Malwarebytes is a trusted anti-malware software commonly used by numerous PC users. It runs on macOS, Android, and iOS system and protects your PC against malware, ransomware, malicious websites, and other advanced online threats. Recently, some Windows users have reportedly claimed about the “Runtime error (83:120): Could not call proc.” Error.
The Runtime Error: Could Not Call Proc usually occurs when the user tries to install Malwarebytes. It naturally refrains the user from completing the installation process. The problem is quite common and can occur on various versions of Windows. Down below is a list of reasons and fixes related to the said issue. Have a look:
Reasons for the “Malwarebytes Installation Runtime Error: Could Not Call Proc” issue
The “Malwarebytes Installation Runtime Error: Could Not Call Proc” issue can be triggered due to various reasons; some of them includes:
- %TEMP% folder is in a different location
- Corrupted Malwarebytes installation
- Remnant malware/adware files
- Untrusted Malwarebytes certificate
- Logical errors on the OS drive
- System File Corruption
How to fix the “Malwarebytes Installation Runtime Error: Could Not Call Proc” issue?
FIX 1: Move the %TEMP% folder back to the Default Location:
As mentioned above in the causes as well, the wrong placement of the %TEMP% folder. The folder is mostly located at RAMDRIVE, RAMDISK, or on a network rather than its original location. In this case, all you can do is move the %TEMP% folder into the correct location and then retry the installation process. For doing so,
- To begin with, download Malwarebytes’s latest version from its official website.
- Now launch the RUN prompt by pressing WINDOWS + R altogether.
- In the empty dialogue box, type “cmd” and then click on OK. It will open the Command Prompt window for you. If you see the UAC (User Account Control) option, click on Yes, and it will grant you admin access on the Command Prompt window.
- On the Command prompt window, type or Copy + Paste the following commands one after the other and press Enter after each one of them.
set TEMP=C:\Windows\temp
set TMP=C:\Windows\tmp
cd “%USERPROFILE%\Downloads”
- After all the Commands you have entered are processed, you can now close the Command Prompt window.
- Now navigate to the Malwarebytes setup executable (that you downloaded in the 1st step), right-click on it, and select Run as Administrator from the sub-menu.
- Now try to install Malwarebytes and check whether the said issue persists, and you see the “Runtime error (83:120): Could not call proc” or not.
FIX 2: Run a CHKDSK scan:
Any issue related to the solid-state drive or traditional hard drive can also trigger the “Runtime error (83:120): Could not call proc” issue for some users. A data block inconsistency or a logical error can also be responsible for the same. The suffered users tried to resolve this situation by running a CHKDSK scan. For doing so,
- Firstly, press WINDOWS + X simultaneously for opening the WinX menu.
- Now from the WinX Menu, click on Command Prompt (Admin) to launch the elevated Command Prompt. (In case you see the UAC (User Account Control) option, click on Yes, and it will grant you admin access on the Command Prompt window.)
Or
- Launch the RUN prompt, and in the empty dialogue box, type cmd and then click on OK. It will open the Command Prompt window for you. If you see the UAC (User Account Control) option, click on Yes, and it will grant you admin access on the Command Prompt window.
- Now in the Command Prompt window, type chkdsk X:
NOTE: Here, ‘X’ will be the drive letter corresponding (that you want CHKDSK to scan) to the partition of your computer’s hard drive. Following it will be the parameters you wish CHKDSK to perform the scan with. After that, press Enter. Running the CHKDSK utility from an elevated Command Prompt, you can use any of the following parameters:
/f – Tells CHKDSK to fix any and all errors that it finds
/r – Tells CHKDSK to locate bad sectors on the drive and try to recover any and all readable information from them
/x – Tells CHKDSK to forcefully dismount the selected drive before scanning it
- The final Command you type into the elevated Command Prompt will look either of these:
chkdsk D: /f /x (if you want CHKDSK to dismount your computer’s D drive and then scan it for errors and fix any that it finds).
Or
chkdsk C: /f (if you want CHKDSK to scan your computer’s C drive for errors and try to fix any that it finds)
- Now, wait for the CHKDSK scan to process. Once done, it will attempt to fix most of the available errors in your system. After that, try to install Malwarebytes and check whether the issue is resolved or not.
Note: The above method will work on Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10.
FIX 3: Run SFC and DISM Scans:
There might be a possibility that you are dealing with some type of system corruption that is also responsible for triggering the “Runtime error (83:120): Could not call proc” issue. Following the case, it is advisable to Run the SFC, and DISM scans one after the other. For doing so,
For SFC scan:
- Firstly, open the Command Prompt window. Make sure you open it with Admin access.
- Now in the Command Prompt window, type “sfc /scannow” and press Enter. It will start scanning for corrupt or outdated system files.
Note: The SFC scan is entirely local and does not require any internet connection for running. However, for running the DISM scan, users need a stable running internet connection on hand.
For DISM scan:
- Firstly, open the Command Prompt window. Make sure you open it with Admin access.
- Now in the Command Prompt window, type the following commands and then press Enter after each one of them:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- The scanning process might take a while, wait for some time and let the scanning process gets completed on its own.
- When you have successfully run both the scans, try to install the Malwarebytes and check whether the “Runtime error (83:120): Could not call proc” issue is resolved or persist.
One of the most helpful and trusted fixes is running the Malwarebytes Support Tool. Malwarebytes’ support team has a tool that can fix the “Runtime error (83:120): Could not call proc” issue and similar scenarios for its users. Their support tool will clean any remnant files from a botched installation before it begins with reinstalling the tool from scratch.
For running the Malwarebytes Support Tool:
- To begin with, download the latest version of Malwarebytes Support Tool from its official website.
- Now right-click the downloaded executable and then select Run as administrator from the submenu.
- Wait for a while, let the downloading process get completed, and then tick the checkbox before the option Accept License Agreement. Click on Next.
- On the next screen, navigate to the left-pane menu and click on Advanced. After that, click on the Clean tab. You will now receive a confirmation prompt, here click on Yes and wait for the process to get completed.
- Once the process is completed, click on OK, and it will automatically reboot your system.
- After your system starts, you might see a prompt asking if you want to reinstall Malwarebytes. However, if it does not appear, you can download it directly from its official webpage.
- Once done, run the relevant program and check whether the said issue is resolved or if it persists.
FIX 5: Fix the Certificate Issue:
At times if your PC labeling the Malwarebytes certificate that’s needed to install the tool as an untrusted certificate, it can trigger the “Runtime error (83:120): Could not call proc” issue. It is advisable to remove the Malwarebytes-related entry from the list of untrusted certificates by using the Certificate Manager utility in such a scenario. For doing so,
- Open the RUN prompt and type “certmgr.msc” in the empty dialogue box and then click on OK. It will land you to the Certificate Manager utility. In case you are prompted to UAC (User Account Control), click on Yes to grant administrative access.
- Now on the Certificate Manager utility window, navigate to the left pane menu and click on the option Untrusted Certificates. Then double-clicking on the Certificates appeared on the right-pane menu.
- After that, scroll down the certificate list, right-click on every entry associated with Malwarebytes, and to select the option Delete.
- Once you are done with deleting all the entries associated with Malwarebytes, update all available Windows updates and restart the system.
- As the system is successfully restarted, try to install Malwarebytes and check whether the said issue is resolved or if it persists.
These were all the possible fixes that will help you get rid of the “Malwarebytes Installation Runtime Error: Could Not Call Proc” issue. The said issue can be triggered due to numerous causes; however, it being in existence for quite a while now, there are various trusted solutions available.
Apart from the fixes mentioned in the article above, you can also try to Refresh every Component of your Operating system and check if it helps. We hope all the information mentioned in the article above would have helped you in the best possible ways. If you have any queries or feedback, please write down the comment in the below comment box.
