Configure Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

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Configure Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

In this tutorial: How to configure Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and manage Quarantine in Windows XP, Vista, 7 or 8

Last modified: 2012-03-16 13:07:59 EET

After installing, Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware will update its malware definitions. Wait until this is complete.

If you do not yet have Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware open, open Start menu, click All Programs, find Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware folder and then click Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. Windows Vista, 7 and 8 users should then click Continue or Yes in User Account Control warning window.

Updating Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. Stand by.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware then displays a success message. Click OK.
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware - update successful. Click OK.

Since version 1.51.0.1200, a 14-day trial version of the full Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware is offered once. To continue using the free version, click Decline.
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Trial offer. To use the MBAM for free, click Decline.

In MBAM (short name for Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware) main window click Settings tab.
Let's see what we can find under the General Settings tab.
To make sure that MBAM can remove malware that uses Internet Explorer for its dirty deeds, keep the Terminate Internet Explorer during threat removal box checked. Some malware run IE without displaying any browser windows, so this is important! And please remember to close all Internet Explorer windows before starting a malware scan.
If you feel very concerned about your privacy, clear the Anonymously report usage statistics box. This means that MBAM will never send any information about program usage to the creators.
The Create right click context menu option allows you to launch MBAM scan for any file or folder from Windows Explorer. For example, right-clicking Documents / My Documents folder lists the Scan with Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware option among others. Activate the check box.
Leave the Automatically save log file after scan completes box checked as it can save important information about items found for IT specialists.
Clear the Open log file immediately after saving check box. You do not always need to read the log file, the scan results are quite enough.
Warn if database is outdated by is a very important settings - here you can specify how old the signature database can be without MBAM notifying you of this. The default setting, 7 days, is pretty good; but setting this to 3 is even better.
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, Settings tab, General Settings. Clear the check box named Open log file immediately after saving.

Here's the warning dialog about an outdated database. Clicking Yes will download and install the latest database right away.
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, database outdated warning. Click Yes to update the database.

Next, click the Scanner Settings tab and verify that all check boxes concerning scanning are checked. This ensures that all system areas are scanned.
Also, check the Enable advanced heuristics engine (Heuristics.Shuriken) box.
Next, you can select default behavior for detected Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs - for example, password crackers, hacking tools, etc), Potentially Unwanted Modifications (PUMs - modifications in Registry items and settings files) and Peer-to-Peer Software (P2P - BitTorrent, eMule, Kazaa, etc).
I recommend selecting Show in results list and check for removal for both Action for potentially unwanted programs (PUP) and Action for potentially unwanted modifications (PUM) items. This ensures that all strange programs and modifications are detected. After all, you can always deselect programs and modifications in the Scanning Results window.
Action for peer-to-peer software (P2P) should be either Show in results list and do not check for removal or Show in results list and check for removal, depending whether you want to use some P2P programs or not.
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, Settings tab, Scanner Settings. Verify that all check boxes are marked.

Click Updater Settings tab and make sure that the Download and install program update if available check box is selected. This will update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware to the latest version automatically.
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, Settings tab, Updater Settings. Make sure that the Download and install program update if available check box has been checked.

Managing Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware quarantine

All detected malware is moved to a quarantine folder by default. As this folder might waste loads of disk space, it is recommended to clear it once a month. You can also restore items to their previous locations if you really know what you're doing.

Click Quarantine tab in MBAM main window. Here are all items detected. The easiest and safest way to empty quarantine folder is to click Delete All button.
Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, Quarantine tab. To empty quarantine folder, click Delete All button.

You can also delete individual items by selecting them with mouse and clicking Delete button. You can select multiple concurrent items by clicking the first one, then holding down Shift key on your keyboard and clicking the last one. To select multiple non-concurrent items, hold down Ctrl key while clicking the items you need.

Be very careful with Restore All and Restore buttons, do not use them unless you are sure that you are not restoring malware!