Malwarebytes is one of the most popular anti-malware and anti-spyware software available on the market. It is known for its ability to detect and remove even the most advanced malware, including viruses, Trojans, spyware, adware and rootkits. One of the most common issues that users face while using Malwarebytes is the detection of explorer.exe as a threat. In this article, we will discuss what explorer.exe is, why Malwarebytes detects it as a threat, and how to fix the issue.
What is explorer.exe?
Explorer.exe is an essential process in the Windows operating system. It is responsible for managing the graphical interface of the operating system, including the taskbar, desktop icons, and file explorer. Without explorer.exe, you will not be able to interact with the graphical interface of your computer, and your system will become unusable.
Why does Malwarebytes detect explorer.exe as a threat?
Malwarebytes is designed to detect and remove malware from your computer. It uses a set of rules and heuristics to identify potential threats. In some cases, Malwarebytes may detect legitimate files as a threat, including explorer.exe. This happens when the file has been modified by malware to perform malicious activities on your computer.
How to fix the issue?
If Malwarebytes detects explorer.exe as a threat, it is recommended to perform a full system scan to identify any other potential threats. If no other threats are detected, you can exclude explorer.exe from future scans. To do this, open Malwarebytes and go to the Settings tab. Click on the Exclusions tab and add explorer.exe to the list of excluded files.
It is important to note that excluding explorer.exe from future scans may pose a security risk, as it may allow potential threats to go undetected. Therefore, it is recommended to only exclude explorer.exe if you are certain that it is a legitimate file.
Conclusion
Malwarebytes is a powerful tool to protect your computer from malware and spyware. However, it may detect legitimate files as a threat, including explorer.exe. If Malwarebytes detects explorer.exe as a threat, it is recommended to perform a full system scan and exclude explorer.exe from future scans if necessary. Remember that excluding explorer.exe from future scans may pose a security risk, so it is important to proceed with caution.