Malwarebytes is one of the best anti-malware programs ever made. It has both free and paid versions, but even the free version is worth having around. Here’s how you can use it to remove malware from your PC.
Pre-Scan
Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware from its official website. You might be able to find it on other websites, but you should always be leery of them. Get it from the official website.
When you first start Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware up, this is the window that you will see. Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware has a modern minimalist user interface (UI) that makes it intuitive to use, even if you aren’t familiar with the software.
If you did not check for updates during the install process, now is a good time to do so. Click the gear icon in the top right corner of the window.
Click “Check for Updates” to get the latest database signatures, and make sure that the switch for automatic updates is enabled.
Scanning for Malware
Once you have all the latest updates applied, it is time to start scanning. You should run a full system scan. Click the “Scan” area to get started.
Note: You have to click anywhere other than the actual blue “Scan” button.
Once you have clicked “Scan,” click “Advanced Scanners.”
Click “Configure Scan.”
Tick all of the scan options, and select the drives you want to scan. You definitely want to scan your C: drive, and if you have others you should probably scan them as well. Click “Scan” once you’re satisfied.
Keep in mind that scanning your whole system will take quite a while, even with a great processor and fast solid-state drives. It may be a good idea to set up the scan to run overnight.
Once you have clicked “Scan”, you will see a window indicating the progress of the scan. You can see exactly what Malwarebytes is doing, how many files it has checked, and how long it has run.
Once Scanning is Complete
Once Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware has finished scanning your computer, it will display the number of items scanned, the number of infected objects found, and the time elapsed. You can export the results of your scan to a text file by clicking “Save Results.”
The Scan Results window will also let you pick what you do with all of the malware or potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) the scan revealed. You should take whatever actions Malwarebytes recommends unless you have an extremely good reason to ignore the recommendations.
Even if you found dozens or hundreds of viruses or PUPs, it should only take a few seconds for Malwarebytes to take care of them.
A Quick Look at the Reboot Request
If there is any malware that needs to be removed during a reboot, you will see a message detailing exactly what will be taken care of as soon as you restart your computer. Item removal during a reboot is extremely smooth and quick…on our example system the “cleanup reboot process” looked exactly like a normal reboot (terrific!). Click “Yes” to start the reboot process.
If you are looking for an anti-malware app that works quickly and well, then Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware is just the app for you. Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware works with minimum fussing and gets the job done, plain and simple.