Technology Tips – Published November 2018 in the Guide and Digest
By Don Trauger – Kennett
Malwarebytes is a free anti-malware program. If you have it installed the program should update itself automatically to the latest version 3.6.1. By the time you read this, the version number may be higher.
This program will detect and remove most malware that anti-virus programs miss. It’s available at malwarebytes.com. Open your web browser and type malwarebytes.com in the address field and press the Enter key. Click the “Free Download” button at the upper right of the Malwarebytes window to download. It comes with a 14 day free trial of its premium features.
Double click the mb3-setup-consumer file in your Downloads folder to install it. When the window opens click “Advanced Options” at the bottom and put a check next to “Create a desktop shortcut”. Next, click “Agree and Install” and click “Finish” when the installation is complete. Click the “X” at the top of the pop-up window to close it which explains the 14 day free trial that starts now. Although Malwarebytes comes with the 14 day free trial, I recommend that you select the free version. To select the free version click “Settings”, then “Account Details” at the top and click “Deactivate Premium Trial”. The reason for this is that Malwarebytes protection can interfere with your anti-virus program.
After you have deactivated the license, updating Malwarebytes free is manual. Click the tiny up chevron on the Taskbar (Windows 10) and double click the blue “M”. When Malwarebytes opens, click the “Scan Now” button to start a system scan. This will also update Malwarebytes before commencing the scan. You can also click the Desktop Malwarebytes icon to perform the update and scan as described above. Scanning should be done weekly or as needed.
Other program options can be found when you click Settings and by clicking the tabs at the top. However, I find that the factory settings are appropriate for most users.
AdwCleaner, another anti-malware product, is a great compliment to Malwarebytes. It’s good to have another assessment tool on your system and it’s also available from Malwarebytes. Click here (https://www.malwarebytes.com/adwcleaner/ ) to download it or copy the link to your browser. Double click the adwcleaner download to open it then click “Scan Now”. Follow any screen prompts. There is no formal installation.
Please come to the PC Club meetings. We’ll show you how to install and run Malwarebytes and AdwCleaner. Also, there will be time for your general questions. We meet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7 PM in the Ardmore room of the Community Center