Malwarebytes AdwCleaner
AdwCleaner is a separate, portable Windows utility aimed at the noisy end of the threat spectrum: adware, toolbars, search hijackers, bundled junk and pre-installed bloatware. It does not need installing and it does not stay resident.
What it targets
- Browser toolbars and injected search providers
- Adware serving pop-ups and injected page ads
- Potentially unwanted programs from software bundles
- Leftover registry keys, services and scheduled tasks from removed junk
- Pre-installed manufacturer bloatware
How it differs from the main scanner
The main Windows scanner covers the full malware spectrum and can run resident. AdwCleaner is single-purpose and portable — one executable you download, run, and delete. It is more aggressive about advertising components and cleanup leftovers, which is exactly what you want after a browser hijack.
How to use it
- Close all browsers.
- Run the executable as administrator and start a scan.
- Review the results — legitimate software occasionally appears in the PUP list.
- Quarantine the selected items and let it reboot the PC.
- Read the log it writes after the restart to confirm what was removed.
After cleaning
Reset your browser's search engine and homepage, remove extensions you did not install deliberately, and run a normal threat scan to catch anything non-advertising that came in the same bundle. See how to remove adware from Windows for the full sequence.
Frequently asked questions
Is AdwCleaner free?
Yes, it is a free portable tool for Windows.
Do I need AdwCleaner if I already run Malwarebytes?
Not routinely. It is worth running when a browser has been hijacked or a PC is full of bundled software, because its cleanup of leftovers is more thorough.
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