Back up the right things first, then do a clean reinstall on Windows 10 or Windows 11 with nothing lost.
A clean reinstall clears everything, so save what matters before you remove the app.
Open Malwarebytes โ Detection History. Select the items you want to keep and use Export to save them as a log file. Paste the summary into a notes app or a markdown file so your record of past threats survives the reinstall.
Go to Settings โ Account and copy your license key, or simply make sure you are signed in to your Malwarebytes account. Your Premium license is tied to the account, so once you sign back in after reinstalling it is restored automatically.
If you changed scan schedules, exclusions or Browser Guard rules, jot them down. A clean reinstall resets these to defaults, so a quick note makes it easy to re-apply them afterwards.
Download the free Malwarebytes Support Tool from the official site. Choose Clean to fully remove the program, leftover files and the corrupted state causing problems.
Let the tool restart your PC. This clears any locked services so the fresh install starts from a clean slate.
Download a new MBSetup.exe from malwarebytes.com and install it. Setup takes about two minutes with no further restart.
Sign in to your account or re-enter your license key to restore Premium. Re-apply your scan schedule and exclusions from the notes you saved, then run a fresh scan.
A standard reinstall over the top usually keeps your settings and license. A clean reinstall with the Support Tool removes everything, including configuration and detection history. To keep your notes, export your detection history and write down your license key before a clean reinstall.
No, as long as you record your license key or are signed in to your Malwarebytes account first. After reinstalling, sign back in or re-enter the key and Premium is restored. The license is tied to your account, not the installation.
Open Detection History and export the report as a log file before uninstalling. Paste the summary into a notes app or a markdown file so you keep a record of past threats even after a clean reinstall, which clears the in-app history.