Whether you’re using a third party antivirus like Norton, McAfee, Avast, Bitdefender etc, or simply relying on good old Windows Defender, they can and will miss some malware.
It’s the nature of the game. Malware evolves so quickly that no single AV can keep up. Something will always slip through the net.
Which is why you need to scan your computer for malware that might have been missed by your antivirus program.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to use Malwarebytes as an “on demand” scanner for virus and malware that you can run alongside your regular AV program.
Second Opinion Malware Scanner.
Rather than relying totally on just a single antivirus program to keep your PC clean, it’s a good idea to have a second opinion. The problem is that you can’t install more than one AV onto your computer.
Seriously, never have two antivirus programs on your computer at the same time.
Use Malwarebytes As An On Demand Malware Scanner.
Malwarebytes is a well respected anti virus program in its own right. As its name suggests it is terrific at picking up on malware that has been missed by your regular antivirus.
When you install Malwarebytes, it’ll install as a full time antivirus program. You’ll get a 14 day trial.
It’s important the you turn off the real time protection from Malwarebytes. If you don’t turn it off, you’ll run into problems with your regular antivirus program.
Download And install Malwarebytes.
You can download Malwarebytes from here – https://www.malwarebytes.com/
Click the Free Download button for Home use. Then run the installer (MBSetup.exe).
There’s not much to note about installing Malwarebytes other than skipping the Browser Guard option.
- Click the Install button.
- Since this is for use on your hoe computer, select Personal and then click Next.
- On the Browser Guard option screen, click Skip this for now.
- And finally, click on Open Malwarebytes.
After installation is complete you’ll probably be offered the premium version.
If you’re not interested, click Maybe Later.
Setting Up Malwarebytes As An On Demand Malware Scanner.
We want to use Malwarebytes as a second opinion malware scanner. But currently it’ll be working as a full time antivirus. That’s going to cause issues with the antivirus that’s already installed.
In the example below, you can see that I’ve got Malwarebytes and Avast running on my test computer. That’s not good.
And on the Malwarebytes Dashboard, you can see that Real-Time Protection is enabled.
We need to turn off the real time protection of Malwarebytes.
Turn Off Malwarebytes Real Time Protection.
To turn off the real time protection module of Malwarebytes and use it solely as a second opinion malware scanner, click your account icon in the top right hand corner of the Dashboard. On the menu, click My Subscription.
Then click the Deactivate Trial button.
When you return to the Malwarebytes dashboard, you’ll see that the real time protection is now inactive.
That’ll prevent Malwarebytes from interfering with the normal processes of your regular antivirus.
Having two antivirus programs running at the same time will cause more problems than it’ll solve.
Stop Malwarebytes From Starting With Windows.
Since you’re only going to be using Malwarebytes as a second opinion antivirus scanner, it’s a good idea to prevent it from starting up with Windows.
Click the Settings icon (the gear wheel) in the left hand panel.
Then turn off the the option to “Launch Malwarebytes in the background when Windows starts”.
Scanning PC For Malware Missed By Antivirus Programs.
So now you’ve successfully set Malwarebytes up as an on demand virus scanner to scan your computer for anything that your regular antivirus might have missed.
From the Malwarebytes Dashboard, click on the 3 vertical dots beside the Scan button. On the menu, click Settings.
Then on the Scan & Detections screen, enable Scan for Rootkits.
With that done, click Dashboard in the left hand panel.
Start A Second Opinion Scan.
You’re all setup now. Click the the Scan button to start a malware scan of your computer.
Scanning For Missed Malware.
Malwarebytes will scan your computer for ant malware that was missed by your regular antivirus.
When it’s finished, it’ll present a report of its findings. Hopefully you’ll get the all clear.
Notice.
If It does find anything suspicious, then Malwarebytes will offer to remove it for you. Simply select everything that has been found and click the Remove button.
Summary.
No antivirus program is infallible. So having an on demand malware scanner like this, set up and ready to go whenever you need it is a must.
Use Malwarebytes as an on demand scanner whenever you think you may have visited a website or webpage that made you suspicious.
Or use it as a second opinion scanner to run after your regular antivirus scan has finished.
