Malwarebytes 5.7.1 for Windows

Malwarebytes 5.7.1 for Windows is the desktop anti-malware software from Malwarebytes, and you can download it from the official malwarebytes.com website. It runs on Windows 10 and Windows 11, including ARM-based Windows 11 devices, and combines a free on-demand scanner with paid real-time protection.

Specifications

What Malwarebytes does on a PC

Malwarebytes is antivirus and anti-malware software, best known as the tool people run when something has already gone wrong. Its scanner checks memory, startup items, the registry and files for malware, ransomware, spyware and adware, and it is particularly good at catching potentially unwanted programs that other products let through: toolbars, fake optimisers and browser hijackers bundled with free downloads. After a scan you see a list of detections and can quarantine them with one click. The premium version adds real-time protection, which blocks threats as they arrive and guards against malicious websites. Many users run the free version alongside Microsoft Defender as a second opinion, while others use the premium edition as their main protection.

System requirements

According to Malwarebytes' system requirements article, the Windows version supports Windows 11 and Windows 10 and needs at least 4 GB of memory, preferably 8 GB, plus 1 GB of free disk space during installation. Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 are no longer supported.

How to install

1. Open malwarebytes.com and go to the download for Windows.
2. Run the installer and choose personal or work computer.
3. Let it update its detection database.
4. Run a scan and quarantine anything it finds.

Changes are listed in the official release history.

Is it safe to download?

Only from malwarebytes.com. Security tools are frequently faked, and a counterfeit "Malwarebytes Premium" key or crack is itself malware. If your PC is already infected and the site will not open, download the installer on another computer and copy it over on a USB stick.

Cleaning an infected PC

Disconnect from the internet if you see ransomware notes or files being renamed. Run a full scan, quarantine everything found and restart. Then change passwords for important accounts from a clean device, because malware may have captured them. Scan again a day later to make sure nothing returns.

Price

The scanner and manual removal are free after the trial ends. Real-time protection requires a paid subscription.

Pros and cons

• Pro: strong at removing adware and unwanted programs.
• Pro: clear, uncluttered interface.
• Con: real-time protection is paid.
• Con: large installation compared with a simple scanner.

Alternatives

Bitdefender, Avast Antivirus, AVG Antivirus, Norton Antivirus and Avira Antivirus are full antivirus products in the same category, and AdwCleaner is a small free tool for adware.