Malwarebytes 3.4.4 update released
Malwarebytes, maker of the security software of the same name, released Malwarebytes 3.4.4 for the Microsoft Windows operating system yesterday.
The new version is the first stable release for Windows in 2018. Existing Malwarebytes installations should pick up the update automatically as automatic updates are enabled by default.
A click on "install application updates" under Settings > Application runs a check for updates if the automatic update functionality is turned off. The new version is available on the Malwarebytes website as well and can be downloaded from there for manual installation. The new version should install without issues over existing installations.
Malwarebytes 3.4.4
The new version of Malwarebytes includes improvements across the board. The most prominent change improves the notification and reporting system of the security software.
Malwarebytes displays information about blocked websites that include the blocked category in the new version according to the release notes. The category reveals why a site was blocked by the application. I did not find the category listed in the popup but in the report section.
The notification lists the blocked domain and IP address, the program that tried to connect to it, and the reason for the block in the latest version.
A button to close the notification and to manage the list of exclusions is provided. The new version features an updated report design "for better usability" according to Malwarebytes.
The reports overview listing lacks information in my opinion. Malwarebytes lists the protection event and date and time only, and not other information.
I'd like to see information added to the listing to improve usability; for websites, Malwarebytes should at least display the domain name of the blocked site to make identification easier.
You can open one report at a time; if you get lots of reports, you may not be able to identify the event you want to analyze based on the provided information.
Report details list a summary and advanced information. The summary lists the same information that Malwarebytes displays in the notification popup that it opens when events are triggered plus The category is listed there. The advanced tab lists additional information that are mostly useful if you need assistance.
Malwarebytes 3.4.4 includes a new notification center that lists the most recent block notifications.
Malwarebytes improved protection, detection and remediation in the new version according to the release notes. The company improved how the security program removes malware on systems that are heavily infected, and how shortcuts and tasks are handled.
The changelog lists stability issues and fixes; Malwarebytes updated the 7-Zip library to version 18.01 and improved the upgrade process for earlier versions of the software application. The company fixed several crashes including a blue screen crash caused by the web protection module.
Read the full changelog here for the complete list of changes in Malwarebytes 3.4.4.
Now You: Which security software do you use, and why?
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I recently stopped using it. I really tried to get along with the new version and waited for bugfixing releases etc but it remains not favorable IMHO. On the desktop it is quite okay, but eventually even there I will remove it in the next months, which I already did on my laptop. The 2.x version did run so much better and this is just talking about the UI. Added to that comes a new administrative permission system, which asks not at the start of the program but if you close it, which may be alright from an security/rights management point of view, but not for the customer who does not use autostart and wants to continue to use this program as a 2nd scanner, which might be started every now and then. Used the old version this way and never had annoyances doing so.
The UI still does not accept the state of being in maximized view, changes back again everytime I check for updates. And instead of 1 firewall object that wants a firewall rule now it uses 3, where some appear to do nothing for the user. It updates without an error if you enable only one and you can even break that down to just port 443 traffic. But it sometimes request port 80, for what? and now the tray application also wants its own firewall exception.
And they made the cheap move (as mentioned here in the comments aswell) to auto apply the premium trial this one time, I also have not forgotten that. Being done with good intentions or not, this is nothing I want a program to do, it’s just bad software design.
@shibola:
“And they made the cheap move (as mentioned here in the comments as well) to auto apply the premium trial this one time, I also have not forgotten that. Being done with good intentions or not, this is nothing I want a program to do, it’s just bad software design.”
Not necessarily just “this one time.” It’s happened to me on at least *two* version 3.x updates. And even though I now know how to terminate the Premium trial (thanks to commenter DVDRambo), I still have to reinstall Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit Beta (which the Premium update uninstalls) and reboot. It’s not the end of the world, but since I have slow mechanical hard drives on SATAII ports and like to let hard-drive activity start petering out before logging in*, it’s an unwelcome five-minute interruption.
*I have run into problems in Windows 7 if I log in too quickly after the Welcome screen appears.
As a very long user of MWB and dealing with it’s memory issues and trying to fix it, I decided to forgot about it for about 6 months to a year.
Go back to ver 2.2 like I did and wait for a stable release.
Also to avoid getting there is a “new version available” do this as a previous poster said:
First, go into Malwarebytes and turn off the “check for program updates when checking for database updates†under settings.
Then, you have to find the file “mbam-setup.exe†file that Malwarebytes stashed away. It looks for that file every time it starts. If it finds it, it does the annoying “update available†thing. So, delete it, stop and restart MalwareBytes, and voilà : No more annoying update messages. All you get are the database updates.
And … installing the updated version started a NEW [expletive] two-week Premium trial period. There was no opt-out anywhere that I saw. The same thing happened to a friend who updated to the previous version a couple of weeks ago. We just want to use Malwarebytes for occasional supplemental on-demand scans. With the trial period, we have to proactively disable the Malwarebytes protections that duplicate our primary real-time protections, and then RE-INSTALL Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit Beta once the trial period is over. AGAIN. It’s [expletive] annoying.
A different Martin: Here’s how to opt out: Settings > Account Details > Deactivate Premium Trial.
*Done*, and I’m just about to reinstall Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit Beta! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
(PS: After re-installing Anti-Exploit, I have to reboot. So, more of an annoyance than I remembered…)
MBAM became crapware some time ago.
Switching to monthly payments made them arrogant but not as annoying as mozzila. Good thing I have a dozen lifetime subs. heh
“Good thing I have a dozen lifetime subs. heh” – Damn, you bought twelve? Or got free codes ?
They use to be around 20$ so sometimes you could find them for 10$, got 3 new discs/boxes once for 15$. So buying one or 2 a year to have extras to sell to friends(sometimes its easier to give them away you know?) since they can’t be bothered to worry about malware or AV stuff but come begging to have their comp fixed.
Sometimes you can find MWB lifetime keys for 30-40$ on ebay its hit or miss but I don’t really need any that badly. I just do the oem keys for kaspersy for 15-20 a year for 3-5pc.
I updated MBAM free.Now some Windows apps won’t open.Will Revo, RegScan and File explore it. I’m done w/ MBAM!
Every version after 1.75 is bloated buggy junk….
Not so good in the MRG_Effitas_360_Assessment_2017-Q3 Emsisoft is better.
Still eats more ram than a fat kid in a sweet shop and web protection still wont enable on boot!
I wish i could get v2.2 to work without the annoying “update available” everytime it starts.
Do you, now? Well friend, from one hater of the inefficient, behemoth of a once great Malwarebytes to another, ask and ye shall receive!
First, go into Malwarebytes and turn off the “check for program updates when checking for database updates” under settings.
Then, you have to find the file “mbam-setup.exe” file that Malwarebytes stashed away. It looks for that file every time it starts. If it finds it, it does the annoying “update available” thing. So, delete it, stop and restart MalwareBytes, and voilà : No more annoying update messages. All you get are the database updates.
On Windows 7 32bit, it puts the file in ‘ProgramData/Malwarebytes/MalwareBytes Anti-Malware” but that may be different on other OS versions/architecture.
MSE. Occasionally on demand scan with Trend Micro Anti-Threat Toolkit and Kaspersky Rescue Disk.
I will pass this version, first want to see reports about it.