Feedback

[Alikhan]

Installed Malwarebyes 5 on Windows 11 after removing Malwarebytes 4 with the Malwarebytes Support Tool.

The installer file is quite large in size but that would be expected at this stage. Ran the initial scan and no issues to report so far. The Malwarebytes CPU usage seems to be around the same as Malwarebytes 4. 

A few points:

The 'Real Time Protection' box on the UI doesn't open anything. I would expect it to expand into another menu when clicked showing Protection types such as Web and Exploit Protection as the Scanner and Detection History boxes already do - Just seen the Known issues.

There is quite a bit of space wasted in the bottom right of the UI which doesn't make it look very professional.

When a recommendation is ignored by the user, it should not ideally show on the Main UI (see screenshot for the Security Advisor).

In my opinion, their should be an option for the user to remove the VPN component in the Custom Install menu. Some users may already use other VPN providers. I assume if I were to connect to an unprotected public Wi-Fi network with another VPN, Malwarebytes would be able to detect another VPN is being used? Or would warnings be triggered in the Security Advisor?

I've noticed that on Windows 11 startup, the Malwarebytes Tray Icon does not always load. The Malwarebytes Service does be running though according to Task Manager. Requires to user to manually open Malwarebytes for Tray Icon to appear.

As mentioned by others, would be good to have latest virus definitions version on the Tray Icon.

That's it for now. I'll provide more feedback as I continue to use the software.

 

Edited August 28, 2022 by Alikhan

[brad03]

i have a very similar opinion as well and agree with the above said although this version for some reason the system is much more responsive and feels snappy.  

Edited August 26, 2022 by brad03

[H4V0C]

Hi @Alikhan thank you very much for providing feedback.

There is quite a bit of space wasted in the bottom right of the UI which doesn't make it look very professional.
I'm excited to say we have an additional "module" that we're working on to fill that space. The module will be a new feature that isn't present with Malwarebytes 4.x. Without giving too much away, I can tell you that one of the goals of the new feature is to provide a better experience for account owners and users with multiple protected devices.

When a recommendation is ignored by the user, it should not ideally show on the Main UI (see screenshot for the Security Advisor).
I'll pass this along to the design team. I believe the concern here was that if someone dismisses several priority issues/recommendations, we didn't want the dashboard gauge to provide a false sense of security when there are some potential risks. Reminding the user that some items are ignored provides some context to the score. We'll review this with the team and look for options to improve the experience.

In my opinion, their should be an option for the user to remove the VPN component in the Custom Install menu.
Ultimately this came down to a user experience decision. Should the need arise to establish a VPN connection, we wanted the functionality to be ready on demand without forcing the user to download, install, and setup additional software.

Some users may already use other VPN providers. I assume if I were to connect to an unprotected public Wi-Fi network with another VPN, Malwarebytes would be able to detect another VPN is being used? Or would warnings be triggered in the Security Advisor?
With so many VPN providers available today, the logistics behind maintaining a list of these providers would get fairly involved. From there, the ability to detect whether the device is actively connected to the VPN gets more complex. Most likely we will notify the user that they are connected to an unprotected network, inform them of the risks, and recommend using a VPN. We intend to monitor this more closely once we're in a beta phase so we can identify opportunities to improve while striking a balance between keeping users informed and avoiding a "nagging" experience where messages are too frequent.

I've noticed that on Windows 11 startup, the Malwarebytes Tray Icon does not always load. The Malwarebytes Service does be running though according to Task Manager. Requires to user to manually open Malwarebytes for Tray Icon to appear.
Thanks for reporting this, we'll create a bug for this and let you know if it would be helpful to have debugging logs.

As mentioned by others, would be good to have latest virus definitions version on the Tray Icon.
Thanks for the suggestion. We'll look into this. Would you be able to briefly explain how you would use that information? For instance, would the goal be to check whether you have the latest updates? And if so, how would the version number be helpful - how/where would you validate what version number is the most current?

That's it for now. I'll provide more feedback as I continue to use the software.
Thank you, we greatly appreciate your time!

 

Thanks!
- Aaron

[FetzBox22]

42 minutes ago, H4V0C said:

In my opinion, their should be an option for the user to remove the VPN component in the Custom Install menu.
Ultimately this came down to a user experience decision. Should the need arise to establish a VPN connection, we wanted the functionality to be ready on demand without forcing the user to download, install, and setup additional software.

Hi Aaron,

i understand your point.

What user experience do you have, when you have not paid for a VPN connection from Malwarebytes?

If you use different VPN, or like in my case - none VPN at all, this looks more like a advertising campain. If you paid for the VPN then it´s a good decision to have it there.

But what will a person think who paid 39 EURO and get something they can´t use at all?

We live in a time, where people have less money, then ever before... and if you tell them, what they don´t have, after they paid quit a bit of money ... in my opinion you will get more people to use the paid version of Malwarebytes by telling them how good they are instead of telling them what they could have done better/or missed.

45 minutes ago, H4V0C said:

We intend to monitor this more closely once we're in a beta phase so we can identify opportunities to improve while striking a balance between keeping users informed and avoiding a "nagging" experience where messages are too frequent.

-> that´s good

46 minutes ago, H4V0C said:

As mentioned by others, would be good to have latest virus definitions version on the Tray Icon.
Thanks for the suggestion. We'll look into this. Would you be able to briefly explain how you would use that information? For instance, would the goal be to check whether you have the latest updates? And if so, how would the version number be helpful - how/where would you validate what version number is the most current?

If I can say something to this,

for me it´s not "how", it´s the ability to use it. It feels better if you got something like this - maybe it´s a nerd thing, but people - like myself - will love it.

 

[Phxflyer]

1 hour ago, H4V0C said:

As mentioned by others, would be good to have latest virus definitions version on the Tray Icon.
Thanks for the suggestion. We'll look into this. Would you be able to briefly explain how you would use that information? For instance, would the goal be to check whether you have the latest updates? And if so, how would the version number be helpful - how/where would you validate what version number is the most current?

Granted the average user would not even notice this nor even be aware of what version or component package, etc they are using but when they do encounter a problem, one of first things they are asked is what version, component package, etc are they using. The power user would use this information when they see a new version is being offered as to what their present status is (was the update already applied) and an easy way to get it so maybe it would be nice to make this information easily available.

[H4V0C]

 

 

41 minutes ago, FetzBox22 said:

What user experience do you have, when you have not paid for a VPN connection from Malwarebytes?

The VPN module will still appear, much the same as the Real-Time Protection module appears on the dashboard of Malwarebytes 4.x when running the product as a free user.

 

41 minutes ago, FetzBox22 said:

If you use different VPN, or like in my case - none VPN at all, this looks more like a advertising campain. If you paid for the VPN then it´s a good decision to have it there.

But what will a person think who paid 39 EURO and get something they can´t use at all?

We live in a time, where people have less money, then ever before... and if you tell them, what they don´t have, after they paid quit a bit of money ... in my opinion you will get more people to use the paid version of Malwarebytes by telling them how good they are instead of telling them what they could have done better/or missed.

For individuals who are not interested in VPN or may use a different provider, we're exploring options to collapse/expand as well as hide/show the dashboard modules such as VPN.

The more common scenario is supporting individuals who are unaware of the benefits of using a VPN and educating them about privacy. I'm borrowing what I mentioned in another post as it's applicable here as well: Malwarebytes has an obligation to educate users and provide helpful guidance when we see an opportunity. Much the same as a personal trainer or life coach is hired to help one reach an important goal and will identify opportunities for improvement, we intend to be that support platform to guide users towards better security and privacy practices. The distinction between "guiding" and "nagging" is critical for how we interact, and I'll be the first to admit we haven't always done a great job in that area. To the average user, security is complicated and often overwhelming. Our mission, our challenge at Malwarebytes, is to bring cyberprotection to every one. The reason it's "every one" as opposed to "everyone" is that each individual is important to us and we recognize each person has unique needs. When it comes to cybersecurity, ignorance isn't bliss, ignorance can be devastating and the consequences of being ill-informed can be life changing. We're designing Malwarebytes 5 with the security of our families, friends, and community at the forefront of our minds. At the same time, we also recognize that not everyone is going to need or appreciate having a security coach, so it's important that we make this guidance available on your terms and that we don't become that one-size-fits-all solution that prioritizes sales over people.

Edited August 29, 2022 by AdvancedSetup
Corrected font issue

[FetzBox22]

20 hours ago, H4V0C said:

For individuals who are not interested in VPN or may use a different provider, we're exploring options to collapse/expand as well as hide/show the dashboard modules such as VPN.

that`s good for me.

[Alikhan]

Hi @H4V0Cand thanks for your response.

The vast majority of questions were answered - thanks for the clarity in that regard.

Ultimately this came down to a user experience decision. Should the need arise to establish a VPN connection, we wanted the functionality to be ready on demand without forcing the user to download, install, and setup additional software.

I completely understand your point that the VPN functionality should be be ready on demand without the user having to take extra steps. For experienced users or people who like to to have modularity control, I mentioned the Custom Install option. My suggestion was to have the VPN checkbox enabled by default in the Custom Install option, therefore, a user would take extra steps to remove the VPN option. The vast majority of users will install using Recommended settings and not go near the Custom Install button. I've seen yourself mention about hiding the VPN menu in the GUI which is also fair, however, I'm slightly concerned about VPN driver clashes even if one is active and the other isn't.  Are any steps taken to whitelist other VPNs processes in case two VPNs were running at the same time?

With so many VPN providers available today, the logistics behind maintaining a list of these providers would get fairly involved. From there, the ability to detect whether the device is actively connected to the VPN gets more complex. Most likely we will notify the user that they are connected to an unprotected network, inform them of the risks, and recommend using a VPN. We intend to monitor this more closely once we're in a beta phase so we can identify opportunities to improve while striking a balance between keeping users informed and avoiding a "nagging" experience where messages are too frequent.

That is a fair answer which has balance. I was under the assumption, the VPN would automatically engage when connected to an unprotected network.

Thanks for the suggestion. We'll look into this. Would you be able to briefly explain how you would use that information? For instance, would the goal be to check whether you have the latest updates? And if so, how would the version number be helpful - how/where would you validate what version number is the most current?

The main purpose for this request was for false positive detections. Malwarebytes doesn't have a webpage that lists update detections (as far as I am aware) such as ESET and some other Anti-Virus firms do, so the main purpose wouldn't be to see if I had the latest update. it would, however, be helpful if an issue such as a false positive was to occur and the virus database version was easily found. This could then be used for Support or mentioning the affected version on these forums. 

On another note, when you hover over the Malwarebytes tray icon, it just shows 'Malwarebytes' which could be improved on. It could say for example 'You are protected' in a green toolbox when hovered over like others do.

Another useful feature would be to have Virus Update notifications when Malwarebytes updates. I believe this feature was available in v1 and v2 if I remember correctly. I can understand that this feature may not be important for all users and some may find it annoying if it disturbs them. I was thinking if that option could possibly be under consideration to come back? It will most likely come disabled by default or could work well in conjunction with Play mode. Some users prefer the notification, it gives a sense of security and you know the updates are working.

[gatortail]

@Alikhan

2 hours ago, Alikhan said:

With so many VPN providers available today, the logistics behind maintaining a list of these providers would get fairly involved. From there, the ability to detect whether the device is actively connected to the VPN gets more complex. Most likely we will notify the user that they are connected to an unprotected network, inform them of the risks, and recommend using a VPN. We intend to monitor this more closely once we're in a beta phase so we can identify opportunities to improve while striking a balance between keeping users informed and avoiding a "nagging" experience where messages are too frequent.

That is a fair answer which has balance. I was under the assumption, the VPN would automatically engage when connected to an unprotected network.

 

Yes, we do provide the option to auto connect the VPN when connecting to an untrusted network when purchased. 

[Alikhan]

I've also just noticed that if any of the Protection Modules are disabled via the Tray Icon, the tray icon does not give any indication. I'm sure there was a red exclamation or similar over the Tray icon in v4.

Does Malwarebytes update on user logon after 1+ hours have elapsed since the laptop has been turned on. I've noticed a few times, the tray icon shows 'Updata available' a few minutes after Startup. See snip.

Edited August 31, 2022 by Alikhan
Fixed typo.

[Alikhan]

I've managed to crash the Malwarebytes UI thrice and that causes the UI service to stop so no tray icon either.

Configuring Custom Protected Applications via Settings > Protections.

I then proceeded to add Outlook 2019 as a Custom under the 'Other' Program type. 

Clicking 'Add' crashes the Malwarebytes UI and the tray icon and needs to be manually restarted.

 

[icolcear]

Hello @Alikhan,

Thank you for reporting this issue.

I did some investigation and was unable to reproduce this crash internally.

Could you please attach the latest Crash Dump located in C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\CrashDumps\Malwarebytes?

Thank you!

[Alikhan]

13 hours ago, icolcear said:

Hello @Alikhan,

Thank you for reporting this issue.

I did some investigation and was unable to reproduce this crash internally.

Could you please attach the latest Crash Dump located in C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\CrashDumps\Malwarebytes?

Thank you!

I've got two Crash Dumps, however, they're around 645mb each so can not be attached on the forum.

Is there any particular site you want me to upload them to before sending you the link?

Thanks.

[1PW]

Hello @Alikhan:

Historically WeTranfer has been the most frequently used on this forum. Upload the .dmp files and post the assigned URL in your next reply.

Thank you

[Alikhan]

Hello @icolcear

I've compressed both Crash Dumps into a single archive and uploaded to WeTransfer.

https://wetransfer.com/downloads/dfe2f2dbd8e4064e09c75948a843116320220906111633/46931cc16f2aff84860eccd43ab94b0a20220906111722/e30149

Thanks.

[icolcear]

Thank you @Alikhan, those helped narrow down the problem a bit.

Could you please also archive and attach this Log folder? C:\ProgramData\Malwarebytes\MBAMService\LOGS

Thanks! :D

[Alikhan]

@icolcear

Please find attached the Log folder.

LOGS.rar

[Alikhan]

The problem of the Malwarebytes UI service/Tray icon not loading at Startup still happens intermittently.

Has anyone looked into that? That problem never existed in MBAM v4 Premium.

 

 

[bbrown]

On 8/29/2022 at 9:16 AM, H4V0C said:

Hi @Alikhan thank you very much for providing feedback.

There is quite a bit of space wasted in the bottom right of the UI which doesn't make it look very professional.
I'm excited to say we have an additional "module" that we're working on to fill that space. The module will be a new feature that isn't present with Malwarebytes 4.x. Without giving too much away, I can tell you that one of the goals of the new feature is to provide a better experience for account owners and users with multiple protected devices.

Thanks!
- Aaron

Totally looking forward to this feature as I do manage several of my own/families devices with Malwarebytes.