How to troubleshoot an error when you run the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool

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INTRODUCTION

After you run the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, you receive a message that states that errors were found during the scan, and you are directed to this article for more information.

Note Some of these errors are informational messages or minor issues and may not require additional action. Specifically, failures that are marked as a warning in the log are less serious than failures that are marked as an error.

For more information about this tool, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

890830 The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool helps remove specific, prevalent malicious software from computers that are running Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, or Windows XP.

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How to obtain help and support

This article describes how to use the error codes provided by the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. If you are receiving an error code that is not discussed in this article, contacct Microsoft Customer Support Services or by contacting your local Microsoft subsidiary. For more information about how to contact your local Microsoft subsidiary, visit the following International Support Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/common/international.aspx

Enterprise customers can obtain support through their usual support contacts.

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How to troubleshoot specific errors

To determine why you received an error message, follow these steps:

On the computer where you ran the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, click Start, click Run, type the following command, and then click OK:
%systemroot%\debug
Note %systemroot% is the path and the folder name where the Windows system files are located. Typically, this is C:\Windows, although you can designate a different drive or folder when you install Windows.
Open the log file that is named mrt.log.
Locate the error code.
Match the error code in the log file with one of the error codes that is listed in the following table, and then see the corresponding procedure that is included in this article. If your error code is not listed in the following table, see the "How to obtain help and support" section.

Error code	Cause	Use this procedure
0x80508019	The scan destination file or drive does not exist.	Change the scan destination file or drive
0x80508007	The system has low memory.	Retry the scan
0x8050800C	The system state prohibits the scan from running in a specific user context.	Restart the computer, and retry the scan
0x8050A005	The signatures are not signed.	Download the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool again
0x8050A002	The signature database is corrupted.	Download the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool again
0x8050A004	The signatures are not valid or are corrupted.	Download the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool again
0x80508002	The signature database is corrupted.	Download the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool again
0x80508004	The signature database is corrupted.	Download the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool again
0x8050A001	The engine could not load because there are signatures missing.	Update your computer, and retry the scan
0x80508001	The engine could not load.	Update your computer, and retry the scan
0x80508025	To complete the action, the user must follow a procedure. For example, the user must change a system setting.	Follow the instructions in the log or in the notification
0x80508024	To complete the operation, the user must run a full scan and then take the action again.	Run a full scan
0x80508026	One of the resources is part of a container. For example, one of the resources is a file in an archive.	Identify the file archive, and remove the file manually

To perform a procedure that is listed in the table, see the following procedures.

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Change the scan destination file or drive

Start the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool.
In Scan type, click Customized scan, and then click Choose Folder.
In Browse For Folder, click a different file or drive, click OK, and then click Next.

Retry the scan

To retry the scan, start the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, and then click Next.
In Scan Type, select a type of scan, and then click Next.

Restart the computer, and retry the scan

For information about how to restart Windows, see Windows Help and Support.
To retry the scan, start the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, and then click Next.
In Scan Type, select a type of scan, and then click Next.

Download the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool again

To download the Malicious Software Removal Tool manually from the Microsoft Download Center, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/download/details.aspx?FamilyID=ad724ae0-e72d-4f54-9ab3-75b8eb148356&DisplayLang=en

Update your computer, and retry the scan

To update your computer by using Microsoft Windows Update, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://update.microsoft.com/
To retry the scan, start the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, and then click Next.
In Scan Type, select a type of scan, and then click Next.

Follow the instructions in the log or in the notification

If the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool notifies you of an error and gives you instructions, follow those instructions. If there are no instructions from the tool, you can look for instructions in the log file for the tool. To do this, follow these steps:

On the computer where you ran the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, click Start, click Run, type the following command, and then click OK:
%systemroot%\debug
Note %systemroot% is the path and the folder name where the Windows system files are located. Typically, this is C:\Windows, although you can designate a different drive or folder when you install Windows.
Open the log file that is named mrt.log.
Locate the most recent entry in the log file. This entry is typically the last entry in the log file. You may have to scroll down to the end of the log file to find this entry. This log file is available only in English.
Follow any instructions in the most recent entry in the log. If there are no instructions, note the error code number and see the "How to troubleshoot specific errors" section.

Run a full scan

Start the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, and then click Next.
In Scan Type, click Full Scan, and then click Next.

Identify the file archive, and remove the file manually

During a scan, Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool detected malicious software contained in a file archive, such as a .zip file. You should determine whether the file is malicious software, and remove it from the archive manually.

To determine whether the file is malicious, visit the Microsoft Malware Protection Center:
http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/
Search the Microsoft Malware Protection Center encyclopedia to see whether the file is listed as malicious software.
If the file is listed as malicious software, delete the file.

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How to download the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool

You can download the Malicious Software Removal Tool manually from the Microsoft Download Center. To do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/download/details.aspx?FamilyID=ad724ae0-e72d-4f54-9ab3-75b8eb148356&DisplayLang=en

Microsoft also provides Microsoft Security Essentials safety scanner, a free computer care service that scans your computer for viruses. To download the Microsoft Security Essentials safety scanner, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/default.aspx

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