Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Free 1.61

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware is a fast, effective and very popular on-demand antivirus tool.

The program is very easy to use. Launch it, fire off a "quick scan" and it'll quickly check the most vulnerable areas of your PC for possible infection. And we do mean quickly: on our test PC it managed to examine more than 229,000 objects in around 11 minutes.

And Anti-Malware also proved accurate, not only detecting our test malware files, but also some potential dangers that we hadn't previously spotted.

The free version of the program doesn't include any real-time protection, and you can't schedule regular scans either, so it's no substitute for a full antivirus package. Anti-Malware is great to have around to offer a second opinion, though; if you think you might be infected by something, but your regular security package is saying nothing, then launch it instead and you'll quickly get a verdict on your system health.

Alternatively, you could upgrade to the full version of the program, which includes real-time protection, automatic malicious site protection, a scheduler to run scans when you like, and priority customer support. As of version 1.51, Anti-Malware now includes a 14-day trial option so you can see how the system works for you (click the Protection tab), and if you decide to buy then the program can be yours for $24.95.  That's a one-time fee for personal users; commercial users must buy an annual licence. 

v1.61 is a minor release. New features/fixes include:

- Up to 25% faster Quick scans for 64-bit operating systems.
- Chameleon usability enhancements.
- Enhanced reliability of program updates with additional security checks.
- Password command line enhancements (paid version only).
- Scheduled scan logs now include accurate protection status.
- Context menu 'Scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware' now displays in selected language.

The lack of a scheduler is an inconvenience, but Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware's speed and accuracy mean it's still worth a place in your security toolkit