While I don't use Bitdefender, all my W7 machines that are not affected do have an AV - Microsoft Security Essentials. MS have said that MSE will continue to receive engine and signature updates until 2023.
For now, it's still available to download here: https://www.microsoft.com/download/details.aspx?id=5201
I have now run the GPEDIT "fix" for UAC so that I could restart.
As part of my experimentation with Clockwise, I uninstalled it and reinstalled it. And then, consistent with my normal procedure for collection software product Start Menu folders in higher-level folders (to minimize what I see when I click on the Start button) I attempted to MOVE the Start Menu folder created for Clockwise into a target super-folder (of my own creation). Perfectly normal, and it normally works silently.
This time it reproduced that "permission required" prompt I mentioned earlier, but that I couldn't reproduce on-demand earlier. Apparently this particular MOVE (within the \Appdata\Roaming\ Start Menu folder triggered the prompt I was looking for but couldn't seem to duplicate. I have now duplicated it:
So, again, this prompt never has been presented before a few days ago. And it didn't appear when I uninstalled BitDefender. But now that I've reinstalled BitDefender it's once again re-appeared.
This confirms that ALL of the original symptoms have reappeared, now that i've reinstalled BitDefender.
NOTE: I am aware of MS's statement that MSE will still be usable with security updates through 2023. But obviously BitDefender needs to fix their product's sudden major defect so that UAC and Win7 behavior are returned to normal.
Reasonable thoughts. But where do you see reports that involve machines not running BitDefender but only some other anti-virus/firewall product?
For example, I have BOTH BitDefender and Malwarebytes installed (with appropriate exclusions in each so that they don't bump heads), because I want the benefit of both products. And yet, when I uninstalled ONLY BitDefender (retaining Malwarebytes), the symptoms disappeared. Although of course there is probably a non-zero possibility that it is the combination of these two that is responsible, the empirical results strongly suggest it is simply BitDefender which is at fault.
Certainly true. I'm running Pro so I don't have any concern and GPEDIT is the easiest way to fix this (at least the major cannot-shutdown problem) but I believe there are manual Registry updates that can accomplish the same result... I think.One thing that worries me is those using the home versions of Windows 7 will not have access to the GP control panel so would be limited to the multi admin solution
I have never used bit defender before in my life and all my non
BIG thank you for the help!!
I went in and followed the directions and changed Admin Approval Mode to enabled.
And then I removed the Bitdefender Program from my computer.
Everything is back to normal now - I'm a Happy Camper!
Now I just need to install a different anti-virus program.
Thinking about using Malwarebytes again. Had it on my laptop and never had an issue.
Would that be the best choice for my desk top?
It's a long story, but for many years I used the COMBINATION of both (a) Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) on Win7, or the similar Windows Defender on both Win8.1 and Win10, both of which are free, along with (b) Malwarebytes Premium. The first product is a modest but traditional anti-virus, and the second product is more of an anti-malware tool (which I don't think of as a true anti-virus protection, but maybe I'm wrong).BIG thank you for the help!!
I went in and followed the directions and changed Admin Approval Mode to enabled.
And then I removed the Bitdefender Program from my computer.
Everything is back to normal now - I'm a Happy Camper!
Now I just need to install a different anti-virus program.
Thinking about using Malwarebytes again. Had it on my laptop and never had an issue.
Would that be the best choice for my desk top?
This combination worked fine for me forever, until late 2018 when a software conflict between Malwarebytes and Macrium Reflect that resulted in a "freeze" symptom. I chased this problem for about 6 months thinking it was hardware failing or some other issue due to a particular software product. In the process of chasing things down I eventually discovered that if I removed Malwarebytes the problem went away, so that's when I looked for some total replacement for Malwarebytes + MSE. And that's when I happened on BitDefender, in early 2019. And I've been using it ever since.
And P.S., eventually it was learned that the "freeze" was NOT due to failing hardware, but rather due to a software combination of Malwarebytes plus [non-free] Macrium Reflect Home version (which I also used) and a potential "deadly embrace / lockout" which could occur because of a particular engineering design feature in both products. I worked with the engineers from both companies who analyzed the memory dumps I sent them and it was eventually Macrium Reflect's team that opted to revise their method just a bit but which was completely sufficient to eliminate the conflict with Malwarebytes. Case closed, freeze eliminated.
I decided to continue running BitDefender for its more full-fledged firewall and threat and ransomware protections compared to the definitely more modest MSE, along with also running Malwarebytes. There's no conflict to running them both, as I have the appropriate "carve-out exceptions" installed so that there's no issue. I feel most comfortable with both installed on my systems.
I'm sure the BitDefender people will investigate their involvement to the current Win7 symptom crisis which I believe is self-evident, and will quickly back out or fix whatever they did that is responsible. But there's certainly nothing I can really say that is in any way negative about MSE (which MS says they will continue to support with security updates through 2023). I just feel "more secure" using BitDefender, justified or not.
FYI, Defender in Windows 10 (recently re-branded as Windows Security) uses the same scan engine and signatures as MSE, but does a lot more besides. It has Block at First Sight for as yet unknown virus detection and ransomware protection to prevent unauthorised apps from modifying your user files/folders. It can also be enabled for malware (PUP/PUA) detection.
Malwarebytes 4.0 Premium claims to be a full AV and when installed on W10 will turn off the Defender real time protection (as would any other 3rd-party AV) to avoid conflicts.
Strange that there isn't more interest or participation in this thread. I would think there would be more users affected.
So, just an update, including some new observations from others around the interweb. And there is also mention of anomalies in Win10 (but it's not clear if this is really related to the Win7 story).
Doesn't seem like there is an accepted answer yet. NOTE: one of the quoted posts below "blames" a very recent Microsoft update to Framework 4.8 (KB4503575) but I don't have that update installed on either of my Win7 systems and I still have the problem. Just shows how widespread this issue is, and that it seems to perhaps be not just one cause but maybe an interaction of many things.
(1) From a recent post in the thread on BleepingComputer:
while bitdefender may be affected, it's most certainly NOT caused by it. I'm in a domain environment, no bit defender at all (sophos), annnndddddd it's hitting windows 10 1903 machines as well. It's doing something very weird with the user security as well: sysinternals proc mon wouldn't run at all-says you have to be a member of the admin group (I'm not only admin on machine, but in the domain as well!!), sysinternals procexp was acting like it was run as limited user (with access denied on some paths). 1102w printers acting up. Profx Engagement and office 365 having issues/crashes. what a shit show. I've seen UAC settings, I've seen adobe get blamed. does anyone have the definite answer yet?
(2) From recent posts in the thread on Answers.Microsoft Community:
(a) In "msconfig" I disabled all adobe programs on the "Startup" tab & "Services" tab then rebooted by logging off first then using the button at bottom right of the login screen to restart the PC. All the issues then went away. You can try turning them back on one by one to see which program/service is causing the problem. Changing the UAC or enabling LUA just caused other problems for me. Hope this helps someone.
(b)Yes, this worked for me. It seems like Adobe services are the culprit. I deliberately don't update my Windows7 machine (rarely used, legacy apps, small hard drive, I switch it on once a blue moon) and my last Microsoft update is 2016. I don't use Bit Defender as my anti-virus.
Not only was shutdown a problem, but Search didn't work properly and Windows Explorer was malfunctioning when I tried to upload files to web. The folders would appear, but I couldn't drill down to file level.
I did try the UAC workaround, but then you have to click an extra permissions window to move files etc so I turned UAC off again.
(c)This is not a bug. This was sent out by Microsoft on 01/15/2020.
Microsoft announced End Of Life (EOL) for Windows 7 on 01/14/2020. "Coincidentally" they sent out a Framework update on 01/15/2020.
There is a command embedded into the update that would cause the server to malfunction, so as to have people upgrade to Windows 10.
after about 3 hours of troubleshooting, i figured out that the update was the problem.please double check your recently installed updates.KB4503575 - Microsoft 4.8 Framework (installed 01/15/20) - i UNINSTALLED
also uninstalled 2/3 security updates from that same day just to be safe (in case they became corrupt when i uninstalled the Framework update). there is one that doesn't give you the option to uninstall.
once all were off my computer, i was able to restart and shut down normally.
there is also another fix that is going around that involves manual commands using GPUPDATE, but it did not work for me ( i tried that first)
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