Despite the initial issues of version 3 when it was introduced , it is now running smoothly on 3 of my machines.
Instead of biased opinions I would be very interested to see some fresh tests of Malwarebytes Premium + Windows Defender in action.
Perhaps testing in the Malware Hub?
'Bias'is the key term.
The most recent tests for Malwarebytes were all pretty bad. Some are reflected above. They did finally have one decent test result -- but it was for Android cell phones where they got 100% along with 22 other vendors.
To some degree, there will not be a lot of testing of MBAM, as they don't elect to participate in most testing. The did finally elect to participate in AV-Test, and promptly did poorly. SE Labs tests products that they select, so vendor willingness to participate does not play into it. The horrible results of that test are in this thread. Generally, products who don't elect to be tested.... there is a reason for it. They don't do well. Webroot is a good example. Generally, products who don't do well in testing bitch and complain about test methodology. But typically they don't do well in most testing.... with different methodologies.
If MBAM is tested in Malware Hub -- this is exactly the type of testing that MBAM says is ineffective and unreliable and produces worthless results. They state that a static test like that does not evaluate the different protective layers of the product as malware is introduced to a system. You can read more about their thoughts on this at their website.
Back to 'bias.'
MBAM just doesn't have a few bad test results. They now have years of terrible test results. Even in tests of malware clean-up and remediation, they don't rank at the top anymore.
So why do so many people still use it?
Cognitive Bias.
Choice-supportive bias
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In cognitive science, choice-supportive bias or post-purchase rationalization is the tendency to retroactively ascribe positive attributes to an option one has selected. It is a cognitive bias. For example, if a person chooses option A instead of option B, they are likely to ignore or downplay the faults of option A while amplifying those of option B. Conversely, they are also likely to notice and amplify the advantages of option A and not notice or de-emphasize those of option B.
This message board is full of cognitive bias ---- bias towards what they choose to use, what they choose to buy...
Post-Purchase Rationalisation
We tend to justify a purchase by overlooking any faults seen
We’re more likely to submit a positive review of a product purchased than a negative one, desiring our past choices as rational and well-made. Retailers could embrace this bias, reinforcing a user's correct choice post-purchase.
Cohen & Goldberg (1970). The Dissonance Model in Post-Decision Product Evaluation. Journal of Marketing Research.
The evidence over many years strongly indicates one thing. MBAM is not that good.
That stated...
I still use MBAM on multiple systems. It does very well with PUPs. But... Maybe the Malwarebytes Browser Extension Beta can handle that alone without the need for Malwarebytes... I dunno.
I've accumulated a number of MBAM Lifetime Licenses.... I use multiple licenses, I sometimes read their forums.... and again, I hope for a comeback...