This screen allows users of Premium and Trial versions to add, edit and remove scheduled tasks to be executed by Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. This feature is not available to users of the Free version. Two types of tasks can be executed by Malwarebytes — scans and updates. A screenshot of this module is shown below.
One scan and one update are defined when Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is installed. You are free to modify or delete them at will. Please note that if either task is deleted without a replacement task being defined, your Malwarebytes Anti-Malware program will not deliver the positive results that you expect. The same methods are used here to add a new task as well as to edit an existing task, so let's Add a new task in Basic mode.
A screenshot of the basic Add Schedule screen is shown below.
You can choose the specific task to be added on the left side of the screen, in the Scheduled Task area. You may choose from the following tasks:
Scan types have been previously discussed in the Scan section of this guide. Please refer to that section for further information if desired.
The Frequency and Settings section allows you to define the timeframe (Schedule Frequency) that a task will be executed, and how often (Recurrence). For scans, this translates to:
You also have the opportunity to check for updates prior to execution of the scan. We strongly recommend that you always run a scan with the most current database. If you have chosen to define a Check for Updates, the Frequency and Settings variables are:
Our Research group updates the Rules database anywhere from 8-15 times daily (unless there is a specific reason to update more often). Based on this, there is really no reason to check for updates more often than once per hour.
At the bottom left corner of the Add Schedule window is the Advanced button. Click that to expand the Add Schedule window to expose several more options. A screenshot is shown below.
In Advanced Mode, we add options which allow you to tailor the task more to your liking. Let's look a little deeper, beginning with the advanced options for scans.
Advanced Scan Options
Schedule Options provides several added capabilities to the basic settings which have already been described. Here's a rundown on the advanced options.
Recovery Options allow you to recover from a missed task (e.g. your computer was off at the time a scan was to take place). A scheduled task — if missed — will run at its next opportunity as long as it is within the duration specified by the Recover if missed by selector and the Recover missed tasks checkbox is checked.
Logging options allows you to use existing settings (as specified in History Settings or to choose an alternate path.
Advanced Update Check Options
Advanced options are limited when checking for updates. Under Schedule Options, you may choose whether a notification appears after a successful rules database update. Recovery Options allows you to perform a database update if you missed your scheduled one. A scheduled task — if missed — will run at its next opportunity as long as it is within the duration specified by the Recover if missed by selector and the Recover missed tasks checkbox is checked. Please note that this option is non-functional if Frequency Settings is set to check for updates on a real-time basis. As with advanced scan options, you may specify an alternate log path and format.
Last but not least, let's look at the About screen.