How to properly remove antivirus programs. Cleaning the system after incorrect removal of the antivirus. Correct way to remove

Before you remove an antivirus from your computer, you need to understand that under no circumstances should you remove antivirus programs by simply deleting folders in the C:/Program Files drive directive. This will definitely lead to dire consequences, after which you will have to reinstall the OS.

How to remove Avast antivirus?

So, if someone wants, but does not know, how to remove Avast antivirus, this is done very simply.

Initially, you need to download and install the special Avastclear program. Now do the following:

Start the OS in safe mode.
Run the program.
Next, find an antivirus.
Delete.
Reboot.

How can I remove Kaspersky Anti-Virus?

Before uninstalling Kaspersky Anti-Virus, you need to go to the “Control Panel”, find the “Programs and Features” menu, then select the antivirus, and click on “Change/Remove”, after which the removal wizard will appear.

Among other things, you can perform the removal using the KAV Remover Tool. It is available on the Kaspersky website.

Download the archive, open it and run kavremover.exe. The program is specifically designed to remove Kaspersky Lab products. You can:

Automatically remove antivirus.
Remove antivirus remnants.

How to completely remove Eset Nod32 antivirus

If you don't know how to remove Eset antivirus, use the following tip. Going to the folder with the installed program, you need to find the “Uninstal” file and then follow the instructions. Or do this in the “Start” menu, then “All Programs” and click on “Uninstall”.

A menu will open, but before you remove Eset Nod32 antivirus, you need to fill out and submit the questionnaire data, after which you can remove the antivirus.

It is also possible to use the ESET Uninstaller utility, which is intuitively simple and clear.

Remove any antivirus

For those who do not know how to completely remove antivirus from a computer, there is another method:

Open the command line Win + R.
We write appwiz.cpl and then “Enter”.
Select the required antivirus program, and then click on “Delete”.
We reboot the system.

Now you know how to remove an antivirus and, if necessary, you can do it at any time without worrying about accidentally crashing the system.

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Antivirus is an important element of the security of any system. However, you need to be able to not only install it, but also remove it correctly, so as not to encounter various unpleasant situations.

Incorrect deletion

Before we figure out how to remove an antivirus from a computer, let's see how not to get rid of it so as not to subsequently have problems with the system.

Do not under any circumstances erase the folder containing the antivirus software files!

You should not look for the antivirus directory in “Program Files” and destroy it along with all its contents. Otherwise, you may encounter the following unpleasant moments:

Simply sending it to the trash can only get rid of portable versions of programs. For example, this is how you can remove Doctor Web antivirus from your computer (CureIT treatment utility).

Proper removal

We've figured out the wrong way, now let's see how to correctly clear the system of one anti-virus application package so that you can install other security software without any problems.

Be sure to disable your antivirus protection and close it before attempting to remove it. Otherwise, the security software will block any attempts to get rid of itself.

Let's start with the standard method, which involves using the “Control Panel”:

Another option is to use the built-in uninstaller, which can be found in the Start menu.

After uninstallation, you need to configure CCleaner and use it to clean the registry to get rid of any remaining traces of security software. After cleaning the registry and restarting the computer, you can install another application package to ensure system security.

The two indicated methods have a common drawback - even if you work with the registry, it is not a fact that all traces of the antivirus will be destroyed. The result is sad: errors, a gap in computer protection, an increased threat of virus infection.

The best way is to use special uninstallation utilities that antivirus developers produce specifically for their products.

If you have tried to completely remove Kaspersky Anti-Virus from your computer, then you know that this task cannot be completed without the Kaspersky Lab Products Remover utility. You can download this program from the official website of the developers for free.

Other antivirus programs also have similar proprietary utilities, so if possible, it is better to use them.

Third party software

If the antivirus software you use doesn't have a proprietary uninstall utility, or you can't find one, try the AV Uninstall Tools Pack. This package contains utilities for uninstalling more than four dozen antivirus programs. All programs are taken from official resources and tested by the developers.

Attention! If you do not disable the antivirus, then when you try to unpack the archive with AV Uninstall Tools Pack, a message about a detected virus will appear. This is a normal situation for programs of this kind, since they forcefully terminate antivirus processes and are therefore identified as a security threat.

A folder with the uninstallation utility will open. Launch it and remove the security software. After completing this procedure, restart your computer again and start the system normally.

Many users have encountered problems when uninstalling the antivirus that was installed by default when installing the operating system. They consist in the fact that the antivirus program does not want to be removed. But if you adhere to some rules and strictly follow them, then uninstalling the antivirus will not be difficult.

You need to remember that there is no need to look for the antivirus folder in the Program Files directory and try to delete it. This will cause a message to appear on the screen stating that the file cannot be uninstalled because it cannot be accessed or is being used by other applications. This means that the antivirus works even if it is completely closed. System services may be running.

In the future, difficulties may arise with uninstalling the anti-virus utility, since some files are deleted, but without them it is impossible to completely eliminate the utility in the standard way.
All users have long known that it is impossible to uninstall programs in this way, but this situation is the most common, as a result of which the antivirus is not removed.

Correct way to remove

If the licensed antivirus and its files have not been changed, then you can use the most correct and reliable method. The first thing you need to do is go to the Start menu and find the antivirus program folder here. By clicking on it, you can see the item “Remove antivirus” or Uninstall. You need to choose it.

After this, a window will open to remove the antivirus. This is an application specially created by the developers, designed to uninstall an antivirus utility from the operating system. After removal, you must restart your PC to completely clean the systems. You can also use a special application and clean the Windows registry.

If there is no directory with an antivirus program or a link to it in Start, then you need to use another method. To do this, press the Win+R key combination on your keyboard. In the window that appears, you need to enter the appwiz.cpl command and press Enter.

A list of installed programs will appear, including an antivirus program. You must select it and click on “Delete”. Once the process is complete, you must restart your computer.

It is worth remembering that some antivirus programs, even when properly uninstalled, leave traces behind. To clean them, you need to download a free registry cleaner and remove everything left from the antivirus.

Sometimes there are cases when the antivirus program does not want to be removed even in the correct way. This happens due to the fact that the folder with the program was initially deleted, without which further uninstallation is impossible.

In this case, you need to start the PC in safe mode. Then go to the “Control Panel”, select “Administration”, and then “Services”. Here you need to disable all services that are related to the antivirus.

After this, you need to run the system cleaning application and delete all files associated with the antivirus program.

It is worth adhering to the instructions described above, especially for novice users, since due to inexperience, you can bring the operating system to such a state that it becomes very difficult to remove the antivirus. Mostly, newbies, when they see error messages, resort to reinstalling the operating system, which is not recommended. In this case, it is better to seek help from a more experienced user or specialist.

Antivirus programs, unlike regular ones, cannot be simply removed. They firmly root themselves into the system so that not a single virus can resist their power. Otherwise, what kind of protection is this?

To remove the antivirus completely, you need to use special uninstaller programs or perform a number of special manual operations. Otherwise, difficulties with installing new security software cannot be avoided.

When you remove programs using standard tools, traces of their existence always remain in the operating system: files, registry entries, changed settings, etc. Uninstaller utilities completely clean out the remnants of a\v products from the system, thereby preventing conflicts when installing other security software.

Avast

To remove Avast correctly, completely without tails and forgotten files, download the Avast Clear utility and do the following:

Kaspersky Anti-Virus

Antivirus products from Kaspersky Lab are removed using a special utility called KAVRemover.

Important: when removing an antivirus using KAVRemover All license information will be cleared. If you simply need to reinstall the protection, make sure that the license key is saved for the next activation.

The KAVRemover utility automatically detects which Kaspersky Lab product is installed on the PC. If there are several products, you need to remove them one by one. After uninstalling each one, you need to restart the computer.

AVG

In the latest versions, AVG developers have strengthened its self-defense so much that now, before launching the uninstallation tool for this company’s products, you need to do a lot of manual work - disable all antivirus protective settings.

In the Computer section, turn off file protection and behavior analysis.
In “Internet and email”, disable the “Web protection” and “Mail protection” items.
In the Malicious Attacks section, disable the Enhanced Firewall and Ransomware Protection sections. Click "Open" and move the marker to the Off position.
“Privacy” - turn off webcam protection.
“Payments” - remove protection from fake sites. When the settings are disabled, all tiles will be highlighted in red.
Open “Menu”/“Settings” and uncheck all the boxes in the “General” and “Troubleshooting” sections. Also check if the sliders are set to Off in the Components and Refresh sections.

In addition to AVG Remover, you can use the universal utility. After installing it on your computer, a “Power Uninstall” button will appear in the “Programs and Features” window. By clicking this button, you will not only completely remove the program, but also clean the system of residual files.

Before uninstalling programs, IObit Uninstaller creates a checkpoint to restore the system in case something goes wrong. So that you can roll everything back and try again.

The process takes several minutes. After it finishes, restart your computer.

McAfee

McAfee antivirus is a frequent guest on the computers of inexperienced users. This is not a bad product in itself, but it is often installed without the user's permission along with various free programs. Even a stationary antivirus does not interfere with it, and this sometimes causes conflict between them and a lot of problems. The only good thing is that in most cases, removing McAfee is not difficult.

You can remove McAfee either through Control Panel/Uninstall Programs or using special utilities. Whether it is a utility for uninstalling McAfee products - McAfee Consumer Product Removal (MCPR) or IObit Uninstaller, there is no fundamental difference.

Let's look at the procedure for removing McAfee using MCPR as an example.

360 Total Security

360 Total Security is a good tool for protecting against viruses. But lately, problems have often arisen with it on “not entirely licensed” operating systems Windows 7 and 8 during the download and installation of updates. It does not have its own uninstall utility like Avast or Kaspersky. The procedure for uninstalling it is standard: first, standard Windows tools, and then cleaning up the remains using special utilities.

ESET

There is a utility to uninstall ESET products. The developer recommends using it if problems arise with standard removal. It is suitable for all editions of Windows, but you need to download the version for the system bit size that you have installed.

Unfortunately, this method does not always work. Some ESET products cannot be removed using the utility. If this is your case, you will see a window telling you that the program is not supported. Then you just have to remove the antivirus manually.

How to do it:

Avira

To remove Avira, there is also special software that can clear all remnants from the registry after standard removal.

Dr.Web

When trying to remove Dr.Web using standard Windows tools, difficulties sometimes arise. For example, in the root directory of the program there is no built-in uninstaller - the Uninstall file. Then the CCleaner utility will help you.

Using CCleaner you can remove any software, including antivirus products.

Comprehensive utility AV Uninstall Tools Pack

is a set of utilities for removing antivirus products from various vendors. The program is portable, meaning it does not require installation. To work with it, just unpack it from the archive, and to run it, just click on the autorun.exe file.

The Tools folder contains all available utilities for removing antiviruses. They can also be launched from here.

In addition to the products already described, using AV Uninstall Tools Pack you can remove other antiviruses, such as Panda, Bitdefender, Symantec (Norton), Grizzly, etc. The set of tools included in it is replenished with each new release.

How to remove antivirus from your phone

Installing and uninstalling antiviruses on phones running the Android operating system is no different from installing and uninstalling games and applications. Depending on the Android version, the sequence of actions may differ slightly.

Using Android 7.1.2 as an example:

Disabling Windows 10 Defender

It happens that Windows 10 Defender provokes a software conflict when installing or uninstalling third-party antivirus products. To avoid this, you can disable active protection in the “Update and Security” section of the “Settings” system utility. Read more.

Only one antivirus can run on a computer, otherwise programs begin to conflict and slow down the processes of the entire system. Before changing security programs or installing a new version for testing, you need to completely clean the device. How to remove an antivirus program from a computer in different cases?

What kind of antivirus removal is strictly prohibited?

Ordinary users, seeing that the previous protection does not do what they want, decide how to completely remove the antivirus from their computer. They do it very simply - they find the folder with the program in the computer archive and send the contents to the Trash. Having completed this action, they calm down and try to find new antiviruses with bonuses for their computer.

In this way, you cannot get rid of any programs at all, and even more so, such removal of an antivirus is prohibited. The “bits” of the second program still remain in the system, only now they do not destroy dangerous programs, but turn into them themselves.

Crashes, freezes, conflicts with other processes, strange pop-ups - all this will visit your computer.

Removing antiviruses in the normal way will no longer work. It will take a long and troublesome time to treat your computer using a special program.

Another option is when the computer flatly refuses to delete the selected files and displays: “Cannot delete _file_.”

The reason is usually cited as the disk being full or being occupied by some application. Even if you clicked on the exit icon of the program, the antivirus background processes are working at full capacity. This is a kind of protection designed to protect the system in emergency situations.

How to properly remove an old antivirus

The method here is the same as with regular applications. How to remove an old antivirus of a licensed format with completely intact components (which you did not remove separately or change)?

It is removed from the computer through the general menu:

If the creators of your program did not take care of how to completely remove their antivirus from your computer in a couple of clicks, then you will have to do it manually. It does not take much more time than the first option.

Open a list of programs that run on your computer in a separate window. This can be done through the control panel. All versions (XP/7/8/10) have access to it in the Start menu.
Find your antivirus and run the “Uninstall a program and all its components” action.

The system will destroy all files without exception. This way, you won’t have to think about how to remove antivirus remnants from your laptop or PC.

We remove developer errors and our own mistakes

If you did delete some files manually, then most likely there is a “disabled program” hanging on your computer that prevents you from using other applications and is no longer destroyed.

How to remove the antivirus in this case if it is not removed?

Start the system in safe mode and open the list of programs that are currently running. You can get there through the control panel.
Select the administration section and then click on “Services”.
Find files that belong to the previous protection and get rid of them. If you can’t erase everything manually, then use an antivirus removal utility.
These programs are posted on the Internet completely free of charge for personal use.
Completely clean your computer, including the program registry.

Utilities for removing antiviruses will also help out if the developer himself has not thought through something. You can remove the protection according to all the rules, but still some suspicious files flash on the hard drive, and the system crashes and does not accept the new program.

What and how is it better to completely remove the antivirus from your computer?

The Undelete Plus app will finish the job.

How to remove an antivirus from the registry if it is not removed from there? This mistake by developers occurs quite often. The program no longer works, but hangs on the list. The system believes that everything is in place and legally rejects the new protection.

Simple utilities for removing antiviruses and cleaning Windows, for example, Reg Cleaner, can quickly solve this problem.

What if you’ve tried all the methods, but the annoying program still won’t leave your computer?

How to remove an antivirus if it is not removed from the word “completely”? The last and most radical method is demolition of the system. You destroy Windows and all settings along with it. Now you can install what you need on a pristine computer.