Question about duration to complete scan

[jimdagys]

I am on Windows 7 netbook with 2GB memory. I am using Malwarebytes free 2.2.1.1043, build date 3/10/2016. When I start Malwarebytes I am connected to the internet so I get the latest antivirus data. (Though prompted, I am not willing to update to the latest version of Malwarebytes; that is my choice.) It takes about 25 minutes to complete the scan. 

I recently downloaded and installed the latest Malwarebytes (free trial, plan to revert to free, later) on a Windows 10 computer (originally Windows 7 and updated to Windows 10) with 8 GB of memory. When I run Malwarebytes, it takes about 27 seconds to complete the scan.

My question is, why does it take 25 minutes to complete the scan on one computer, and 27 seconds on the other computer? 

[Malwarebytes]

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[exile360]

Greetings,

There are several possible reasons for the differences in your scan times.  First, version 2.x is very old and is no longer supported at all and much has changed in the product since then.  Next, the difference in the amount of RAM, especially when you drop below 4~6GB is going to make a massive difference.  Additionally, differences in the two operating systems and how they function as well as differences in the programs and processes installed on the two systems will make a difference, and particularly since the one system is much newer than the other, it likely has built up far fewer files and processes which need to be scanned.  Other than that, differences between the hardware such as the speed and type of CPU and its capabilities as well as differences in the drives within the two systems as well as the chipsets/controllers they are attached to can all make big differences in scan times with newer equipment usually being faster due to advancements in computing technology over the past several years.

If you plan to continue using the older system I would highly recommend uninstalling version 2.x, restarting the system, then installing the latest version of Malwarebytes which may be found here; version 2.x is so out of date that it will be incapable of detecting many current threats since it lacks any of the advancements in the engine as well as changes/additions to the database detection syntax which have been implemented since then (older versions of Malwarebytes are coded to ignore any threat signatures they do not understand in order to avoid breaking the product and encountering unforeseen issues such as false positives due to errors that not doing so might cause).  Please also make certain that Windows and your other applications are all up to date in order to avoid falling prey to any of the no doubt countless vulnerabilities which exist in much older versions of the OS and the software installed on the system.

Anyway, I hope that helps to clarify the factors which are likely resulting in the differences in scan times you're seeing, and if there is anything else we might help you with please let us know.

Thanks