With several lifetime premium licenses, I’ve been following the threads at Malwarebytes concerning the 4.x beta testing.  In particular, there has been a slew of criticisms of the new GUI (the screenshots at Bleeping Computer show that they seem to have settled on one that is substantially less horrible than earlier ones.)  Frankly, the 3.x GUI was more than adequate, IMHO — intuitive and logical (as well as reasonably clean of silly eye candy).

(Malwarebytes 4.x Beta GUI: https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/252699-beta-4x-gui/)

I shall be waiting for a while before moving up to version 4.x (especially for some formal test results).

By chance I was successfully updating W7 on my old Acer 5611 laptop yesterday, and as I usually do when I take it out of its bag each month, I updated other programs which need regular updates including Malwarebytes Antimalware (MBAM) and I stumbled upon this new version 4.0.4.

Initially the update process got itself into a tangle because it needs new outgoing internet accesses and by default I block unknown programs and get a notification using Windows Firewall Notifier (WFN) (similar to the better known Windows Firewall Control?). I was unable to create the new rules quickly enough! I temporily allowed all outgoing accesses and the installation “apparently” completed successfully.

I then found that a full scan which previously only took 15 minutes or so, even on this slow PC, was still running at about 100,000 files scanned 2 hours later, so I concluded that this update had not completed successfully!

I uninstalled MBAM (using Revo uninstaller to remove some left behind files, but leaving in place the firewall rules), downloaded the MBAM version 4.0.4 installer (which is now a small online installer) and installed MBAM 4.0.4 again. A full scan now completed in about 15 minutes (from memory), so similar to previously. So if you have problems after an in place MBAM 3 update try a clean install from scratch.

My other, newer W8.1 PC updated its version of MBAM in place without any problems.

The UI has been moved around a bit and to my eyes looks less professional as a result, but most of the settings are still there. The problems with the MBAM service not starting on PC startup which plagued early iterations of MBAM version 3, do not appear to be there with version 4.0.4 (based on maybe 6 or 7 starts across 2 PCs so far).

HTH. Garbo.

PS: I use MBAM Premium (I have a lifetime licence bought when these were available a few years ago) alongside Panda AV.

With this release, Malwarebytes considers itself an antivirus replacement and will now register itself with the Windows Security settings as the primary antivirus solution on the computer.

I will need some more convincing before I can consider MBAM as more than a second opinion malware scanner. But primary AV? Yeah, right!

I’ll be waiting to monitor how the user reviews go before I seriously consider installing the new v4.x MBAM, and will stick with the most recent v3.x free that’s on all my machines for weekly on-demand scans as long as the malware lists will update.  I have used the app for years and started to download the new version from MajorGeeks this morning, but realized it was a stub installer file and then discovered what MB was pushing from their site was also the same stub installer.  I dislike stub installers intensely (hate is not too strong a term, so call it a trust issue), and will not quickly change in that attitude after a half-century of dealing with computers from big-iron mainframes to PCs.

That’s too bad, they got rid of the Quick Scan ability on the non-Premium version.

The fact that the package has an issue with their own Windows Firewall Control is what will keep me away from this version as I use WFC.

from

https://support.malwarebytes.com/docs/DOC-2814

`Lifecycle
Document created by jyamada Employee on Dec 17, 2018•Last modified by jgolomb on Nov 4, 2019
Version 18

View in full screen mode

For definitions of dates and impact to support, refer to the Malwarebytes Product Lifecycle policy.

Version Status GA Date End of Sale End of Maintenance End of Life Supported OS Changes
4.0 Active 04-Nov-2019
3.8.3 Active 27-Jun-2019 04-Nov-2019 04-Nov-2019 04-May-2020
3.7.1 Active 05-Feb-2019 27-Jun-2019 27-Jun-2019 27-Dec-2019
3.6.1 Legacy 19-Sep-2018 05-Feb-2019 05-Feb-2019 05-Aug-2019
3.5.1 Legacy 08-May-2018 19-Sep-2018 Final version supporting Windows XP and Vista.
3.4.5 Legacy 29-Mar-2018 08-May-2018 08-May-2018 08-Nov-2018
3.4.4 Legacy 06-Mar-2018 29-Mar-2018 29-Mar-2018 29-Sep-2018
3.3.1 Legacy 02-Nov-2017 06-Mar-2018 06-Mar-2018 06-Sep-2018
3.2 Legacy 22-Aug-2017 02-Nov-2017 02-Nov-2017 02-May-2018
3.1 Legacy 10-May-2017 22-Aug-2017 22-Aug-2017 22-Feb-2018
3.0.6 Legacy 25-Jan-2017 10-May-2017 10-May-2017 10-Nov-2017
3.0.5 Legacy 19-Dec-2016 25-Jan-2017 25-Jan-2017 25-Jul-2017
3.0.4 Legacy 08-Dec-2016 19-Dec-2016 19-Dec-2016 19-Jun-2017

I went looking for the download of V4 from within my V3 on my Dell XPS8700 test machine and it found it right away, downloaded and updated. I ran a scan with this result:

So I then used my production Dell 8920 to run a scan with MBV3 with this result:

I find it very interesting that the newer machine 8920 scanned fewer items with much faster hardware and the total time wasn’t that much different. Yes, I know it was almost double but come on less that 2:15 minutes total for the older slower machine!

If you want the technicals:

          Dell XPS 8920:                Dell XPS 8700
CPU       i7-7700 @3.6 GHz              i7-4770 @3.4 GHz
Memory    16Gb 2400                     12Gb 1600
Disks     Samsung 960 NVMe M.2 256Gb    SanDisk SSD 240Gb
          Samsung 850 SSD 256Gb         SanDisk Ultra II 960Gb
          Samsung 850 SSD 256Gb         
     Note: All drives are GPT

HTH 😎

pHROZEN gHOST wrote:

The fact that the package has an issue with their own Windows Firewall Control is what will keep me away from this version as I use WFC.

Try Tinyfirewall instead on WFControl , a good alternative on top of windowsfirewall

RetiredGeek wrote:

I went looking for the download of V4 from within my V3 on my Dell XPS8700 test machine and it found it right away, downloaded and updated…

Hmmm, a scanner that never has doubts and never finds anything….

I ever had a boss that thought this way of thinking was good, till he was completely [edited – Lounge Rules “NO SWEARING”].

Since they’re not pushing the upgrade right now, I might as well wait another month and see what howls and screams come from those who are upgrading now. Kinda like what we do around here with Windows 10 updates.

RetiredGeek wrote:

It still runs just fine along side Windows Defender.

My Kaspersky A/V doesn’t run along with Windows Defender, it deactivate Defender.
Never run 2 real time A/V applications .

Per this forum topic about Malwarebytes 4.0:

https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/253227-announcing-malwarebytes-40-for-windows/

Which Operating Systems does Malwarebytes 4 support?
Malwarebytes 4 supports Windows 7 SP1 or newer.

We continue to support legacy XP and Vista with our Legacy version, you may download the latest available version for XP and Vista by clicking here.

Even though Malwarebytes does not recommend running operating systems that Microsoft no longer supports, we have no current plans of ending or phasing out in any form our support for Windows 7. This means that going forward, and until further notice, we will continue to support Windows 7 as we have up to this point.

FWIW, someone replied to the gripe I left on the MajorGeeks webpage associated with the new version’s stub installer, who pointed out the full offline installer file was available through a link provided in the second post about the announcement on the official MBAM forum found here.  The new file download is 147 Mb, so I’m still going to wait for awhile and monitor the user feedback before committing to the newer version.

If what i read is correct it now considers itself a

full antivirus and therefore would override Windows Defender.

Can anyone confirm this?

I have a lifetime subscription to the Premium edition.  After I begrudgingly updated to Win 10 (1803) I chose to use Malwarebytes (MWB) 3.0 ,and it’s other protective modules, as my antivirus and for protection against malware, etc. I also use it’s real protection and have included several other applications in addition to the default applications.

Although I have disabled Win Defender, I run it, from time to time, to determine whether MWB is doing it’s job. I also run several credible online scanners for that same purpose. There’s never been either a virus or malware discovered. Despite all of the articles that basically said I was putting myself at risk for not using a “real” antivirus, I remain confident that I am protected.

I use FF ESR as my sole browser in addition to many of it’s security add-ons. Edge has been deactivated to the extent that I was able to do so, as has Cortana and most all of the other Win 10 Apps which I don’t need or use. I do not go on unsafe websites nor do I ever use social media.

The new MWB 4.0.4.9 scans my computer, and all the added applications, in about seven minutes. Time-wise, I could care less how long it takes as long as the real time protection modules continue to do their job. That’s my two cents worth on this topic.

reading one of the recent comments about Malwarebytes 4 from majorgeeks.com
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/malwarebytes_anti_malware.html

Malwarebytes 4.x deletes the IOBit Advanced System Care program as noted in one of the comments. it seems Malwarebytes dislikes some apps from IOBit

also, need the full “offline” installer for Malwarebytes 4.0 (not the “stub” EXE installer that requires an internet connection)? read this forum post:
https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/253227-announcing-malwarebytes-40-for-windows/?do=findComment&comment=1342864

MWB calls it a PUP and indeed I would agree, got a driver program pushed on me a few years back.
Revo has a free version go with that.

I have a lifetime, single, licence on MWB, which I have not upgraded since v 3.8.3.  I must have had reminders every six hours for the past week of the new version, and feel torn between taking the upgrade and uninstalling the whole (stupid) thing.

Is the upgrade worth taking?