Declare war on malware

As you'd expect, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware PRO scans your system looking for viruses, spyware, malware, keyloggers and more. Of course, these scans can be automated or initiated on demand, if you'd like more control. The app will create whitelists, show you a scan log at the end of the process and will quarantine anything it thinks is suspicious, waiting for your assessment.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware PRO, unlike the free version, offers real-time protection and can be considered a "real" antivirus, rather than a handy tool. It also protects you from suspicious sites when you are browsing the web, has extensive scheduling functions and the ability to prioritize tasks.

It's all just a click away

Although it's not breaking any records for appearance, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware PRO is clean, clear, and sensibly organized into a tab structure, meaning you'll find it very easy to move around.

A choice of scan options

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware PRO offers you 3 scanning options - fast, complete and flash. The latter just scans the memory and automated processes.

If you want to analyze a single file, just use the on-demand option that you'll find has appeared in the context (right-click) menu.

We found the scan engine to be quick, but we thought the detection rate could be improved. It doesn't detect rootkits, but instead offers a separate tool. For a pro version, we''d like everything to be included in the main app.

Activating the trial version

There are two ways to activate Malwarebytes Anti-Malware PRO's trial version:

1. If you've already installed the free version, open it and go to Security and then Start Test.

2. If this is the first time using Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, choose "Activate your free trial of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware PRO during the installation process.

Our verdict

Compared to the free version, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware PRO is a serious - and complete - anti-virus. The real-time protection and suspicious sites protection make it a valuable ally for people who spend lots of time online. It's also easy to use, which makes it a good choice for less-experienced users.

Even so, we felt the design and detection rate could be improved, things that caused Malwarebytes Anti-Malware PRO to lose a few points in our scoring.

Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware PRO 1.75.0.1300 in Softonic

The Malwarebytes Anti-Malware definitions are constantly updated, so you'll always be fully protected. Updates may slow down your PC momentarily, but it's obviously worth it to keep up to date. You can also allow updates to happen automatically, leaving you free to get on with other tasks.

What Malwarebytes Anti-Malware does

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware doesn’t offer real-time protection, but you can scan your machine whenever you like. There are two scan settings with the free version – Full and Quick. If Malwarebytes detects an infection, it will alert you and you can decide what action needs to be taken – or let it make the decision itself. There’s also an Ignore list feature, so the program will know which files, if any, to skip over. The program also blocks known risky websites.

How does the program perform?

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a very solid product. It includes some useful extras, such as context menu integration, and a locked file deletion tool called FileASSASSIN (as demoed in the video above). Even so, you do have to remember to run it if you fear an infection - if you want realtime protection, you’ll need to pay for a Malwarebytes Anti-Malware license.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a powerful, quick malware scanner that’s perfect for the casual – but savvy – user.

Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.75.0.1300 in Softonic

One of the most dreaded bugs or viruses that your PC can be infected by is the About:Blank virus. AboutBuster allows you to specifically hunt and destroy this specific bug as well other hard to find spyware like CWS.HomeSearch, CWS.MfPlay and CWS.SeDLL.

Most of these annoying pieces of spyware completely take over your browser and take it in different and sometimes harmful directions. AboutBuster works by making a super-fast analysis of your hard drive. AboutBuster will then detect whether or not any of the major malware culprits are on your PC's system. It eliminates them on contact without prompting you to confirm deletion, although AboutBuster will present you with a report as to how many threats were actually found.

The main problem is that most of these types of malware are already detected and found by programs such as Ad-Aware Free Internet Security and Spyware Doctor with Antivirus, both of which also perform a range of other optimization tasks which make this program look rather limited in comparison.

Nevertheless, if you suspect you've been infected with a browser hijacker and have had no success previously, AboutBuster is definitely worth a try.

Download AboutBuster 6.07 in Softonic

When your PC starts to run slower than usual, one of the first things you should be looking at is the startup list, after all. This list includes all the software apps that are currently configured to run every time you launch Windows. You've probably set some of them by yourself, but many others add themselves to the startup list without your knowledge, putting too much stress on the system while Windows boots, making the computer slow and unreliable.

StartUpLite is a very simple tool that displays all the apps that are launched with Windows, so you can decide which ones you really want to keep and which others can be safely disabled or removed. StartUpLite leaves this choice entirely up to you. StartUpLite is a very simple program, without many features. It really doesn't need any though, since the one job it does is done quite well. Plus, it doesn't even require installation.

Just be aware that StartUpLite has no backup function and changes cannot be undone. Also, there's no extended information about each app.

StartUpLite is a very basic tool but effectively gets rid of startup applications quickly to optimize your PC's speed.

Download StartUpLite 1.07 in Softonic

Even the best antivirus software could potentially miss a threat to your PC. Many times when malware ends up on your computer, it comes along with its own form of protection to make it difficult for you to remove. If you have files on your computer that won't let you open them and your PC's acting a little strangely, it's possible this might be exactly what's going on. Common error messages include "Cannot delete file: Access is denied" and "The source or destination file may in be use." If these aren't malware infected files, it's possible the file has just gone into lockdown, which is still a problem.

FileASSASSIN Portable can help you open these files and, if need be, remove them from your computer entirely. With its simple interface, you really only need to click and drag the trouble files to get started with unlocking them. Or, if you'd prefer, FileASSASSIN Portable lets you browse your computer for files as well. FileASSASSIN Portable has options that include unlocking locked file modules, unloading modules, terminating the file's process and deleting it entirely.

During testing, FileASSASSIN Portable wouldn't always allow certain files to be unlocked through the click and drag feature, but otherwise it worked pretty comprehensibly. The layout on FileASSASSIN Portable is a little plain, but it gets the job done. Even better, it's portable and needs no installation, making it especially suitable for when you're helping out a less-technically able friend or family member - stick FileASSASSIN Portable on a USB stick and off you go!

FileASSASSIN Portable is also available in a installable version.

If you're concerned about locked malware files on your computer, FileASSASSIN Portable will help you take care of the risk and get them unlocked and even deleted quickly, even while on the go.

Download FileASSASSIN Portable 1.06 in Softonic

Even the best antivirus software could potentially miss a threat to your PC. Many times when malware ends up on your computer, it comes along with its own form of protection to make it difficult for you to remove it. If you have files on your computer that won't let you open them and your PC's acting a little strangely, it's possible this might be exactly what's going on. Common error messages include "Cannot delete file: Access is denied" and "The source or destination file may in be use." If these aren't malware infected files, it's possible the file has just gone into lockdown, which is still a problem.

FileASSASSIN can help you open these files and, if need be, remove them from your computer entirely. With its simple interface, you really only need to click and drag the problem files to get started unlocking them. Or, if you'd prefer, FileASSASSIN lets you browse your computer for files. FileASSASSIN has options that include unlocking locked file modules, unloading modules, terminating the file's process and deleting it entirely. There's only one thing to be aware of - make sure the file is actually a problem before taking any drastic steps.

During testing, FileASSASSIN wouldn't always allow certain files to be unlocked through the click and drag feature, but otherwise it worked pretty comprehensibly. The FileASSASSIN layout is a little plain, but it gets the job done.

FileASSASSIN is also available in a portable version.

If you're concerned about locked malware files on your computer, FileASSASSIN will help you take care of the risk and get them unlocked and even deleted quickly.

Download FileASSASSIN 1.06 in Softonic