What to do when Prism.exe (for Prism 7 or 8) disappears from your computer.
Problem. In rare cases, the file prism.exe "disappears" after installation or update
A few Prism users have told us that prism.exe file disappeared after updating to Prism 7.05 version and restarting a computer.
This is not a Prism problem but a Windows problem. There are several postings on the Microsoft forum, where users complain about this issue when Windows deletes other programs without notifying.
The most probable reason is that Windows Defender falsely detects Prism.exe as malware (false-positive) and so removes the program file (without giving any message or warning).
How to fix
Step 1: Add Prism folder as an exception to Windows Defender or any other antivirus program
You can feel safe about using Prism. We checked Prism with many antivirus tools and none of them reported any malware alerts. We are quite sure that this reaction of Windows defender is a false positive (incorrect). We are posting this FAQ in early October 2018 and we expect that the problem will soon be solved by Microsoft.
If you use Windows Defender, here are the steps to white-list Prism (so it won't get flagged as malware);
1. Go to Start > Settings > Updates & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Virus & threat protection settings > Add or remove exclusions.
2. Under Add an exclusion, locate the GraphPad folder and click Select folder. The exclusion will apply to subfolders within a folder as well.
If you use other antivirus programs, of course, the details won't be the same.
Step 2: Reinstall Prism
It is safe to uninstall Prism. You will not need to reactivate the license. Here is how to do it:
- To uninstall Prism click Start, Settings, Control panel, Uninstall a program (If sorted by categories). If the list is sorted by icons, select Programs and Features. Then select GraphPad Prism and uninstall it.
- To install Prism again you may find the installation file in My Account if you are a subscriber. Or find the email you received when purchasing Prism ("Thank you for ordering from GraphPad Software") and click the "Download Now", if you have a perpetual license.
- You can also try installing Prism to a location other than "Program Files". If you have more than one disk in your PC - try installing Prism to a non-system drive.
Other things to try
Restore Windows
Restore Windows to an earlier date from the point you might have previously created.
System Restore is a Windows feature that can help fix certain types of crashes and other computer problems just by restoring Windows to the last working point.
Here is how to restore Windows:
- To use the Restore Point click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools.
- Select "System Restore" from the menu
- Use "Restore my computer to an earlier time", and then click Next at the bottom of the screen.
Clean boot
Start Windows by using a minimal set of drivers and startup programs after you reinstalled Prism to see, if it was not deleted again.
It helps to troubleshoot error messages and other issues and eliminate software conflicts. This kind of startup is known as a "clean boot."
Here is the link with the detailed explanation on how to perform clean boot and it also contains the steps for determining what exactly causes the problem:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135
After you see that everything works fine, reset the computer to start as usual following the tips from KB article.
More to read
You will find more information about Windows deleting programs in these articles:
AND
Keywords: disappear