AdwCleaner

ApplicationMalwarebytes

Also called adw cleaner, adware cleaner, malwarebytes adwcleaner

MalwarebytesSecurity

A PUP and adware cleaner. You run adwcleaner.exe, clean, and close it. It is not the full Malwarebytes suite.

What you need to know

adwcleaner.exe is a PUP cleaner. It is not Malwarebytes Premium.

AdwCleaner is a free Malwarebytes portable. You scan, clean, and quit. The full suite is a different download. HitmanPro is another second opinion. This tool does not replace Defender.

What is it?: PUP cleaner you run and close
Same as Malwarebytes suite?: No. Different download
Resident AV?: No. Defender stays the engine

Feex says

If adwcleaner.exe is the only Malwarebytes file you have, I would treat it as a cleaner you run and close. It is not MBAMService.exe. I would still keep Windows Security as the resident engine.

What is AdwCleaner?

AdwCleaner is a Malwarebytes PUP cleaner. adwcleaner.exe is the portable. The full Malwarebytes app is a different install.

If you have never used it

If you wanted a one-shot adware cleaner, this is AdwCleaner, not the full Malwarebytes suite. Download it from malwarebytes.com/adwcleaner. adwcleaner.exe is often a portable you run, clean, and close. It is not a resident antivirus. MBAMService.exe is the other Malwarebytes product. It does not take the Defender slot. Two live AVs is not this tool's problem unless you also installed Premium.

What is it used for?

One-shot PUP cleanup

Scan toolbars and leftover offers. Then close it. That is not a resident shield.

Pre-clean before a browser reset

People run this when a homepage hijack survives. It is not uBlock and not AdGuard desktop.

Not the Premium suite

If you wanted ongoing protection, that is Malwarebytes Desktop Security, not this portable.

Who is it for?

People cleaning a toolbar leftover
Users who downloaded this and thought they installed Malwarebytes Premium
Anyone who should not leave a random adwcleaner.exe in Downloads as "the AV"

Current status

Actively offered as a free Malwarebytes tool. This article is the portable cleaner.

How old is it?

AdwCleaner began in 2011 and Malwarebytes later acquired it. Current builds still sit as a free cleaner next to the full suite. A 2013 Xplode-era build is not the current Malwarebytes-signed exe.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

AdwCleaner portable

Full Malwarebytes (other product)

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	Windows 10 or Windows 11, per current Malwarebytes AdwCleaner notes
RAM	Light portable. The scan follows the disk

Resource profile

CPU demand: During the scan only
Disk demand: Walks common PUP locations

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
adwcleaner.exe	Portable cleaner. Not MBAMService.exe

Startup components

Should not start with Windows. If it does, you added a shortcut. Remove it.

File locations

Common AdwCleaner locations
Typical install	Wherever you saved the portable, often Downloads, or a Malwarebytes folder if installed

Common problems

People leave it as their only "AV"

It is not resident. Windows Security should still own realtime.

Old unsigned copies in Downloads

Get a fresh copy from malwarebytes.com/adwcleaner. A 2014 exe next to other junk is the wrong file.

Getting unstuck

Download from malwarebytes.com/adwcleaner

The full suite is malwarebytes.com/mwb-download. Those are different buttons.

Run, reboot if it asks, then delete or keep the portable

It should not stay as a Startup AV. Defender remains the engine.

If you wanted resident protection, install the full Malwarebytes or stay on Windows Security

Do not stack Premium realtime plus Defender. The cleaner alone does not create that fight.

Alternatives

Malwarebytes full suite if you want ongoing scans. HitmanPro for another on-demand pass. Windows Security as the resident engine.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	www.malwarebytes.com/adwcleaner Official installer or vendor page
Help	support.malwarebytes.com/ Vendor support
Official site	www.malwarebytes.com/adwcleaner Start here, not a random exe host

Related hardware

A scan is disk-heavy for a few minutes. Then the process should go away.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

AdwCleaner official site · Vendor product page
AdwCleaner help · Vendor support
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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