AdwCleaner is a free Windows cleanup utility for adware, potentially unwanted programs, browser hijackers, and unwanted preinstalled software. It scans for these items and lets you choose which detections to disable and place in quarantine. Its work centers on removing existing unwanted software; ongoing automatic protection belongs to the separate Malwarebytes Premium Security product.
Detection review
An AdwCleaner scan produces a list of detected adware and potentially unwanted programs, including unwanted toolbars and browser hijackers. Checkboxes let you select which entries to quarantine.
Preinstalled applications have their own review stage. If AdwCleaner detects them, it presents a separate selection so you can decide which to disable.
Cleanup can close running applications and require a restart. AdwCleaner normally asks for confirmation before rebooting; its cleaning settings can also restrict process termination to the processes needed for removal. Detailed scan and cleanup results are available as a text log that opens in Notepad, with previous records accessible from the Log Files tab.
Quarantine
AdwCleaner isolates selected detections and makes them inactive. The Quarantine screen separates ordinary detected items from preinstalled software, preserving the distinction made during cleanup. Entries remain there until you take further action.
You can restore selected items to the system or delete them permanently. Selection works on individual entries or the whole list, so a cleanup does not require an immediate decision to erase everything it finds.
Scan exclusions
Exclusions tell AdwCleaner to leave specified items out of both scanning and quarantine. They can cover files, folders, registry keys or values, services, URLs, processes, and complete detection families. An individual exclusion identifies an element type and its path or content; a family exclusion uses the exact detection-family name. Saved exclusions can be edited or removed when the decision changes.
The detection database has a separate control. Online update checks are enabled by default so scans can use newer definitions. With that setting off, AdwCleaner uses its internal definitions instead. A result can also be reported as a false positive from its context menu for investigation.
Repair actions
Beyond isolating unwanted software, AdwCleaner includes repair controls for Windows and browser configuration. These can remove proxy settings, restore Chrome policies, reset TCP/IP or Winsock settings, and return the hosts file or Windows firewall rules to their defaults. Each action has its own toggle, since these changes affect settings outside the quarantined application itself. Basic Repair is intended for use under support guidance rather than as an automatic part of every cleanup.
Running AdwCleaner from the command line
AdwCleaner also exposes scanning and cleaning through a command-line interface. A scan command lists detections, while the clean command scans and quarantines them. Additional options include handling preinstalled applications, suppressing the cleanup reboot, and choosing the working directory used for logs, quarantine, and settings.
