that it is conflicting with our IP blocking. I will have to do some more testing to verify this.

Well, it took longer to freeze after disabling LinkScanner, but it still froze. Very strange.

[Porthos]

We also sell your Malwarebytes software to most of our customers, is there a faster way to add these exceptions to AVG, Norton, or Microsoft Security Essentials?

I also sell MBAM and pair it with MSE. I use a registry file to add the exclusions before installing MSE.

For XP...

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Exclusions]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Exclusions\Extensions]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Exclusions\Paths]

"C:\\Program Files\\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware"=dword:00000000

"C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Application Data\\Malwarebytes"=dword:00000000

"C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\drivers\\mbam.sys"=dword:00000000

"C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\drivers\\mbamswissarmy.sys"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\Exclusions\Processes]

"C:\\Program Files\\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\\mbam.exe"=dword:00000000

"C:\\Program Files\\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\\mbamgui.exe"=dword:00000000

"C:\\Program Files\\Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware\\mbamservice.exe"=dword:00000000