AdwCleaner is a free program that searches for and deletes Adware, Toolbars, Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP), and browser Hijackers from your computer. By using AdwCleaner you can easily remove many of these types of programs for a better user experience on your computer and while browsing the web.
The types of programs that AdwCleaner targets are typically bundled with free programs that you download from the web. In many cases when you download and install a program, the install will state that these programs will be installed along with the program you downloaded. Unless you perform a Custom install, these unwanted programs will automatically be installed on your computer leaving you with extra browser toolbars, adware, and other unwanted programs. AdwCleaner is designed to search for and remove these types of programs.
A guide for removing adware, which uses AdwCleaner, can be found here: How to Remove Adware from a PC
AdwCleaner Usage Instructions:
Using AdwCleaner is very simple. Simply download the program and run it. You will then be presented with a screen that contains a Scan and Clean button. The Scan button will cause AdwCleaner to search your computer for unwanted programs and then display all the files, folders, and registry entries found on your computer that are used by adware programs.
When the scan has finished, look through the scan results and uncheck any entries that you do not wish to remove. When you are satisfied with the selection, simply click on the Clean button, which will cause AdwCleaner to reboot your computer and remove the files and registry entries associated with the various adware that you are removing. On reboot, AdwCleaner will display a log showing the files, folders, and registry entries that were removed
