Anti-virus uninstall tools.

by **The_gh0stm4n** Sun 26 Apr 2015, 03:18

Hello all,

In the following, you will find a brief introduction on some basics about uninstalling anti-virus software. Which is followed by a compilation of links that might aid you in removing these programs. Note that this is only a preliminary selection of links. This list will be updated whenever there is an update available, but you might also need to do some extra research on your own.

1) Why would you want to uninstall anti-virus software ?

Sometimes, uninstalling the "regular way" (namely with the Windows System Control Panel) doesn't go smooth. Remnants of the program can still be there after the uninstall. In cases like that it is a huge problem, being faced with these remnants: they cannot be removed that easily anymore. For that purpose, most anti-virus companies provide small tools, with which you can completely remove (failed) anti-virus software.

Oftentimes people also forget to re-boot the computer after the uninstall, which will almost always cause problems, especially if you then decide to install a different anti-virus program.

Another common mistake that people make is to install more than one anti-virus program on their system. Keep in mind that at all times, you should never have more than ONE program. I've seen many cases, in which people install 'additional security software', parallel to their main anti-virus program. This is not only unnecessary, but will almost certainly cause conflicts. These additional programs are often innocuous and come alongside other programs; they can be browser add-ons, for example.

And of course, you must always have an overview of what you have or haven't installed on your computers. I've seen many people saying something like "I don't know what stuff I have installed on my computer". If you keep your system setup 'clean' in this sense, you won't face problems.

To end this introduction, the following would be an example way how to un-install an anti-virus program, with the help of "Your Un-installer Pro" (available from Games4TheWorld here). This is from my backup system, on which I have Windows 8.1. installed. But that doesn't matter for this example. Smile

Open the program at first, and locate your anti-virus software from the list of installed programs:

Double-click on the program you want to have removed.

Choose "Super Mode", and follow the on-screen instructions. If there are leftover registry keys and/or folders shown in the next window, select all of them and click on "Delete". After the whole procedure is done, re-boot the computer, to complete the un-installation.

2) Now to the links:

For now, I have only compiled links for the most common programs; if anyone has links for other software, feel free to reply here, and I will add them to the list. Smile

Again, this is ONLY meant as a 'starting point' for your own research. If you have more specific questions about an individual program, we may not be able to provide support on it. I myself am only familiar with avast and a little bit with Kaspersky. So again, you may need to do some googling on your own, too...

- Avast: https://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility

- Avira: http://www.avira.com/en/support-for-home-knowledgebase-detail/kbid/902

- AVG: http://www.avg.com/us-en/utilities

- Bitdefender: http://www.bitdefender.com/site/view/uninstall_consumer_paid.html

-Comodo: https://forums.comodo.com/install-setup-configuration-help-cis/most-effective-way-to-reinstall-cis-to-avoidfix-problems-t58620.0.html

- ESET: http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN2788

- G-DATA: https://www.gdatasoftware.co.uk/downloads (look under "tools" to find the un-installers !)

- Kaspersky: http://support.kaspersky.com/common/service.aspx?el=1464

- McAffee: https://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?id=TS101331

- Lavasoft products: http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?showtopic=28

- Norton: https://support.norton.com/sp/en/uk/home/current/solutions/kb20080710133834EN_EndUserProfile_en_us

- VIPRE: http://support.threattracksecurity.com/support/solutions/articles/1000070702-how-to-manually-remove-vipre-antivirus-or-vipre-internet (note: this article is more a guide on how to manually remove VIPRE; rather than a simple tool).

Hope this helps you a bit - good luck !

Updated on 26-04-2015

by **Admin** Thu 30 Apr 2015, 12:29

Thank you for the list of links, those are very useful!

Anti-virus uninstall tools.

Anti-virus uninstall tools.

Re: Anti-virus uninstall tools.