Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a popular tool for removing viruses and malware from your PC. There is a freely-available version of the program and a paid version. The freely-available version is highly functional and has access to all the same virus definitions as the paid version. The paid version adds several features, including preventing ransomware from loading, faster hyperscan mode, automatic scheduling of scans, and blocking access to dangerous websites. It is very easy and affordable to purchase a lifetime prescription to the Pro Version of Malwarebytes.

Users of either version will enjoy full antivirus scanning and flexibility in choosing scan types, including custom scans or preconfigured "threat scans" which scan the files and folders most commonly affected by viruses and malware. Hyperscan mode is only available in the paid version of the software.

The paid version also includes heuristic scanning technology which recognizes viruses based on their behavior rather than their digital signature. This technology comes in handy especially for new viruses that haven't had their digital signatures uploaded yet. Many infections that aren't detected by other virus scanners may be detected by heuristic scanning. Furthermore, while digital signatures can often be masked by attackers, heuristic scanners can still detect modified viruses based on their behavior. The disadvantage of this technology is that it is much more likely to return false positives, wrongly identifying harmless files as viruses. Malwarebytes detection history allows for recovery of any wrongly deleted files, however.

Within a few clicks, users can launch the program, select scan type, and run. The actual virus scan runs at a decent pace (faster in hyperscan mode) and presents a full list of detected threats. Users can then select what to omit and what to move to quarantine. The whole process is very straightforward and makes Malwarebytes an invaluable addition to the IT or personal user's toolkit. Since Malwarebytes does not support real-time scanning, it is recommended that it be used alongside a secondary antivirus solution; the freely-available Windows Defender program should be sufficient.

The most recent update of the program presents the user with a new interface showing the step-by-step progress of the scan process. This is an advantage over some virus scanners which fail to show verbose progress updates and cause anxiety for users who may cancel the scans early and restart them unnecessarily.

Pros

• Very functional free version of the program
• Easy to download, install, and run
• Provides the flexibility for custom scans or allows the users to select from other preconfigured scan options
• Integrated quarantine and easy removal of detected threats
• Easy and affordable to upgrade to the paid version
• Paid version supports heuristic scanning technology, catching many brand new viruses

Cons

• Requires an install which may involve registry changes
• Does not act as a real-time protection service in either the free of paid mode
• Since Malwarebytes Anti-Malware does not support real-time scanning, it is not recommended as a full antivirus solution
• Having multiple antivirus programs installed can sometimes cause conflicts between programs
• Heuristic scanning can sometimes return false positives