Is Hotcleaner malware

I keep getting a Chrome page that opens with a warning and has links to click. I deleted them as soon as they pop up.

Wondering if anyone knows what this is, Maybe malware or virus??

Any help is appreciated

It has been reported as a PUP.

Hotcleaner is classed as a browser hijacker, This is courtesy of co-pilot:

How to Get Rid of It (Chrome)​

Here’s the clean, reliable removal path:

1. Check your Chrome extensions​

1. Open Chrome
2. Go to: chrome://extensions/
3. Look for anything suspicious:
   
   • “Privacy Test”
   • “Hotcleaner”
   • Anything you don’t recognize. Anything related to "cleaner"
4. Remove the extension (not just disable)

2. Reset Chrome settings​

This removes hijacker changes without wiping bookmarks.

1. Chrome menu → Settings
2. Reset settings
3. Choose Restore settings to their original defaults

3. Remove startup pages​

1. Chrome Settings → On startup
2. Make sure nothing like hotcleaner.com/... is listed
3. Set it to Open the New Tab page

4. Clear site data​

1. Chrome Settings → Privacy and security
2. Clear browsing data
3. Select:
   
   • Cookies
   • Cached files

5. Check Windows startup (optional but smart)​

Sometimes hijackers add scheduled tasks.

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Task Manager
2. Go to Startup apps
3. Disable anything unfamiliar

This is from me: Also go to settings>apps>installed apps
Check you installed apps for anything suspicious.
Run a full scan with Malwarebytes. Virus Scanner Online virus scanner - check for malware and threats for free
Run a scan with Adwarecleaner. AdwCleaner 2026 - Free Adware Cleaner & Removal Tool | Malwarebytes

It's an extension added to your Chrome browser. You can get rid of it by downloading the free version of Malwarebytes: Virus Scanner Online virus scanner - check for malware and threats for free

This reply is for both Glasskuter and jacee.

I would rather not have to reset chrome if it is avoidable. When I search for extensions I only have 3 I have had for years and 1 ( Click and Clean ) I added about a week ago.

Once again I do not see anything about hotcleaner or it's ID with this info what would you suggest is the best way to get rid of this?

pepanee said:

View attachment 162993

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Nothing in control panel under uninstall programs about hotcleaner

Logical Ron said:

( Click and Clean ) I added about a week ago.

Click to expand...

That's it!!!! Remove it.

Using the same idea of arranging programs by install date, with most recent on top, see if you can find anything suspicious that you don't know about. And remove what you aren't aware of on the computer.

And clear cookies and cache in Chrome.

glasskuter said:

Anything related to "cleaner"

Click to expand...

That exactly what the list of suggestions said to look for.

glasskuter said:

That's it!!!! Remove it.

Click to expand...

Just to clearify, you are saying Click and clean is malware? so many on this forum suggested it to me when I wanted to get rid of Ccleaner

Hotcleaner itself isn’t malware, but the pop‑ups and forced redirects are caused by the unwanted extension or hijacker using the Hotcleaner domain. It is well documented all over the web.

Logical Ron said:

so many on this forum suggested it to me

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Who exactly? Forum search found no mention of it. Seems to me the most logical thing to do is remove the extension, clear cache and cookies, change any highjacked Chrome settings for startup, new tab, and home page in chrome, then close chrome. Reopen it to see if your issue is fixed. If it is, you know it has something to do with the extension.

Whether I wanted to or not I would reset Chrome as was advised. But that's just me.

What do you think Click & Clean is doing for you? It doesn't look harmful from what I see, but I try to minimize adding extensions unless they do something that isn't offered natively by the browser.

glasskuter said:

Who exactly? Forum search found no mention of it. Seems to me the most logical thing to do is remove the extension, clear cache and cookies, change any highjacked Chrome settings for startup, new tab, and home page in chrome, then close chrome. Reopen it to see if your issue is fixed. If it is, you know it has something to do with the extension.

Click to expand...

I've looked through all the threads that I was in and can't find any on Click and Clean although I know that I brought it up in this forum when I wanted to not use Ccleaner any longer and after going back and forth on what hsitory cleaner for Win 11 and Chrome several mentioned Click and Clean. Now why I can't find any posts and I know I wasn't dreaming about it.............I can't explain. Also the method you suggest to get rid of this problem as I read more about it says to delete any extensions I don't know, I only have 4 extensions and Click and Clean is the only one I have had for years. If I go through all the steps you suggested and still don't see any extentsions that are suspect and only see the 4 I have installed, then what?? I will add a screenshot of my extensions.


I do have a question about part of your reply. You said "highjacked Chrome settings for startup, new tab, and home page in chrome, then close chrome"
I know nothing about highjacking Chrome settingsfor startup. I'm willing to do everything you said to Chrome but if you can explain a little more about how I deal with the highjacked chrome settings

Thanks

gunrunnerjohn said:

What do you think Click & Clean is doing for you? It doesn't look harmful from what I see, but I try to minimize adding extensions unless they do something that isn't offered natively by the browser.

Click to expand...

Is this a trick question...........lol I think Click and Clean will do the following for me. Click&Clean is a free, popular browser extension for Chrome and Edge that It enhances privacy by removing digital footprints, improves browser performance by clearing clutter, and can be configured to automatically clean data when you close the browser. I used Ccleaner for years but wanted something better that Instantly deletes browsing history, cookies, cache, and other temporary data with one click.


To both of you I never got the email that tells us when someone replied to my thread. Sorry for the delay in replying back

The screenshot from the Chrome web store shows specifically that Click&Clean is developed by hotcleaner. If you aren't willing to remove the extension and follow the instructions to clear cache and cookies to see if it fixes your problem, what can I say.

glasskuter said:

The screenshot from the Chrome web store shows specifically that Click&Clean is developed by hotcleaner. If you aren't willing to remove the extension and follow the instructions to clear cache and cookies to see if it fixes your problem, what can I say.

View attachment 163527

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Okay, I will reset chrome to see if it fixes my issues in Chrome. Since in my extensions I only have 4, I know what each one is. Once I reset Chrome and then only see the same 4 extensions besides having just reset Chrome how do I know if I fixed my issue. I'm not debating your suggestions I understand things better when they are discussed rather than just have someone say do this or that.

The thing that is most confusing to me is Click and Clean is made by a company named Hotcleaner, the warning page that popped up the url was from Hotcleaner. but some in this thread suggested removing Click and Clean. if it is a good utility my question is are you saying that Click and Clean is installing malware that has something to do with Chrome Extension but I see nothing in extension. if you can explain this to me it will go a long way in helping me understand this whole issue.

A complete reset of Chrome is not the FIRST troubleshooting step to try and may be unnecessary. I said:
Seems to me the most logical thing to do is remove the extension, clear cache and cookies, change any highjacked Chrome settings for startup, new tab, and home page in chrome, then close chrome. Reopen it to see if your issue is fixed. If it is, you know it has something to do with the extension.

If that doesn't do it, the next step would be to reset Chrome which will reset it to default settings with NO extensions. In this case you would have to reinstall the other 3 extensions.

glasskuter said:

A complete reset of Chrome is not the FIRST troubleshooting step to try and may be unnecessary. I said:
Seems to me the most logical thing to do is remove the extension, clear cache and cookies, change any highjacked Chrome settings for startup, new tab, and home page in chrome, then close chrome. Reopen it to see if your issue is fixed. If it is, you know it has something to do with the extension.

If that doesn't do it, the next step would be to reset Chrome which will reset it to default settings with NO extensions. In this case you would have to reinstall the other 3 extensions.

Click to expand...

When you say "remove extension" do you mean remove Click and Clean ? as far as highjacked Chrome settings I have asked to explain that a bit more, at the same time I have been searching and reading about that. everything I read about highjacking Chrome settings say that somehow a extension could have been added without me knowing. Wouldn't that extension show up in my extensions??

Logical Ron said:

When you say "remove extension" do you mean remove Click and Clean

Click to expand...

Yes.

Logical Ron said:

as far as highjacked Chrome settings I ahve asked to explain that a bit more

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I said to change any of those Chrome browser settings (startup, new tab, and home page ) IF they had been changed. It's a known fact some browser extensions can change those settings without your knowledge.