Free Anti-malware Software.

It seems free Anti-Malware programs are as scarce as free Firewalls.
I have been using Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Home (Free) which is probably the best. But I have had enough. When I click Update it takes up to 10 minutes to check for updates at a speed of no more than 50kbps. Then it downloads the updates at 6-8 Mbps. Clearly there's not a problem on my side or with my ISP.
Does anyone have the same issue?
Is IObit Malware Fighter Free as good?

 

Not having that problem with MalwareBytes free version updates. It varies for me from about 20 seconds to, at worst, about 1-1.5 minutes for it to fully complete. Maybe the issue is current problems with servers geographically.
I do use IoBit Uninstaller but I have to say I am not at all keen on anything else of theirs.

 

Eldon - I just started mine. Update needed. Started check for updates @ 8:33. I had database 2015.11.25.05. Started the update then. Update was installed @8:35. Now scanning with data version 2016.08.01.01. Scan is @ hueristcs now @ 8:42.

I use this and SuperAntiSpyWare. Else the rest is Windows Defender.

Win 8.1 64 bit.

 

Thanks

This was my first thought, but it has been like this for about 3 months.
Imandy Mann, kindly let me know how long the scan takes. I just scanned a 50 bytes .txt file and it took 33 seconds! I then scanned a 11 MB .exe file and it also took 33 seconds.

 

About 25 min for my C: drive on default scan. Think that's a 'quick scan'. 450gb disk with 180 gb free. Found 2 pups.
1 in recycle bin which I have "don't use " set, and 1 in downloads for an 'unlocker'. I saw 1.9 but since I cleaned it I can't verify which "unlocker".

 

Eldon, I think you have something local. I just ran an update for MB. it only took 23 secs on my 2272 Kbps DSL. I'll run a full scan on C:
while I play with the laptop fo a bit and report back with the time. Cheers!

 

MB fullscan 21:54 on 341992 objects ; heuristic analysis at about 14 min mark. Folding at Home was running in the background on medium
and MG site was still open with FF 47.0 and some security TSRs in the background, not consuming CPU resources to speak of. You might try a
MB reinstall as a start.

 

I've been using Malwarebytes Anti-Exploit

It does not need any tweaking. It runs three processes totaling less than 8 MB. It's set to load at startup and is accessible from a system tray icon.

http://www.howtogeek.com/223228/use-an-anti-exploit-program-to-help-protect-your-pc-from-zero-day-attacks/

I use Revo Uninstaller in Advanced mode for 32 bit programs since it does a better cleanup than any of the other free options. For any 64 bit programs, I use IObit.

 

mjnc do you ever scan your system with the MB product found here?
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/malwarebytes_anti_malware.html
The freeware vesrsion doesn't provide realtime protection, but has been one of the best scanners available.

 

Yes. I got a license for the Pro version years ago. I use that along with Avast Free, Anti-Exploit and Spywareblaster.

 

I updated MBAM 9-10 hours ago and it took 12+ minutes to begin downloading the update, I've just updated again, in just over 2 minutes. So it might be luck of the draw, routing issues, Premium users getting priority?

 

I'm considering this.

Well at least I'm not alone.
I'm now doing a Threat Scan.

 

The Threat Scan took 30 minutes - 26.4 GB & 256,945 objetcs.

 

I just checked for updates again, 2:10 before the download started. Just a thought, try checking closer to the half-hour than the hour, it might be that most Prem. users have their scheduled update set for the hour - so there'd be more activity (queuing?) in the 15 minutes before and after the hour.

I wouldn't fret over comparing scan times, variables there would include data amount, drive speeds, CPU power, etc. Best to compare your own figures from the same machine.

 

Well it took just 27 seconds!
Thanks satrow, I'll keep your suggestion in mind.

 

Ya lucky so and so

Maybe it's lunchtime in China or something.

 

I am going to try Emsisoft Anti-Malware.

I can therefore still keep Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and compare the two.

 

LOL, I installed it about 20 minutes ago... again.

 

again?

 

Yes, it might only be for the 2nd time this year on this PC, never really got it setup to my liking before, not granular enough perhaps.

 

Update on my Emsisoft Anti-Malware trial: I ditched it last night, too annoying and nannying for me, quite disturbing when trying to follow a normal workflow pattern that requires a number of different software to be used in sequence, one triggering the next.

 

After the trial, it no longer has real-time protection. I'm thinking of using it like I'm currently using Malwarebytes Anti-Malware i.e. run it once a week. However, as it's also an Antivirus program, it might conflict with Avast or vice versa while running the scan. Then again, I could disable Avast for an hour.
I'm still considering IObit Malware Fighter.

 

Hmm, I just updated and it took 30 seconds. I don't recall it ever taking a time anywhere near 10 minutes.

 

Any of you guys tried or have any experience with Crystal Security? I don't have the guts to try it, but it supposedly tests really well.

I won a year of MBAM Pro on one PC, and it's good, but I would like to have something A-M that is full time like MBAM once it expires.

 

It's cloud-based.
Personally, I prefer software on my PC.

 

Yeah, thanks Eldon. Looking at the video review on the developer's site, I was partly surprised he put it up, but kind of grateful, considering that the program actually fully crashed during the video and the fact that two of the 10 tested malwares were running on the test PC when the video ended. Still, I got to hand it to this guy for making a go of this by himself (as far as I know). I hope this is one of those projects where the developer just feels that everybody deserves a secure PC type of thing, so he will continue to improve the program.

8/10 ain't bad, but the video seems to indicate room for improvement for sure. BTW, I would go with cloud if I 100% felt I could trust the source. Don't know much about this one, but maybe he and his program will gain some notoriety at some point. It does use Virus Total after all. That's a good sign...

 

Eldon, I would concur with you that there definitely has to be something rotten ... uhhh, I mean, something screwy up on MBAM's side. I had alluded to this issue on another thread somewhere, but I'll touch up on it again.

Up until the MBAM 1.75 days, everything, the routine Definitions Update downloads via the GUI would be stable, reliable and in general problem free. Granted on my Dial Up it would take about 1 hour to download, but that was to be expected. Once the NEW breed MBAM came along, the Definitions Update downloads quickly became problematic and got progressively worse and worse to the point that eventually it was just 100% failure after failure.

What is strange is that the download process would seemingly go smoothly through the motions of downloading. But, once the Definitions Update downloads were theoretically complete, as per the MBAM GUI indication, the actual update would for some reason just not happen. The old definitions would always still be in place.

When I try to download the bulk Definitions Update file from Major Geeks, the download doesn't even want to remotely pretend to start. After a couple of seconds I just get an error.

Thus, while MBAM's prowess is supposed to be legendary, I can only scan with a fully-up to date MBAM whenever I get to periodically download the bulk Definitions Update file onto my Flash Drive over at my sister's house with her High Speed Internet. And even then, even with her High Speed Internet, I've sometimes encountered some hiccups and have had to restart the downloads ... sometimes even having to try a different browser.

I have no trouble updating my SAS Definitions via the GUI whenever I want to. And heck, the other day I downloaded the entire 25.5 Meg of the latest SAS Setup File with my Dial Up without a problem. Yet MBAM is over there playing hard to get.