Fix mbamswissarmy.sys boot errors using 3 easy solutions

Since antimalware tools are mandatory booting with the system, a lot of things can go wrong. There are various instances where an antivirus will wreak havoc on the boot sequence which will, in the best case scenario, increase the boot time.

The worst case? It’ll destabilize the system and you won’t be able to boot at all. A quite prominent error for Malwarebytes users is the “mbamswissarmy.sys” boot error when the antivirus driver gets corrupted.

We come up with a few solutions thanks to the diligent community Malwarebytes have. Check them out below.

How to fix mbamswissarmy.sys corruption issues

1. Boot into Safe Mode and uninstall Malwarebytes with MST
2. Delete or rename the “mbamswissarmy.sys” file
3. Backup your data and reinstall Windows 10

Solution 1 – Boot into Safe Mode and uninstall Malwarebytes with MST

This is the best and the safest method to deal with this issue. Namely, it seems that this massive problem occurred due to the corruption of mbamswissarmy.sys driver.

This driver starts up with the system and deals with on-boot cleaning of deleted or quarantined malicious files. Thus, it needs to start with the system. And, furthermore, as its an important startup component, its corruption will lead to boot failure.

If you’re unable to boot in a standard manner, the best way to deal with this issue is by booting into the Safe Mode and uninstalling the Malwarebytes antivirus.

The best way to do it is by using the MST (Malwarebytes Support Tool). With it, you can remove all associated files and registry entries. After that, it should be easy to reinstall Malwarebytes.

Follow these steps to download MST and then boot into a Safe Mode:

1. Reboot your PC forcibly 3 times to summon the Advanced recovery menu.
2. Choose Troubleshoot.
3. Select Advanced Options and then Startup settings.
4. Click Restart.
5. Choose Safe Mode with Networking.
6. If the system boots successfully, download Malwarebytes Support Tool, here.
7. Install the application and run it.
8. Now, you can either try repairing the installation or remove the antivirus completely. We’re inclined to suggest removal.
9. After you’ve removed the Malwarebytes antivirus, reboot your PC. It should start as usual, without an error.
10. Download the antivirus setup file, here, and install it again.

Solution 2 – Delete or rename the “mbamswissarmy.sys” file

If the previous step failed you and there’s no chance to boot into Windows, even with the Safe mode, this next step is what you should try.

Firstly, try booting into the Safe Mode again and navigate to C:windowssystem32drivers and rename the mbamswissarmy.sys to mbamswissarmy.sys.old. If you’re unable to do so, continue below.

The main goal is to get to the elevated command prompt which should enable you to delete the mbamswissarmy.sys driver from the system. Even though this isn’t exactly a risk-free solution, it should resolve the error at hand.

There’s a certain risk of critically damaging the system. However, in more than a few reported cases, affected users had no further issues.

On the other hand, if you’re unable to delete or rename the driver, you can prevent it from executing by removing its registry entry. This alternative workaround should get you going and allow to boot without any problems.

For both options, you’ll need an external installation media and an alternative PC to create it on.

Follow these instructions to deal with the “mbamswissarmy.sys” driver and boot into Windows 10:

1. 1. Create a bootable installation drive on another PC (with Media Creation Tool).
   2. Plug in the USB or insert DVD and restart your PC.
   3. Enter the BIOS settings and set the USB as the primary boot device.
   4. When Windows 10 files are loaded, click “Repair your computer” at the bottom.
   5. Open Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
   6. In the command-line, type the following command and press Enter:
      • sc delete  MBAMSwissArmy
   7. Alternatively, you can run the following command:
      • reg delete /f HKLMSYSTEMCurrentControlSetservicesMBAMSwissArmy
   8. Unplug the USB drive and reboot your PC.

Solution 3 – Backup your data and reinstall Windows 10

Finally, if none of the two previous steps helped you address the problem, the last resort would be the system reinstallation.

Of course, make sure to use a third-party tool or command line to extract all important data before wiping the system drive.

After you’ve done that, you should have a simple task to download the Media Creation Tool and create the installation media (DVD or USB Flash drive).

If you’re not sure how to do it, check this article with the in-depth explanation. Also, don’t forget to tell us any alternative solutions we forgot to mention here. We look forward to hearing from you.

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