PC Cleanup Guide

Clean your compromised Windows laptop — no tech knowledge needed.

Do not skip steps
Download
Cleanup Tool Right-click → Run as Administrator
Or follow the steps below manually.
1

Windows Defender Offline Scan

Takes 15-30 minutes. Your PC will restart. Don't turn it off mid-scan.
  1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard
  2. Type Windows Security and open it
  3. Click Virus & threat protection
  4. Click Scan options (below the scan button)
  5. Select Microsoft Defender Offline Scan
  6. Click Scan now
Your PC will restart and scan before Windows loads
After restart, check Windows Security → Protection history for what was found
2

Remove Unknown Programs

  1. Press Windows key + I (Settings opens)
  2. Click Apps → Installed apps
  3. Click Sort by → Install date
  4. Look at the most recently installed programs
  5. For anything you don't recognize: click the three dots (⋮) → Uninstall
Safe to remove: Toolbars, "PC Optimizer", "Speed Booster", unknown game launchers, random PDF converters
Don't uninstall things like: Chrome, Zoom, Spotify, Adobe Reader — only remove things you never installed
3

Disable Suspicious Startup Apps

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc (Task Manager opens)
  2. If you see "More details" at the bottom — click it
  3. Click the Startup apps tab
  4. Look at the list. For anything you don't recognize: right-click it → Disable
Keep enabled: OneDrive (if you use it), antivirus, your audio driver — disable only suspicious-looking entries
4

Reset Your Browser

For Chrome
  1. Open Chrome → click the three dots (⋮) top-right
  2. Click Settings
  3. Click Reset settings in the left menu
  4. Click Restore settings to original defaults
  5. Click Reset settings
For Edge
  1. Open Edge → click the three dots (…) top-right
  2. Click Settings → Reset settings
  3. Click Restore settings to their default values
  4. Click Reset
This removes hijacked homepage, fake extensions, search redirects
5

Change Passwords (from your Phone)

Do this from your phone, not the laptop. The laptop might still be compromised.

Change passwords for:

  • Email (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo — this is most important)
  • Instagram / Facebook / Social media
  • Banking apps (do this from the app on your phone)
  • Amazon / Flipkart / Shopping
  • Any other account you use on the laptop
Tip: Use a different password for each account. Write them in a notebook if you'll forget.
Windows 11 No installs needed ~40 minutes
Guide v3 · sdachary.github.io