AdwCleaner is a free Windows cleanup tool from Malwarebytes that finds and removes adware, browser hijackers, unwanted toolbars, and potentially unwanted programs, helping users restore normal browser behavior and everyday system performance.
Malwarebytes AdwCleaner is a focused Windows utility that scans a computer for adware, browser hijackers, toolbars, and potentially unwanted programs, then removes or quarantines what it finds. A typical session starts with one click on Scan Now; the tool refreshes its detection database, sweeps browsers, scheduled tasks, services, registry keys, and startup entries, and presents a plain list of detections rather than making silent automatic changes. You review that list, tick the items you want gone, and confirm the clean. A restart finalizes removal, after which AdwCleaner writes a readable log of everything scanned and cleaned. The result is a faster, quieter PC with browsers that behave as expected.
AdwCleaner complements rather than replaces full antivirus protection. Its scope is deliberately narrow: junkware that antivirus engines often ignore because it ships with legitimate installers, arrives bundled with free downloads, or comes preinstalled by a PC manufacturer. Detected items can be quarantined and restored later, so a clean stays reversible if a false positive catches a program you actually use. Exclusions let you shield specific files, folders, registry entries, services, URLs, processes, or entire detection families from future scans. Technicians use the same build for cleanup jobs, relying on log files to document what changed on a client machine. If you also capture troubleshooting sessions on video, pair this cleanup work with a Screen Recorder so fixes can be shared or reviewed later.
The main benefit of AdwCleaner is speed to a clean result without guesswork. Where manual adware removal means hunting through browser settings, scheduled tasks, and registry keys you might not recognize, AdwCleaner does the discovery work and shows you exactly what it intends to remove before it touches anything. That review step matters: you keep control, quarantine means nothing is destroyed immediately, and a readable log records every change so you can retrace the cleanup afterwards. It also fills a real gap for people whose antivirus reports no threats while their browser homepage keeps resetting and pop-ups keep appearing, because junkware rarely behaves like conventional malware. The tool stays small, focused, and free, which makes it practical to keep around for the occasional cleanup rather than installing another heavyweight security suite. For technicians, consistent logs and repeatable scans shorten support tickets. The payoff is a quieter system, a browser that opens where you expect, and fewer stray background processes competing for resources, usually after a scan, a review, and one restart.
Clicking Scan Now refreshes the detection database and sweeps the areas adware hides in, including browser settings, scheduled tasks, services, registry keys, and startup entries. Results appear as a plain, reviewable list, so nothing is removed until you choose the items you actually want gone.
Homepage resets, unknown search engines, and toolbars that reappear after you delete them usually trace back to bundled hijackers. AdwCleaner targets those persistent mechanisms directly, clearing the browser extensions, shortcuts, and policy entries that reinstall unwanted changes, so your chosen homepage and default search engine stay put after the cleanup finishes.
Potentially unwanted programs often arrive alongside software you did install, adding background services, scheduled updaters, and processes you never asked for. AdwCleaner identifies these bundled extras and groups them for review, letting you distinguish genuine junk from tools you rely on before deciding what gets quarantined and disabled.
Some manufacturers ship Windows PCs with trialware, promotional utilities, and support agents that quietly run in the background. AdwCleaner flags preinstalled software during a scan and handles it through a separate quarantine step, giving you a dedicated decision point instead of burying those items among ordinary detections.
Nothing is deleted outright. Detected items are quarantined and disabled first, and the Quarantine screen lets you restore anything you later decide you needed. That reversibility makes it safe to run an aggressive cleanup on a working machine, because a mistaken removal can be undone rather than reinstalled from scratch.
Every scan and cleanup writes a plain-text log you can open in Notepad or find later under the Log Files tab. The record lists what was detected, what was removed, and when, which is useful for documenting a repair on a client machine, comparing two scans over time, or confirming exactly what changed.
False positives happen in any scanner. The Exclusions tab lets you allow specific files, folders, registry keys, registry values, services, URLs, processes, or entire detection families, so a legitimate program is skipped by future scans instead of being flagged and quarantined each time you clean the machine.
If a detection looks wrong, right-clicking it on the Dashboard opens a Report False Positive option that sends the item to the malware research team for review. That feedback loop keeps the detection database accurate, which matters for anyone running regular cleanups across several machines.
It removes adware, browser hijackers, unwanted toolbars, potentially unwanted programs, and unwanted preinstalled software that arrived with a new PC. During a scan it checks browser extensions and settings, scheduled tasks, services, registry entries, and startup items, then quarantines the detections you select for removal.
No. AdwCleaner is a targeted cleanup tool for adware, PUPs, and browser hijackers, and it does not provide real-time protection or replace an antivirus. Many people run it alongside their existing security software when unwanted browser changes or bundled programs appear, because junkware often slips past engines that focus on viruses and trojans.
Detected items are quarantined and disabled rather than deleted immediately, and the Quarantine screen lets you restore something later if you change your mind. Reviewing the detection list before confirming the clean, then restarting when prompted, is what completes the process.
AdwCleaner asks you to save your work, runs the clean, and then prompts a restart because some detections involve running processes, services, and browser components that can only be fully cleared once Windows reloads them. After the restart the tool opens automatically to confirm the scan is complete, and you can view the log.
Yes. The Exclusions tab under Settings lets you allow files, folders, registry keys and values, services, URLs, processes, or whole detection families. Anything you exclude is skipped by future scans and will not be quarantined, which is useful for niche tools that resemble bundled junkware.
Every scan produces a log you can open with the View Log File button after the restart, or read later in the Log Files tab. The Dashboard keeps the current scan results, and from there you can right-click a detection to report a false positive to the research team.
Only when a Malwarebytes support agent instructs you to. In normal use you finish the cleanup by clicking Skip Basic Repair. The repair routine resets a broader set of system and network settings, which is why it is reserved for guided troubleshooting rather than routine junkware removal.
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