Software Woes - Flash Player and Malwarebytes

[fohat.digs]

Flash Player -

It seems to me that updates to this have started coming out at a ridiculous rate, like more than once a week, and that sites like YouTube refuse to play unless you have the very latest version.

I will not check the "Update Automatically" box because Adobe does not give me the option to also select "Do Not Also Install Garbageware" along with the Flash Player. I generally use Windows 7 with Firefox/Waterfox, if that matters.

Do you have any suggestions to get around this?

Malwarebytes -

This is a nice software package that I have used for years without problem, but in recent months I was having boot problems with Windows 7 at least a couple of times a month.

After fiddling around to fix the Windows problem and rebooting, I always discovered a problem in Malwarebytes. After uninstalling it a few weeks ago, I have not had any more boot problems.

I miss the program and would like to re-install it, or something similar, but cannot abide boot problems.

Does anyone have any solutions or alternatives?

Thanks!
 

[SpAmRaY]

On the flash thing I noticed that too, I rarely reboot my workstation  but it seems like when I do there is another flash update. Unfortunately I'm not sure of a solution.

I also use malwarebytes on at least 2 laptops and 2 desktops and have never had any problems with it other than the occasional blocking of a program/webpage that really wasn't malicious. Could you be more specific with the 'problem' you discovered with malwarebytes? Perhaps it is interacting with something else at startup or perhaps there is some malware that is actively fighting it at bootup?

[fohat.digs]

Somewhere around the first of the year I installed a small SSD boot drive with a larger hard drive for everything else, and did a clean install of everything, including Malwarebytes.

Since then, occasionally, I will guess approximately once every 2-3 weeks, Windows has failed to boot and I have gotten a gray Microsoft dialog box over a blue screen telling me that it did not work and should it look for a solution?

About half of the time, it finds a solution and boots properly, and half the time I have to pull the plug and hard-start it. It basically always works the second time, either way.

Afterwards, the Malwarebytes database is always corrupted and needs to be downloaded again.

I updated Malwarebytes regularly and did a full scan (approximately once a week), and most of the time it did not find any problems.

I am also running Avast and use the Windows Defender.

PS - I never eat fried chicken around the computer.

[SmallFry]

Running multiple virus scanners could be part of the problem.

[fohat.digs]

Running multiple virus scanners could be part of the problem.

I have done that for years, with various combinations. I have been happy with Avast, and it seems to play well with Microsoft Defender.

And besides, I am using the free version of Malwarebytes, which does not run in "real time"

The fact that this only happens occasionally, and not immediately after updating something, makes me wonder why.

[SpAmRaY]

Somewhere around the first of the year I installed a small SSD boot drive with a larger hard drive for everything else, and did a clean install of everything, including Malwarebytes.

Since then, occasionally, I will guess approximately once every 2-3 weeks, Windows has failed to boot and I have gotten a gray Microsoft dialog box over a blue screen telling me that it did not work and should it look for a solution?

About half of the time, it finds a solution and boots properly, and half the time I have to pull the plug and hard-start it. It basically always works the second time, either way.

Afterwards, the Malwarebytes database is always corrupted and needs to be downloaded again.

I updated Malwarebytes regularly and did a full scan (approximately once a week), and most of the time it did not find any problems.

I am also running Avast and use the Windows Defender.

PS - I never eat fried chicken around the computer.

There's your problem its not lubed properly 

But honestly Avast, Malwarebytes and Windows Defender 'could' be having some infighting.

For reference on my laptop I also have a boot SSD and an additional mechanical storage drive and the system also triple boots two win 7 installs and one win 8 and all three have malwarebytes pro running and I'm thinking the two win 7's have microsoft security essentials running as well.

You might have a look here and see if any of that helps

http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?showtopic=10138&st=0&p=417798&#entry417798

Also might try the tool below and then reinstall malwarebytes

http://helpdesk.malwarebytes.org/entries/20818461-Use-mbam-clean-exe-to-completely-remove-Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware

And just read your other reply and I must say I'm using the pro version, not sure why that would make a difference, I didn't think that the 'free' version even started up with windows. But many times the pro version can be purchased for ~$12.

[Krogenar]

Avast, Malwarebytes and MSE on one machine? Fohat, you planning on running The Matrix or something! 

I would give up on Malwarebytes and just stick with MSE -- for a Microsoft product it is actually rather good. It's probably not a good idea to mix virus scanners anyway. If you're worried about viruses, etc. I would recommend NoScript Extension for Firefox. Basically it blocks every javascript request until you give permission. It's annoying at first, but over time you can manage which sites are allowed to run javascript and flash, etc., and NoScript even gives you the ability to allow temporary permission for a site to use javascript/flash.

I also like Piriform's CCleaner, LastPass and get yourself a YubiKey for two-factor authentication. I love my YubiKey. (hugs YubiKey)

[godly_music]

When you're savvy enough to know what you're downloading is virus-free, the less security software you run, the better you're off. That **** is intrusive and in some cases detrimental to performance.

As for Flash, just keep this (http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/distribution3.html) bookmarked somewhere. New versions don't really come out -that- often.