Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool vs Malwarebytes AdwCleaner

Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool is a free, on-demand utility for scanning an infected computer and removing viruses, adware, riskware, Trojans, and rootkits it finds. It runs only when started and does not provide continuous background protection, so Kaspersky presents it as a possible second opinion alongside existing security. No installation is required: it can run from a USB drive and removes itself when closed. Kaspersky says its disinfection technology targets active infections, including malware that resists removal or blocks standard antivirus software. Scan choices include startup objects, boot sectors, system memory, and hard-drive volumes. Quick Scan checks memory, startup objects, and boot sectors; custom scans can cover full systems, selected directories, system volumes, or all volumes. Kaspersky describes the utility as intended for infected Windows computers, while Linux support is listed for its unpacker and command-line options. The tool alerts users when updates are needed, and updating requires an internet connection. Online technical support and help documentation are provided.

Malwarebytes AdwCleaner is a free Windows utility for detecting and removing adware, potentially unwanted programs and browser hijackers. It can also find unwanted software preinstalled on Windows computers. After scanning, you choose detections to quarantine and disable, then restart to finish cleanup; results also let you delete or restore items. The command-line interface can scan and list detections, scan and quarantine them, or uninstall AdwCleaner. Malwarebytes positions it for home users and technicians and distinguishes its focus from Malwarebytes Free, which also removes viruses, trojans, botnets and ransomware. Supported systems are Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows 8.1; Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 are unsupported. Minimum requirements list an 800 MHz SSE2 CPU, 512 MB RAM and 10 MB free disk space. With a firewall, outbound port 443 access is required to three listed Malwarebytes or AdwCleaner service addresses. Suspected false positives can be submitted from scan results for specialist review. The Free plan is free.