Learn the simplest way to download the Malwarebytes offline installer and how to install it in just a few steps.
Malwarebytes is one of the most popular malware scanning and protection software programs for Windows. It runs alongside your existing antivirus software, such as Windows Security (Windows Defender), to provide additional security. Generally, when you download Malwarebytes, you get an online installer—a small file that, when executed, downloads the latest version of Malwarebytes. While this is great, the problem with an online installer is that it requires an active internet connection to install Malwarebytes. Simply put, you cannot install Malwarebytes on an offline system using an online installer.
The good thing is that, while it is hidden pretty well on the official website, you can download the Malwarebytes offline installer whenever you want and install it on any system, without an active internet connection. Here’s how.
Before You Start
- An active internet connection is required to download the offline installer. However, once downloaded, you don’t need the internet to install Malwarebytes on any Windows system.
- Administrator rights are required to install Malwarebytes on Windows.
- The guide below is tested to work on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Download Malwarebytes Offline Installer
To download the Malwarebytes offline installer, click here. It is a direct link. That means it should download the offline installer as soon as you click the link.
Once it’s downloaded, open the File Explorer by pressing the “Windows key + I” shortcut, click “Downloads” on the left sidebar to open the Downloads folder, and double-click the downloaded Malwarebytes installer file.
Click the “Yes” button in the User Account Control (UAC) prompt.
The above action starts the Malwarebytes installation wizard. Click the “Install” button.
If the installer asks you to choose the use case or protection type, select “Personal” unless you are using it in a business environment.
While installing Malwarebytes, the installer might ask permission to install browser extensions in all the major browsers, such as Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, for added protection. If you wish to install, click the “Add Browser Guard” button. Otherwise, click the “Skip this for now” option at the bottom.
That’s it. With that, Malwarebytes will be installed. Once installed, it will automatically run in the background. You can open it by double-clicking on the taskbar icon to perform a system scan.
Note: If you see a caution mark over the Malwarebytes icon, don’t worry, it generally indicates out-of-date malware signatures. Malwarebytes will automatically update them when you connect to the internet, assuming it is open.
Good to know: How to remove ‘Scan with Malwarebytes’ option in right-click menu
Wrapping Up — Downloading Malwarebytes Offline Installer
As you can see, while Malwarebytes tries to hide its offline installer in favor of the online installer, using the official link I’ve provided above, you can easily download the offline installer with just a single click. Once downloaded, install it like any other software, but don’t skip features you don’t want to add, such as the browser extension. Also, keep in mind that the free version of Malwarebytes doesn’t offer Real-time Protection. That means, for those using the free version, you have to manually launch Malwarebytes to scan your system occasionally.
Good to know: How to stop Malwarebytes from disabling Windows Defender
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
