Can Bitdefender work in cooperation with Malwarebytes?

While you have already checked out the other post, as routed by @Alexandru_BD, here is what you need to understand: if you have a high-end PC with a better configuration, you are most welcome to use both antimalware software. However, if it is a well-balanced PC, it may end up using more computer resources. Even if you set exclusions, here is what it will do: Bitdefender will not scan Malwarebytes' software files and vice versa. But in the background, they both will be consuming resources, which may end up slowing down your processing speed since the real-time protection for both will be active in the background.

Moving further, if there is malware detected and both products have detection available for it, they will counteract each other to remove that malware, utilizing more of the system resources. In the end, it's your call.

Regards

@garioch7 I have seen your post on the same topic on the Malwarebytes forum, since I was also a member of the Malwarebytes forum in the past. I just provided him with extra information.

I have never heard or read of such complaints. Would you be so kind as to provide references? I am always seeking to improve my knowledge.

Antimalware vendors themselves often have helpful blogs that address common issues. While finding a specific video example might be difficult, you can always trust the information provided by reputable antimalware vendors. They have extensive knowledge and experience in this field

1) https://usa.kaspersky.com/resource-center/preemptive-safety/running-more-than-one-antivirus-program (answers all basic questions)

2) https://www.kaspersky.co.in/blog/multiple-antivirus-programs-bad-idea/2403/ (heading: They will fight over viruses)

3) https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/internet-security/less-is-more-why-one-antivirus-software-is-all-you-need/ (heading: Fight over potential viruses)

4) https://www.emsisoft.com/en/blog/29265/do-not-run-multiple-antivirus/ (heading: Both detect a threat: Who is first to quarantine?)

5) https://www.av-comparatives.org/why-you-should-never-have-multiple-antivirus-programs-on-your-computer/ (heading: Butting heads)

@Eno-Scott I also found something interesting for you from Bitdefender support. Have a look at the stated link (https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2228/)

Regards

You will have no issues with Bitdefender and Malwarebytes Free starting at Windows boot. Disabling or enabling Malwarebytes Free is entirely up to you because Malwarebytes Free does not have any real-time protection and acts as a portable scanner.

When you install Bitdefender, it automatically turns off Windows Defender. If you still want to use Windows Defender alongside Bitdefender, its real-time protection will also be turned off since Bitdefender's protection is already active.

However, you can still use a feature in Windows Defender called "periodic scanning." This type of scan is meant to work with another antivirus program, like Bitdefender, to give your system an extra layer of security. It checks for threats that your main antivirus might miss, focusing on areas where malware often hides.

Unlike a full system scan, periodic scanning is quick and light on your system. It runs at scheduled times, like once a week, instead of constantly monitoring for threats. This way, it adds extra protection without slowing down your computer.

Regards

So the right option to unable to avoid conflicts between Mbam free scans an Bitdefender Toal Security would be that one ?

Let's keep it simple. If you want to do a custom scan with Malwarebytes Free, disable Bitdefender real-time protection.

Follow this procedure,

Temporarily disable Bitdefender Protection: https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/28557/

I mean Advanced Threat Defense is the module for real-time protection ? In that case I've also to disable the one for exploit?

Plus you've said that is possible to disable real-time protection for a predefinied time period,how can I do that?

Advanced threat defense is a part of real-time protection, but it is independent of the antivirus section of real-time protection. The antivirus section is based on cloud scanning, heuristics, and signature-based detection (created by malware researchers), which can scan and remove the malicious file without its execution. On the other hand, advanced threat defense (behavior blocker) only comes into action if a particular malicious file is executed. Additionally, it may or may not be the case that this feature works for all malicious files, since malware can still evade detection from all the security measures of any antimalware software on the market.

Follow this procedure,

Temporarily disable Bitdefender Protection: https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/28557/

Regards

When I used both pieces of software in the past, I used to have Bitdefender real-time protection enabled and ran Malwarebytes Free as an additional scanner because I was aware of and knew about the settings of both products.

So, in your case, you can disable the Bitdefender real-time protection, open Malwarebytes, and update it. Disconnect from the internet and run the scan. That's it.

Regards

You need to only disable the Antivirus and Advanced Threat Defense feature.

Regards

To simplify this, even I have never done that. I also run both of them simultaneously. But because the user is not tech-savvy, it is always better to provide the basic solution.

Not everything has references attached to it. I already provided the references as to why two antimalware products should not run side by side. The information has been provided by Kaspersky, McAfee, Emsisoft, and AV Comparatives.

I rest my case here. The case will followed up by @Alexandru_BD from here onwards.

Regards

@Alexandru_BD not every user faces issues with using two antimalware software. It depends on the make of the motherboard, RAM, and processor it can support. My laptop can support running both Bitdefender and Malwarebytes Premium, but my desktop only supports running one. It's limited by the processing speed of the CPU. The higher the processing speed and RAM, the faster the motherboard can work. In the past, I ran Bitdefender, Kaspersky, and Malwarebytes together with changes in real-time protection in all, since I knew what I was doing and I had the configuration as Ryzen 9 6900HX | GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8GB DDR6.

Now, talking about proof, as I also stated in the very beginning, there is no exact information that will relate to comparing or using different antimalware together. Hence, I provided general information from antimalware vendors like Kaspersky, McAfee, etc., to state why one should not run two antimalware simultaneously. And as far as the information was already provided, I don't see anything to apologize for here.

Now, I will have to act like a teacher and teach students, lol 😂

Imagine we have a malware sample that's quite sophisticated. It contains multiple threats bundled together. For instance, let's say it includes malicious JavaScript, an adware HTML redirector, and an executable ransomware.

Now, when both Malwarebytes and Bitdefender real-time protections are enabled simultaneously, they may overlap in their detection and handling of these threats.

Here's a breakdown of potential issues:

1) False Positives:

What Happens: Both tools might identify the same file as malicious, triggering false positives.

Consequence: This could lead to unnecessary alarm, as the file might not actually be harmful.

2) Performance Impact:

What Happens: Running dual real-time protections can consume significant system resources.

Consequence: This can result in a noticeable slowdown of your computer's performance. Your system might feel sluggish or less responsive.

3) Conflict Resolution:

What Happens: If both tools attempt to quarantine or delete the same file, conflicts may arise.

Consequence: This conflict can lead to a stalemate, where neither program can effectively resolve the issue. It might also create confusion in the system about what action to take.

To mitigate these potential problems, it's generally recommended to disable one of the real-time protections. You can choose to let either Malwarebytes or Bitdefender handle real-time protection, but not both at the same time. This way, you still have active protection against malware threats without risking conflicts or performance issues.

Now, let's move on to scanning with Malwarebytes Free and why it's recommended to disable real-time protection of Bitdefender at that particular moment.

1) Bitdefender Real-Time Protection:

Bitdefender’s real-time protection is a robust shield that combines multiple layers:

Signature-Based Detection: It identifies known malware based on predefined patterns (signatures).

Advanced Threat Defense (Behavioral Blocker): It monitors software behavior for suspicious actions.

Cloud-Based Detection: It leverages cloud resources to analyze files and URLs in real time.

While this multi-layered approach enhances security, it can sometimes lead to false positives or conflicts with other security tools.

2) Malwarebytes Free and Custom Scans:

Malwarebytes Free focuses on manual scans rather than real-time protection.

During custom scans, you actively choose which files or folders to scan. Here’s why disabling Bitdefender’s real-time protection during these scans is recommended:

Resource Efficiency: Custom scans can be resource-intensive. Disabling Bitdefender real-time protection ensures that Malwarebytes can scan without resource clashes. Meaning, if there would have been any malicious file that would have surpassed the signature-based detection of Bitdefender, it could still be detected by Bitdefender cloud-based engine or behavior blocker. At the same time, the custom scan of Malwarebytes Free would detect it. Hence, to prevent the behavior blocker from acting, disabling real-time protection and advanced threat defense, which is the behavior blocker in Bitdefender, can be done. As far as disabling the internet goes, the cloud-based scanning utilizes internet services to check files for scanning.

Balancing Act: By disabling Bitdefender real-time protection temporarily, you strike a balance between thorough scanning and system performance.

It's not a hard and fast rule to understand this. In case anyone has still not understood, whether or not you can run two antimalware software together depends on the make and model of your laptop and desktop as stated above. If you are still unable to understand after elaborating so much, I can only ask you to create a support ticket with Bitdefender support or the support of any antimalware vendor available over the internet 😂. Ask the support team to get in touch with their respective malware research team and get some information on running two antimalware software together, even if you are able to run two antimalware software together.

In extreme cases, when this forum post is heading towards complexity, it's best to consult with malware researchers to obtain relevant information. @Alexandru_BD, you can internally ping any malware researcher who specializes in Windows or macOS. Kindly share this forum post link with them and ask for their opinion.

Regards