Malwarebytes vs WinMalSoftRemovalTool

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Does anyone know why Malwarebytes Free takes less than 10 minutes to scan while Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool takes 2 hours to scan my PC? Is this because Malwarebytes not really doing a through job or maybe they just have a better approach? Thanks.

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You must be comparing with an MSRT Full Scan?

An MSRT Quick Scan takes less than five minutes.

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J9438

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b wrote:

You must be comparing with an MSRT Full Scan?

Yes, I was using the MSRT full scan. However, the Malwarebytes Free and Premium Trial that I have does not offer a full scan. When I open Malwarebytes it just has a button for Scan. So I am not so sure that is such an effective scan if it does not offer a full scan??? It seems like a very good service with its real time protection but then why does it seem to be doing just a surface scan only unless it is somehow doing a very efficient full scan under the surface.

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Per documentation:

Malwarebytes for Windows provides three methods you can use to scan your computer: Threat Scan, Custom Scan, and Quick Scan. The scan method you choose determines how comprehensive of a scan Malwarebytes for Windows runs on your computer.

To run a Threat Scan, open Malwarebytes for Windows and click the blue Scan button. To choose a scan method, instead click the larger Scanner card. The Scanner menu expands to present you with the Scan button, and also Advanced scanners to choose either Quick Scan or Custom Scan. Each scan type is described below.

HTH

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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In my experience the biggest time expenditure for antivirus/anti-malware on full or deep scan is going through the humongous Winsxs folder and all those files.  When I want a deep cycle scan and don’t have a lot of time I set the antivirus program to exclude the Winsxs folder from the scan.

Being 20 something in the 70's was so much better than being 70 something in the insane 20's

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J9438

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RetiredGeek wrote:

also Advanced scanners

Ah, a slip up by MalwareBytes. I have the 14 day premium trial and for some reason it does not show the Advanced Scanners (nothing below the blue Scan button). You would think they would want to show that to encourage you to buy the premium as why would I want the premium if it will not do a full scan.

Charlie wrote:

I set the antivirus program to exclude the Winsxs folder

Great idea! Thanks.

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You have to click on the white background around the blue Scan button first:

RetiredGeek wrote:

To choose a scan method, instead click the larger Scanner card. The Scanner menu expands to present you with the Scan button, and also Advanced scanners to choose either Quick Scan or Custom Scan.

(Brilliant user interface – NOT!)

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J9438

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b wrote:

You have to click on the white background around the blue Scan button first

Amazing! Like you said

b wrote:

Brilliant user interface – NOT!)

I always wonder if something like this is just a lack of good testing or if they really do not want you to do a full scan so you can be impressed at how fast they can scan your system. Either way kind of makes me question if I really want to buy their premium service since even a simple interface not so good?? On the other hand their free version did quarantine 30 files on a relative’s (who loved to open funny emails loaded with viruses) PC.  Thanks for finding how to do the full scan. I am going to try it just to compare the time it takes with the Windows tool.

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b

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I would go with lack of testing. The MWB window never shows me the controls at its bottom at the resolution settings I use. Full screen view also cuts off the bottom. Poor testing or poor programming ? Your choice.

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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J9438

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Well I tried Malwarebytes Full Scan on my Win 10  Ver 2004 on Intel I7 processor and now I see why they do not want you to find the Full Scan option. While the Quick Scan took 5 to 10 minutes and showed 307k files scanned the Full Scan ran over 4 hours and I stopped it at 270k files scanned. This compares to WinTool doing several million files at just over 2 hours. These file counts do not make since either as way different. Maybe Malware is not counting subfolders?? As to the time difference maybe Malware is more thorough?? Anyway I would not buy Premium for the Full Scan feature – just too long to use and WinTool does a good job at a tolerable time, but the Premium might be worth it for the real time protection to stop the malware before it gets in and needs to be scanned.

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You might find this article instructive. HTH

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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J9438

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[Bob99]

On my machines the default Threat Scan from Malwarebytes (Free edition) takes only about 3 minutes or so for about 330,000 items. Both machines have NvMe SSD’s, 16 gigs of memory and 9th generation Intel processors (i3-9100 and i5-9500) that run 64 bit Windows 10 Pro.

However, if I go into the settings as described above and select the entire C: drive for scanning, that scan takes just over an hour to complete, showing about 230,000 items scanned.

@J9438, one thing to keep in mind is that the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool is, by its own admission, limited in scope and not meant as a substitute for a full-featured anti-crapware product. MSRT only scans for a certain limited set of nasties, which can vary based upon what Microsoft sees as being prevalent at the time they plan to release the tool. It also isn’t updated very frequently, only about once every two or three months, which is an eternity by today’s standards.

I have Windows Defender as my anti-crapware solution, which comes pre-installed as part of Windows 10.

When I’ve run the Full Scan offered within Windows Defender, it has taken anywhere from eleven (11) to fifteen (15) minutes to scan my entire system with well over a million items scanned.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by Bob99.
• This reply was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by Bob99.

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J9438

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I just ran a Full Scan with the stand-alone MSRT tool that I got from MS’s download servers. The tool took 48 minutes to run and scanned a total of just over 2.4 million items. BTW, no infections found.

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J9438

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I have Malwarebytes Premium and I use the Scan Scheduler to do a custom scan (pretty much everything) in the wee hours, so scan time is not much of an issue for me.  There is no useful knowledge to be gained by “watching” Malwarebytes run a scan.  It creates a report after every scan.   Just read the report.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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J9438

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Bob99 wrote:

16 gigs of memory and 9th generation Intel

That is probably the difference as I only have 12 Gigs, I7 Intel, and Win 10 home on a laptop. Racecar vs sedan.

Bob99 wrote:

Full Scan offered within Windows Defender, it has taken anywhere from eleven (11) to fifteen (15) minutes to scan my entire system

Same idea with antivirus as mine (Macfee) takes about an hour for full scan.

Bob99 wrote:

Full Scan with the stand-alone MSRT

And as opposed to mine at just over 2 hours, sure looks like it it just a matter of a faster processor with more memory!

bbearren wrote:

custom scan (pretty much everything) in the wee hours

Good point for the future. I was monitoring day time just out of curiosity to see how long and had no idea it would run for 4 hours.

Thanks to all . Good discussion. Helps everyone to decide what tools to use. Now if we could just get rid of those bad apples that force us to do all these scans!!!!

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