Bad Image (0xC000020) error - McAfee gone mad

Tomasz · September 25, 2017, 11:00am

If suddenly some of the .DLL files on your computer get size of ZERO (0 bytes) and you are getting “Bad image (0xC000020)” error preventing applications from running, it is most likely your McAfee antivirus that is doing the destruction to the DLLs on your computer, see similar reports from other softwares https://jira.phoenixviewer.com/browse/FIRE-21578
and https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/28167423/rscan32-exe-bad-image-when-trying-to-run-a-scan-using-McAfee.html

Really, most antiviruses do nothing but slow down your system and do not really offer any protection for new threats (despite vendor claims). Use Microsoft built-in antivirus. It is as good¹ as any others, but at least does not destroy your files. As for safety - simply backup your computer periodically, don’t open suspected attachments, don’t use cracks, don’t visit illegal sites, don’t use public free WiFi and isolate your computer from the outside using NAT router/firewall. As simple as that.

¹As good as does not mean that it will protect you everytime. It means that it will protect you from OLD threats as any other antivirus. No antivirus is able to protect against newly released virus. Your best line of defense is: full system image backup done periodically (say weekly). In case of new threat you can always restore your computer from full system image backup.

cometleung · September 27, 2017, 9:02am

Hi
I just installed Amibroker into my new computer. The Amibroker was working fine. When I retart my computer. Amibroker can’t run. Computer popup is message "c:\program file\Amibroker\MiscTool.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error. … ". I found the size of MiscTool.dll is zero. Then I reinstall AB. It worked ,but not the next time after reboot. Would someone help me.

Milosz · September 27, 2017, 5:13am

Maybe you are using McAfee antivirus?

cometleung · September 27, 2017, 9:49am

Many Thanks. It works. : )

Tomasz · September 27, 2017, 10:07am

What works? McAfee? No It doesn’t. I don’t know what these guys at McAfee are smoking but DESTROYING files on somebody’s computer is crazy and they are liable for damages they deliberately made. This is not what antivirus is supposed to do.

cometleung · October 30, 2017, 2:35am

Sorry for my late reply.
I deleted McAfee and re-install Amibroker. Then Amibroker resume to normal. It works fine. Thanks.

tbonds67 · November 1, 2017, 8:17pm

Hi Tomasz,

Just wondering, if there’s a way to tell McAfee to treat Amibroker as a “trusted” program and avoid having the dll’s impacted.

Also, I don’t seem to have this Amibroker issue with any other program I use. So it begs the question: What’s so special about Amibroker that McAfee has targeted certain of Amibroker program files?

Lastly, is there no chance to develop around this issue to accommodate McAfee?

Thanks,
tbonds67

Tomasz · November 1, 2017, 8:46pm

Really, READ THIS THREAD from the beginning. There are links to OTHER programs being treated the same as AB and experiencing the same, so your impression that only AB is affected is just plain wrong. FOLLOW THE LINKS in first post !

There is nothing special about AmiBroker, just google www.google.com/?q=bad%20image%20dll%20mcafee and you will see thousands of examples of other programs, including multi-thousand $$$ programs like Autodesk Maya 3D (professional 3D rendering soft), Adobe Lightroom and many many others being destroyed by McAfee.
The most amazing/funny/scary part is that they are corrupting DLLS of their own products too

I am completely lost without words that you expect “victim” to accomodate for “attacker”. That is absurd. What McAfee does is just WIPE your files without warning and without reason. McAfee should fix their wrong doings or … (easier, quicker, better) you need to just get rid of McAfee from your computer.

tbonds67 · November 2, 2017, 6:43pm

I think I might have found a workaround for this issue if one is running McAfee LiveSafe. (My preference is to run McAfee as I like to have redundancy with firewalls and antivirus, just in case either Microsoft or McAfee fails to catch something on its own, and is generally a good strategy to protect your PC)

Go to Settings, then Firewall, then Internet Connections for Programs, then search for Amibroker program name/icon, then highlight it, then click Edit, then scroll to the bottom and turn Net Guard to Off. Since doing this the other day, I have not experienced an issue which was occurring 2-3 times a day!

You might also want to do the same for all other AB components such as AmiQuote, if they ever begin to act up, or to prevent them from acting up in the first place.

nramanuja · November 21, 2017, 8:57pm

Hello every single time i start amibroker i get an error.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Amibroker\MiscTool.dll is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error. Try installing the program again using the original installation media or contact system administrator. Error status 0xc0000020.

I have to then go to amibroker site and install the software again which does upgrade and then it starts. It is shut it and re open it gives the error again.

Tomasz, or others - can you please help tell me how i can stop this?

thanks
Narahari

nramanuja · November 21, 2017, 8:42pm

Found this topic already covered - i followed the advise but not sure if it will fix my issue.

Moderator comment: READ FROM THE TOP OF THIS THREAD.

Tomasz · December 6, 2017, 1:13pm

Antivirus craziness continues, now “Hello world” program is marked by several antivirus companies as harmful:

#include <stdio.h> 
int main() 
{ 
  printf("Hello world!\n"); 
  return 0; 
}

See:

In fact one of the commenters tried the program that is empty doing exactly nothing

int main() { return 0; };

and that was too marked as harmful by 18 antiviruses.

teyano · December 6, 2017, 2:39pm

Interestingly, it seems that McAfee shifted his interest from his antivirus to trading. Smart move