Run on demand scans only, with no processes running otherwise?

[Cyberskier]

Is there a way to run Malwarebytes on-demand only? I've turned off the automatic check for database updates, and deleted scheduled scans. I've force quit the agent and the helper using Activity Monitor, but the app keeps reappearing in my menu bar. I don't want to uninstall it, but rather just run on-demand scans when I choose.

 

(I have the Premium version, which I got as part of my Eero Plus account)

[alvarnell]

You've done everything you need to do for on-demand only use. The menu bar icon isn't doing anything other than taking up a few pixels and won't run any additional background processes to slow things down. It's just a convenient way to launch the app and control premium features when you feel the need.

[ManfredLC]

11 hours ago, Cyberskier said:

Is there a way to run Malwarebytes on-demand only? I've turned off the automatic check for database updates, and deleted scheduled scans. I've force quit the agent and the helper using Activity Monitor, but the app keeps reappearing in my menu bar. I don't want to uninstall it, but rather just run on-demand scans when I choose.

If the menu bar icon really bugs you, just open the app, go to Settings > General tab, check the "Hide application icon" box, and enjoy ?

--

Manfred

[treed]

Do not force quit the agent. Not only will that not do anything useful, as the agent will simply open back up again, but that's essentially interfering with the software's functionality. Also, if by "helper" you're referring to the helper tool in the older 1.x versions of the software, the same applies... if you were actually to remove the helper, you'd be unable to scan.

These processes are important, required and take up practically no processor time or RAM. My computer has been running without a reboot for 20 days now. Out of that 28,800+ minute interval, the Malwarebytes Agent has consumed 3 minutes and 41 seconds of processor time, and the older helper tool only 1 minute and 1 second.

To do on-demand scans, turn off real-time protection and delete all scheduled scans. That's it. Then just scan whenever you want. If the menu bar icon bothers you, turn it off in the settings.

[Cyberskier]

Thanks for the all the tips. Looks like I'm set. I know the helper is only 10 MB or so, but I do wish there were a way to make it truly on-demand only. Bad form for something to relaunch itself unbidden. That's the sort of stuff that drives us irrational Mac nerds crazy and makes many avoid/badmouth anti-malware tools. But I do appreciate the tips.

 

(When I refer to "agent," I'm talking about the process running in Activity Monitor all the time).

Edited August 25, 2018 by Cyberskier

[alvarnell]

It isn't at all bad form to have a background process relaunch, it's extremely common, using a launchd feature called "keep alive". I'd have to guess that over 90% of such processes are coded to react that way since, as @treed said, they are essential to the software's functionality.

And it actually is only taking up 3.4MB of RAM due to macOS memory management compression. I'd have to say you don't have any shortages there, as long as the MEMORY PRESSURE gauge is green.

[treed]

On 8/25/2018 at 7:50 AM, Cyberskier said:

Bad form for something to relaunch itself unbidden.

As Al points out, this is actually quite common. Some examples of other tools that will have components like this are software from Google, Microsoft, Adobe, any decent (ie, effective) security software, VPN apps, printer software, scanner software, backup software, etc.

Further, this is not only common, it's actually the proper method for getting higher permissions that are needed for decent security software. Although it is possible to give an entire application root permissions, doing so is frowned upon, because it opens up potential security vulnerabilities.

Finally, note that all the on-demand-only scanners on the App Store, and other similar apps, which do not have this kind of thing, are incapable of detecting and/or removing all malware. That's part of why we initially created the helper tool back in Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.1, and why we moved all the scan code into the helper tool later in version 1.2.x. Prior to that point, we actually couldn't detect everything we needed to.