Computer deathly sluggish - could it have been Malwarebytes?

My computer tends to run flawlessly, thank goodness, with malware never an issue.

This morning I was just minding my own business, had two FF Windows open, and was playing Free Cell, and tried to switch into one of the browser windows and I couldn't. Tried tabbing to them, couldn't. Then I noticed that Free Cell, not the most complex or resource-intensive program, said "Not Responding" in the top of the window.

Then I couldn't open the task manager - from the start menu or ctrl/alt/del - and basically all I could do was move the mouse pointer. Not access any running software or launch other programs.

So I force restarted, resumed my browsing session, went to open the event viewer to see what might have happened, and after way too long the event viewer started, but never populated the events, even after a 10-minute wait. And then, again, I was unable to do anything but move the mouse pointer. Again, no access to programs, to use running ones or launch new ones.

Second force restart, and once I'd logged in, there was a popup in the bottom right of the screen saying that my free trial of malwarebytes was expiring after 14 days. I tried clicking on the options (I wanted to downgrade to free), but nothing happened. And again, couldn't even launch a program.

So I did my third force restart in less than an hour, booted into safe mode, removed MWB, "normal restarted," and the computer has been fine, running my normal complement of stuff, with the session lasting an hour so far (problems began today about two hours after I had first logged in).

That includes the task manager and the event viewer, which had given me problems before.

Given my computer's track record, and that things are working fine now, I am not too worried, so at the moment I don't want to do extensive forensics for a problem I don't expect to repeat.

I'm just wondering if it's *possible* that MWB, in its machinations to get my attention today as the 14-day premium trial expired, somehow was messing the computer up.

I'd had MWB on the computer forever, not run it in a year or two, and just in the name of "well, let's be safe," I ran it two weeks ago. Obviously there was a new engine to download, and it, so far as I could tell, didn't give me the option to install free right away - had to, I think, take the 14-day trial.

The MWB scan at that time - two weeks ago - came back 100% clean; no forms of malware found.

The only perhaps-useful Event I can find from today is an 8032 EventID, BROWSER source, that said:

The browser service has failed to retrieve the backup list too many times on transport \Device\NetBT_Tcpip_{E2ECD86C-ADDC-45A9-8A01-C5E3ACA907AE}. The backup browser is stopping.

This appeared AFTER, not before, the problems began.

Again, I don't want to dig too deep into a problem that didn't seem to appear until MWB started raising its head, and that disappeared when I uninstalled MWB.

But I'd welcome people's intelligent thoughts!

Oh my gosh. That's scary. Great heads-up on your part, and apologies if this affected you too.

I trust MWB and have used it for years - rarely of course, but have had it "at the ready" if needed, or, more likely, when the thought crossed my mind.

I'll reinstall it at some later time now that it's fixed. Since we're on this topic, is there a way, when installing, to say you only want the free product? My MWB was in the 11th hour of its premium trial when this happened.

rvcjew said:

When you install it, go to settings then at the top the account tab and at the bottom opt out of the trial.

EDIT: i'd wait a day to be sure they fix it for sure.

Thanks. Since I went 18-24 months since last running it, this doesn't top my "to do" list! I think my safe computing habits will protect me in the meantime.

Well, this affected millions of people for a day, then went away, so it shouldn't be a burning issue again. But I am marking it as solved. And I did, a couple days after the problem, reinstall MWB (it forces you to take the trial), then in my settings, jiggered it to downgrade to free immediately.