In our previous article “Tools to Combat Malware” we promised a rolling review of sorts of certain software products you might find useful in your fight against multiple variants of dreaded malware. This is the first in that series.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware v1.40
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is an excellent option in the expanding anti-malware market. Its simple interface and malware removal effectiveness make this a worthy addition to your malware tools. However, there are a few issues worth mentioning. I’ll discuss the pros and cons in this article.
Installation
Installation of Malwarebytes is extremely simple. It’s a little under 4 MB in size which makes it a quick download. Using the default installation will also install Google Toolbar, but removing the check mark from that option will ensure you don’t install anything other than Malwarebytes. Upon completion of the installation, you can choose to update the application and launch it.
Interface
The first thing you notice when Malwarebytes launches is its clean interface or GUI. This is refreshing after using other complex anti-malware tools. There are nine tabs that offer a few options per tab.
Scanner
The Scanner tab gives two scanning options, a Quick Scan, and a Full Scan of local drives as well as providing an option to scan network drives.
Protection
The next tab, moving left to right, is Protection, but I’ll come back this to this in more detail one later on.
Update
Update is self explanatory. Select the Check for Updates button to keep the database up to date.
Quarantine
Whenever Malwarebytes detects malware, it will be viewable in the Quarantine tab. You can either Delete it from your system here, or you can choose to Restore it if deemed not to be malware. Any malware you chose to ignore will be listed in the Ignore List.
Settings
General settings can be configured from the Settings tab. The default settings have everything checked except for Terminate Internet Explorer during removal. I generally uncheck the Anonymously Report Statistics to Malwarebytes’ Threat Center. I don’t really have a good reason for this, just personal preference.
More Tools
The More Tools tab is pretty nifty. Not only does it provide Bug Reporting, but it offers FileASSASSIN. And what is FileASSASSIN you ask you may ask?
FileASSASSIN
If you’re like me, you’ve tried to remove a file or directory and encountered one or more of the following messages:
- Cannot delete file: Access is denied.
- Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use.
- The source or destination file may be in use.
- The file is in use by another program or user.
FileASSASSIN was created by Malwarebytes to deal with these particular messages which are common when trying to delete some malware files on your system. It is an application that can delete any type of locked file on your computer. Whether the files are from malware or one you just can’t seem to delete, FileASSASSIN can take care of it.
More on Protection
Lastly, we go back to the Protection tab we skipped earlier. This is where Malwarebytes gets you. While Malwarebytes is a freeware application, there are some functions it will not do unless you purchase and register the full copy. The main function lacking in the free version is Real-Time Protection. The free version will let you scan your computer any time you like and attempt to remove the malware currently running on it. It will not run in the background detecting malware before it infects your computer. At the time of this printing it’ll cost you $24.95 for this feature. [Editor’s note: Real Time Protection is strongly recommended.]
Some Final Words
Overall, the free Malwarebytes is a capable tool for combating malware. While the free version may not be ideal for real-time scanning and protection, it stands out against others in it’s abilities to detect and clean unwanted malware from your computer. I would highly recommend the free version of Malwarebytes for such a purpose, upgrading to the paid version with Real Time Protection if this will be your only anti malware tool.
In our next installment we will cover Lavasoft Ad-Aware.