I’ve recently recommended switching from Malwarebytes to VirusBarrier Scanner, but I left you in the dark about why as well as how to accomplish this. My trusted colleagues Randy Singer and Manu Butterworth have shared that Malwarebytes is not very effective against malware in the first place.

Randy recommends VirusBarrier as one of the only good free scanners for the Mac and notes that Intego is regularly recognized as a leader in antivirus software. Additionally, VirusBarrier offers more thorough scanning overall whereas Malwarebytes only scans common locations.

[Update: As of 2023, I returned to recommending Malwarebytes in addition to VirusBarrier Scanner. Therefore, no need to uninstall Malwarebytes in the final step below.]

Getting Started

Malwarebytes has a somewhat confusing website that might make downloading and installing the software challenging for some users. VirusBarrier Scanner is conveniently distributed through Apple’s App Store.

Just open the App Store, search for VirusBarrier (or click the link above), and click GET and then INSTALL. After the app is installed, you can click OPEN, or you’ll find it wherever you access applications that are not in your Dock. On first launch, the Setup Assistant walks you through the basic settings.

Daily Scanning

If you don’t read the descriptions in the Setup Assistant, you may misinterpret the meaning of the second screen, which asks whether, how, and where you want to run daily scans.

Maximum protection means scanning your whole computer except for other user accounts. Essential protection means scanning common malware locations. In some versions of macOS, you’ll be asked to provide additional permission to access certain folders or your full drive.

For users who maintain a general awareness of their Internet activities and tend to avoid malicious attacks, daily scanning is probably unnecessary. I only recommend it to the rest of the population.

If you choose to disable daily scanning, VirusBarrier will still notify you once a week with a reminder to scan. On the next screen, there’s an option to scan inside archives, where some malware hides. With any of these settings, you can always change your mind later.

Manual Scanning

If and when you initially enable daily scanning, the automatic scan will be scheduled for “tomorrow.” Perhaps you installed VirusBarrier Scanner because you wanted to scan right away. You can run a manual scan from the main window.

Just click Start Scan and choose where you want to scan. If you want to scan your whole computer, choose your main storage drive (“Macintosh HD” or whatever you’ve named it).

Then be patient as the utility may take a while to scan all the files on your Mac. Conveniently, subsequent scans will only look at new and changed files.

Uninstall Malwarebytes

Fortunately, Malwarebytes is easy to remove. Just open the application, go to the Help menu, and choose Uninstall Malwarebytes. Confirm, enter your computer password, and you’re done.

It doesn’t have to be a chore to scan for malware but nor need it cost most people money. I believe Intego has done a fine job providing a happy medium between their full blown security utilities and a basic scanner that you have to run manually.

Additionally, there aren’t too many choices in VirusBarrier Scanner, but there’s enough flexibility to satisfy most users’ needs. Let me know if you have more questions.

It’s important to note that a scanner like VirusBarrier may not be your only recourse against malware. Some such attacks install nasty browser extensions or system configuration profiles. If the app doesn’t clear your system, please reach out and I can help you target the other areas where you might have an infection.