BleepingComputer.com: my laptop stops & becomes non-responsive during scans

It started during a Windows Defender scan. It would get to c:\windows\system 32\portabledeviceWMDRM.dll and then stop scanning (the elapsed time still runs on). The computer then becomes non-responsive and basically "freezes." I have to soft-boot out to shut the laptop down. I get the exact same thing when I do a full computer scan through my AVG 8.0. It would stop on the file listed above; it has also stopped on c:\windows\system 32\portabledeviceWiaCompat.dll.

When I do a c:\windows\system 32\ AVG scan in Safe Mode, it scans completely and does an automatic reboot into Normal Mode.

I then did another full computer scan with AVG in Normal Mode, and this time it stopped on file c:\windows\system 32\powercfg.cpl

Please help me fix "whatever" it is that is causing this. By the way, aside from the scanning problems, the laptop appears to work fine, both online and offline.


Thanks, Jennifer.

Its not unusual for anti-malware scanners to freeze at certain points (files) when performing a scan in normal mode. That's one reason to perform your scans in safe mode.

Why use safe mode? The Windows operating system protects files when they are being accessed by an application or a program. Malware writers create programs that can insert itself and hide in these protected areas when the files are being used. Using "Safe Mode" reduces the number of modules requesting files to only the essentials to make your computer functional. This in turn reduces the number of hiding places for malware, making it easier to find and delete the offending files when performing scans with anti-virus and anti-malware tools. In most cases, performing your scans in "Safe Mode" speeds up the scanning process.