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I maintain an inventory of all software installed on my PC.  This includes the date and location of installation, the source of the installer, and the version ID.  I just downloaded and installed the latest version of Malwarebytes Free for Windows.  I find several different version IDs for this latest version of Malwarebytes, as follows:

Installer file name:  4.4.6.232-1.0.1474-1.0

Installer file properties:  4.4.8.232

Installed program title bar:  4.4.8

Installed program properties:  4.0.0.1138

Installed program [Settings > About > Version Information]:  4.4.8.137

Can someone explain these differences?  I am assuming that 4.4.8 -- being common to three of these -- is the likely version.  But then, what are the others? 

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Hi DERoss:

There are three version numbers shown in your Malwarebytes interface at Settings | About.  The main Malwarebytes product version (scan engine) is currently v4.4.8.137.  The Component Package (which I believe includes additional modules for Web Protection, Exploit Protection, etc.) is currently v1.0.1474.  The Update Package version is the version number for the malware / virus definitions and is updated regularly (for example, prior to any scan) and will change from day to day - my malware definitions version is currently v1.0.45716 but yours might be slightly different.

607164671_MBv4_4_8SettingsAboutThreeVersionNumbers10Oct2021.png.2d6327b9faae9f84fcc66fc1f97a4577.png

If you want to know if you have the latest Malwarebytes product version and Component Package, release notes are posted in Erix's thread Malwarebytes 4.4 that is pinned at the top of this Malwarebytes for Windows board.  The last entry in that thread confirms that the current main product v4.4.8.137 / component package v1.0.1474 combination was released 07-Oct-2021.  When a new Malwarebytes v4.5 main product is eventually released Erix will start a new thread for the v4.5 release notes and pin it at the top of this board.

See Malwarebytes staffer tetonbob's 27-Sep-2021 explanation <here> about the naming convention used for the full offline installer.  The official Malwarebytes v4.x download link at https://downloads.malwarebytes.com/file/mb4_offline is currently offering an installer named mb4-setup-consumer-4.4.6.232-1.0.1474-1.0.45650.exe, where 4.4.6.232 is the installer version (i.e., the installer that "wraps" the components together, not the main product version), 1.0.1474 is the bundled Component Package version, and 1.0.45650 is the bundled Update Package / malware definition version. Most users find the naming convention that Malwarebytes uses for their full offline installers is very confusing because you would never know that an installer named xxx-4.4.6.232-1.0.1474-xxx.exe would actually install a v4.4.8.137-1.0.1474 product, but Malwarebytes has repeatedly ignored user feedback and will not add the version of the main Malwarebytes product bundled inside the installer (i.e. currently v4.4.8.137) to the installer name.

344017055_MBv4_4_8FullOfflineInstallerNamed4_4_608Oct2021.png.1b8520b95ccf81dd81b099dc4777c2e3.png

-----------
64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H1 build 19043.1237 * Firefox v93.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2109.6 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.4.8.137-1.0.1474
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G 256 GB NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

Edited by lmacri
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7 hours ago, lmacri said:

The Update Package version is the version number for the malware / virus definitions and is updated regularly (for example, prior to any scan) and will change from day to day

Hello @lmacri:

The Update package version could, has, and will change from hour to hour, especially during a M-F work week. Today's Update package version has updated since 00:00Z as of this posting.

HTH

 

Edited by 1PW
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6 minutes ago, Steven J. Marty said:

the actual version of the product is v4.4.8.137.

The current non beta program version is 137. The "installer version is 232. The installer version has nothing to do with the version it installs.

Edited by Porthos
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2 minutes ago, Porthos said:

The current non beta program version is 137. The "installer version is 232. The installer version has nothing to do with the version it installs.

The installer version is v4.4.6.232.  The product version is v4.4.8.137.

The file version of the offline installer - v4.4.8.232 - does not appear to correlate to anything.

 

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Common sense would dictate that the latest offline installer available at https://downloads.malwarebytes.com/file/mb4_offline should be named mb4-setup-consumer-4.4.8.137-1.0.1474-1.0.45650.exe to reflect the exact main product version, component package and malware definition set that is wrapped inside the installer.

980179059_MBv4_4_8SettingsAboutThreeVersionNumbersEDITED10Oct2021.png.ac3957b1ffe51d7f37cd4191a35fd524.png

Could someone from the Product Management team please explain why this can't be done (or at least why they don't want to do it)? Users have been complaining about the confusing nomenclature used for the full offline installer ever since Malwarebytes v4.x was first released and I've never seen a reasonable explanation why the file name must include the version number of the installer/wrapper instead of the actual version number of the main product it installs.

I assume there must be some automated process in place that wraps the latest available components inside the full offline installer and assigns a name to the resulting .exe file, but isn't there some way this naming process could be be tweaked so users can easily tell which main product version the full offline installer from https://downloads.malwarebytes.com/file/mb4_offline will actually install?
-----------
64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H1 build 19043.1288 * Firefox v93.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2109.6 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.4.8.137-1.0.1474
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G 256 GB NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

Edited by lmacri
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44 minutes ago, lmacri said:

I've never seen a reasonable explanation why the file name must include the version number of the installer/wrapper instead of the actual version number of the main product it installs.

If issues are found in the installer, then it gets updated Or improvements or changes as well. it is the same with the online installer.

The 2mb online installer is at 232 as well.

image.png.51c746b247e12ff921e2876b13d607a2.png

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This is still very confusing to us users.  At the very least could the version that will be installed by the offline installer be specified on the web page where the offline installer link is?  I've rarely seen a program where it is not possible on the download page to see what program version is going to be installed.

While MB obviously thinks everything if fine and no changes are necessary, users keep complaining about this and nothing is done.  Not a good PR stance to have.

Bill

Edited by BillH99999
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3 hours ago, Porthos said:

If issues are found in the installer, then it gets updated Or improvements or changes as well. ...

I don't recall this being an issue for the Malwarebytes v2.x and v3.x full offline installers.  For example, the Malwarebytes support page at Download and Install Malwarebytes for Windows v3 has download links for the full offline installers for Malwarebytes v3.x.  The full offline installer for Win 7 SP1 and higher on that page that installs a v3.8.3.2965 main product and v1.0.629 component package is clearly designated as mb3-setup-consumer-3.8.3.2965-1.0.629-1.0.13137.exe.

1445534179_Malwarebytesv3_8_3_2965Installer18Oct2021.png.aceaf96dc0741bc1f61545239b3f3f9d.png

Unless I'm mistaken, the version numbers of the main product and component package were always included in the name of the full offline installer until Malwarebytes v4.x was released.  I'm simply asking if someone from the Malwarebytes Product Management team could explain why this can't be done for the Malwarebytes v4.x full offline installers as well. If it's absolutely necessary to include the version of the installer/wrapper in the file name then why not call the latest offline installer for v4.4.8.137-1.0.1474 something like mb4-setup-consumer-1.232-4.4.8.137-1.0.1474-1.0.45650.exe (where v1.232 is the version of the installer that can be changed if the installer/wrapper itself needs to be revised while the bundled components remain unchanged).
-----------
64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H1 build 19043.1288 * Firefox v93.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2109.6 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.4.8.137-1.0.1474
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G 256 GB NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

Edited by lmacri
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On 10/18/2021 at 3:33 PM, lmacri said:

Common sense would dictate that the latest offline installer available at https://downloads.malwarebytes.com/file/mb4_offline should be named mb4-setup-consumer-4.4.8.137-1.0.1474-1.0.45650.exe to reflect the exact main product version, component package and malware definition set that is wrapped inside the installer....

I have no idea what's going on, but I just checked the download link for the full offline installer at https://downloads.malwarebytes.com/file/mb4_offline to see if a new installer has been posted yet for the new Malwarebytes v4.4.9.142-1.0.1486 released today (hint - the full offline installer for v4.4.9 described <here> in the release notes hasn't been posted yet) but I was surprised to see that the installer for v4.4.8.137-1.0.1474 (originally released 08-Oct-2021) looks like it was wrapped with a newer malware definitions database some time in the past two days and renamed from mb4-setup-consumer-4.4.6.232-1.0.1474-1.0.45650.exe to a more sensible mb4-setup-consumer-4.4.8.137-1.0.1474-1.0.46162.exe.

1646422291_MBv4_4_8FullOfflineInstallerRenamed4_4_821Oct2021.png.566fe43011ac01f1a912cfdd573d7391.png

793493139_Malwarebytesv4_4_8FullOfflineInstallerNameChange21Oct2021.png.a9959f505f9c9359c51177a3985e0f0c.png

It will be interesting to see what file name is used when the full offline installer for v4.4.9.142-1.0.1486 (rel. 21-Oct-2021) is eventually posted online.
-----------
64-bit Win 10 Pro v21H1 build 19043.1288 * Firefox v93.0.0 * Microsoft Defender v4.18.2109.6 * Malwarebytes Premium v4.4.8.137-1.0.1474
Dell Inspiron 15 5584, Intel i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Toshiba KBG40ZNS256G NVMe SSD, Intel UHD Graphics 620

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3 hours ago, tetonbob said:

We heard you, folks.
Check it:
https://downloads.malwarebytes.com/file/mb4_offline

Note that on the properties Details, it will still show the version of the online (stub) installer used to create the offline (full) installer.

THANK YOU for listening and making this change.  It's very much appreciated!

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  • 1 year later...

I hate to have to dust this topic off but it appears there have been some changes and the file name/product version/file version are inconsistent again.

I downloaded the offline installer from here.

The name of the file has no version information in it...not sure when this started...it's named MBSetup.exe.

The product version in the file properties is blank.

The file version is 4.6.0.352. but when installed, it's version 4.5.34.275.

The stub installer shows the same information...the name of the file contains no version information, the file properties show no product version, and the file version is 4.6.0.352.

Is it possible to go back to the old versioning scheme where the name of the file contains the version information of what it will install?  If not, can the product version and file version information be populated with the version of the product that the file will install?  Trying to maintain multiple systems on the same version is difficult when you don't know what version you are installing until you install it.

Thanks.

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This is an ancient topic. Will be closed

Malwarebytes has chosen to return back to the common name for setups as it is used in several automation routines that do not support customized names.

Using the links to get downloads will provide the latest version at the time available.

Thank you

 

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