Software Update: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 2.1.4.1018 final

The final release of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 2.1 has been released. This program is aimed at fighting spy, ad and malware. However, it is mainly aimed at removing malicious software that pretends to be a bona fide antivirus or antispyware solution, but in reality has less good intentions, such as ransom– or scareware† In addition to the free version, there is a paid variant, which offers additional functionality, including real-time protection.

In version 2.1, the user interface has been refreshed, among other things, the latest definitions are now always retrieved for a scan and a notification is given when new beta versions are available. Furthermore, quarantining items has become easier and the program has become better at recognizing and removing rootkits. The complete changelog since version 2.0.4 looks like this:

Improvements:

• Brand new UI design! Much cleaner look with a toned-down color scheme.
• Improved scan flow – all scans now automatically check for and apply the latest database updates so you’re always scanning with the latest protection. (Exception: this will not occur with Scheduled Scans if you have the option to “check for updates before scanning” disabled.)
• Simplified Quarantine flow – threats detected are pre-selected for removal and users are presented with a single “Remove Selected” button. Clicking “Remove Selected” quarantines all checked items. If you uncheck any threats you will see a new dialog asking what action should be taken on the unselected items: Ignore Once, Ignore Always, Cancel.
• Improved malware protection capabilities, including enhanced rootkit detection and removal.
• The Minimize button now minimizes the main program window to the taskbar instead of the tray.
• The default display timeout for notifications was changed to 3 seconds instead of 7 seconds.
• The default value for “Show notification after successful update” is now set to “Off” for all scheduled updates.
• Removed the informational message from the main dashboard view.
• Remove support for Thai language due to quality issues with the translation.
• Installation of a Consumer/Home version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware over a Business version is now blocked.

Issue Fixed:

• Admin users should no longer see a prompt to login as admin to perform a program upgrade.
• Fixed issue where the web protection service (MWAC) was not restarting properly.
• Fixed numerous issues with scheduled scans, including showing the correct date for “Next scheduled scan” on the dashboard.
• Fixed issue where mbamscheduler was starting on boot when Malwarebytes Anti-Malware was set not to start with Windows.
• Fixed issue where any non-English language selected during installation would not be applied after installation.
• Fixed issue where Malwarebytes Anti-Malware did not always automatically update the database on installation.
• Fixed an issue where the “Delay Protection at startup for 15 seconds” setting showed as enabled, but was actually disabled. (We recommend reviewing this option to ensure it is configured as you intended.)
• Fixed issue where “Error Code 6” displayed at the end of scans.
• Fixed issue on Windows XP where scheduled scans on reboot would not start if the “Enable self-protection module” was checked.
• Malwarebytes Anti-Malware now honors self-protection settings detected from a previous installation.
• Fixed issue where context menu scan was not honoring user selection under detection and protection setting.
• Several issues with notifications were fixed.
• Several enhancements were made to the user interface to address accessibility issues.
• Several UI and user experience enhancements implemented.

Known Issues:

• Certain elements of the user interface, such as tables, do not support screen readers. We’ll continue to improve our support for accessibility-related items over the next several releases.
• The version information displayed the Protection Log for program updates is displaying an incorrect fourth digit. The fourth digit represents the build number, and if curious, you can find the exact build on the About screen in Settings.
• The informational messages that display during scans (and on the Scan Results page in the Free version) are only available in English for the time being. We hope to provide translations for these in a future release. There may be other minor issues around missing translations, which vary by specific language.