Uninstalling other antivirus software. Uninstall other antivirus software. Refer to the alphabetical list below to access the websites of common antivirus programs for uninstallation instructions. If the antivirus program you are trying to uninstall is not in the list, refer to the program's support website. How To Completely Remove Antivirus Software May 15, 2015 by Jim Hillier 7 Comments An antivirus program is not something we tend to change very often but, when we do, it’s important to make sure the existing antivirus software is completely removed from the system.
- How To Uninstall Mcafee Antivirus
- How To Uninstall Antivirus Software On Windows 10
- How To Uninstall Antivirus Software On Mac
Sometimes an antivirus just isn’t working for you. Perhaps it’s beginning to cause problems, or you want to try out another one. It’s not advisable to have more than one antivirus installed on a PC at a time, so the old one should be uninstalled.
You may find, however, that trying to uninstall antivirus on Windows is harder than a regular app! Some may require special steps in order to uninstall them, and it may take a bit of searching the ‘Net to find out how to uninstall an antivirus. This article will explain how to uninstall antivirus on Windows?
Why Is It So Tricky?
Before you wonder why they make it so difficult, there’s a good reason why an antivirus is so hard to remove from your PC! If they were easy to remove, it would certainly make your life a lot easier, but it would also make the lives of viruses and malware easier too. All it would take is for them to find a way to tell Windows to uninstall your antivirus and it’s set to wreck havoc on your PC.
As such, antivirus developers make their software as hard to manually remove as possible. Instead of using the regular method, antivirus developers supply a removal tool which you can run.
So how do you get an antivirus removal tool? This wholly depends on which antivirus you have installed! Here’s a list of some of the more popular antivirus solutions and where to find their removal tools.
How To Remove n Antivirus
1. Avast! Antivirus
1. Visit the Avast! Uninstall Utility page and download the file.
2. Start Windows in Safe Mode. (How?)
3. Run the utility tool.
2. BitDefender
1. Visit the BitDefender Uninstall page and choose which version of BitDefender you have installed — Paid or Trial.
2. On the new page, select the product you want to uninstall.
3. Click the link to download the uninstaller.
4. Run the uninstaller.
3. Norton Antivirus
1. Download the Norton Remove and Reinstall tool. As you can note by the name, Norton will try to get you to reinstall the product after the uninstallation, so be wary of this if this is not what you want!
2. Run the tool. The computer will have to be restarted to complete the process, potentially several times.
4. Malwarebytes Anti Malware
1. Download and run the Malwarebytes Clean Uninstall Tool.
2. Restart your computer when asked to complete the uninstallation.
5. Kaspersky
1. Download and run the Removal Tool for Kaspersky products. (You have to expand “How to use the tool” to see the download link.)
2. Enter the code that the removal tool gives you.
3. Select the Kaspersky products you want to delete from the list it gives you.
5. Avira Antivirus
The Avira Antivirus can be removed in the same way as any other piece of software. However, if it doesn’t work, there is an Avira RegistryCleaner tool and some manual instructions on how to clean your system of Avira.
6. McAfee Antivirus
McAfee can also be removed the normal way, but McAfee does provide a McAfee Consumer Product Removal tool in case it doesn’t work.
What Now?
Now that you’ve managed to remove your existing antivirus, the question is: what now? Usually at this point, Windows Defender will kick in and start protecting your system. If you’d prefer a more efficient antivirus, however, there are plenty of free options to choose from. Just make sure you have at least something enabled before you go back online; it’s never a good idea to go on the Internet unprotected!
Understanding Uninstalling
In order to resist virus attacks, most antiviruses can’t be uninstalled the “normal way.” They often need a tool supplied by the developer in order to get rid of them. Now you know how to uninstall antivirus on Windows and the tools each one uses.
Do you change antiviruses often? Or stick by one for years? Let us know below!
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There are a number of different antivirus programs on the market. If an antivirus is already installed on your computer and you want to install a different antivirus on the computer, you must uninstall the current antivirus program first. Below are the steps on how to uninstall an antivirus program.
How To Uninstall Mcafee Antivirus
Caution
Having more than one antivirus program running on a computer at the same time often causes conflicts, resulting in errors, slow performance, and failure to properly detect viruses.
Note
Keep in mind that if you have a subscription with the antivirus company, uninstalling the program may not cancel your subscription.
Tip
If you are uninstalling the antivirus because you believe it is causing problems, you can also temporarily disable the antivirus before uninstalling.
Uninstall through the Start menu
Pc game free downloads full versions. The first way is to utilize the built-in uninstall feature of the program by finding the folder for the antivirus program in your Windows Start menu. To do this, click Start, All Programs, and look for the antivirus program in the list of programs.
When you find the antivirus program in the list, locate the uninstall option, which should be in the same folder. If this is available, click the uninstall option and follow the prompts to complete the uninstallation of the antivirus.
Uninstall through Add or Remove programs
The second way is to utilize Add or Remove Programs.
Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10 users
1. Open the Add or Remove Programs.
2. In the list of installed programs, find the antivirus program and select it by clicking it once with the left mouse button. Once the antivirus program is selected, above the column headers, click the Uninstall option as shown in the picture below to initiate the uninstall process.
Note
2. In the list of installed programs, find the antivirus program and select it by clicking it once with the left mouse button. Once the antivirus program is selected, above the column headers, click the Uninstall option as shown in the picture below to initiate the uninstall process.
Some antivirus programs may be listed several times in the list of programs. Make sure you've uninstalled all associated parts of the antivirus before rebooting the computer or installing another antivirus.
If you're unable to uninstall the antivirus through Add or Remove Programs because of an error, skip to uninstalling from Safe Mode. If the antivirus program is not listed in the Add or Remove Programs, you may have a bad antivirus install or a rogue antivirus.
Windows XP users
1. Open the Add or Remove Programs.
2. In the list of installed programs, find the antivirus program and select it by clicking it once with the left mouse button. To the right of the program name, click the Change/Remove or Uninstall button to initiate the uninstall process.
Note
2. In the list of installed programs, find the antivirus program and select it by clicking it once with the left mouse button. To the right of the program name, click the Change/Remove or Uninstall button to initiate the uninstall process.
Some antivirus programs may be listed several times in the list of programs. Make sure you've uninstalled all associated parts of the antivirus before rebooting the computer or installing another antivirus.
If you're unable to uninstall the antivirus through Add or Remove Programs because of an error, skip to uninstalling from Safe Mode. If the antivirus program is not listed in the Add or Remove Programs, you may have a bad antivirus install or a rogue antivirus.
Uninstalling from Safe Mode
In some cases, the uninstall process may not be able to proceed because the antivirus program is currently loaded and running in Windows. If the program cannot be disabled, uninstall the antivirus in Windows Safe Mode. In Safe Mode, the antivirus program will not be loaded and running, making it possible to uninstall using either method mentioned earlier.
How To Uninstall Antivirus Software On Windows 10
Bad antivirus program
In some situations, a legitimate antivirus program cannot uninstall because it or the software used to uninstall it is corrupt, bad, or missing. In these situations, you must download an uninstaller program from the antivirus scanner company to remove all files associated with the antivirus. Below is a list of known uninstall links for many of the major antivirus scanner companies.
How To Uninstall Antivirus Software On Mac
Antivirus | Uninstall Link |
---|---|
Avast | Avast uninstall link. |
AVG | AVG uninstall link. |
Avira | Avira uninstall link. |
BitDefender 2015 | BitDefender 2015 uninstall link. |
BullGuard | BullGuard uninstall link. |
Comodo | Comodo uninstall link. |
Dr. Web | Dr. Web uninstall link. |
eScan | eScan uninstall link (direct download). |
ESET | ESET uninstall link. |
FRISK F-PROT Antivirus | F-PROT uninstall link. |
F-Secure | F-Secure uninstall link. |
G Data | G Data uninstall link. |
Kaspersky | Kaspersky uninstall link. |
K7 Total Security | K7 uninstaller (direct download). |
LavaSoft | LavaSoft uninstall link. |
McAfee | McAfee uninstaller (direct download). |
Norman Virus Control/Norman Security Suite (now part of AVG). | Norman uninstall link. |
Norton antivirus | Norton Antivirus uninstall link. |
Norton Internet Security | Norton Internet Security uninstall link. |
Norton Security Scan | Norton Security uninstall link. |
Panda | Panda uninstaller (direct download). |
Panda Cloud Internet Protection | Panda Cloud uninstall link. |
Sophos | Sophos uninstall link. |
Trend Micro | Trend Micro uninstall link. |
Vipre | Vipre uninstall link. |
Webroot | Webroot uninstall link. |
Windows Live OneCare | Windows Live uninstaller (direct download). |
Windows Security Essentials | MSE uninstall link. |
Zone Alarm | Zone Alarm uninstall forum link. |
Rogue antivirus programs
There is also the possibility that the antivirus program attempting to be uninstalled is actually a spyware or malware. There are fake antivirus programs on the Internet and they can do harm to a computer or help someone steal your information. One of the better-known ones to have plagued many computer users is called AntiVirus 2011.
If your computer is infected with this or other similar spyware or malware programs, posing as an antivirus program, it is strongly recommended that it be uninstalled as soon as possible. You should run a spyware removal program such as Malwarebytes to clean your computer of any other possible spyware or malware programs.
Additional information
- See our antivirus and uninstall definitions for further information and related links.