Some users have been unable to uninstall Chromium from their PC using the conventional ways. While this can certainly be an installation glitch, this item result is about probable caused by a fake Chromium package – malware that is ofttimes bundled with freeware or shareware available on some download sites.

This article is meant as an informative guide to help users uninstall both the clean version of Chromium and the malware-infected one.

What is Chromium?

Chromium is a legitimate open-source browser project originally created past Google which forms the basis of Google Chrome. Chromium seems almost identical with Google Chrome, merely the latest has an impressive list of improved featured over its open up source counterpart.

Because it's open source, the source code of Chromium can be downloaded by anyone interested, modified and so re-compiled into a working spider web browser. As you can imagine, this can pose a serious security risk with unsuspecting users.

Keep in mind that most Chromium builds are portable and will not crave you to install them. All the same, at that place are certain Chromium-derived projects that distribute it via installers. Even more, a clean Chromium build volition non start automatically at startup and is non bundled with other software.

Potential security take chances posed by Chromium

At its core, Chromium is harmless past itself and should not be regarded as a security business organisation. Still, given the fact that its open up source, some malware creators use Chromium to create malware-infected versions and play a joke on users into installing them on their PCs.

The principal purpose of infected Chromium installations is to pump your PC full of adware, redirect you to certain links, track your online behavior and convince you to download boosted infected software.

The expert news is, malware-infected Chromium versions are quite piece of cake to place if y'all know where to look. Hither'south a list of some of the problems you might experience if you are dealing with a malware infected Chromium browser:

  • Your computer suddenly has the Chromium browser fifty-fifty if you lot didn't manually installed it on your organisation – This occurs because the malware is often bundled with other software and will install automatically.
  • Your default browser is changed to Chromium without your permission.
  • Chromium isn't listed in Control Panel > Programs and Features and can't exist uninstalled conventionally.
  • The default search engine is replaced with a shady search provider automatically.
  • You lot get abiding redirects, popular-ups and new tabs while browsing.
  • Yous kickoff experiencing extremely low starting time-ups and your PC runs increasingly dull.
  • Every once in a while, you go advertizing pop-ups and notifications that cannot be blocked. They frequently prompt you to download additional software (which is also malware).

If your PC is having some of the symptoms higher up, y'all're probably dealing with an infected Chromium version. Ignoring an infection such every bit this is not advisable since it tin can crusade huge problems along the fashion. Here's a list of Chromium-based browsers that are known to engage in malware activities:

  • BoBrowser
  • Chedot
  • eFast
  • BrowseAir
  • MyBrowser
  • Olcinium
  • Palikan
  • Tortuga
  • Qword
  • WebDiscover Browser

Annotation: Keep in mind that this is just a shortlist with obscure Chromium-based browsers that are bundled with malware. On height of this listing, there's a whole lot of Chromium clones that expect and conduct exactly the same as the real Chromium (same icon, aforementioned name, aforementioned menus).

Identify if your Chromium Browser is Malware

If yous're currently unable to uninstall Chromium, information technology's important to place if you're dealing with a malware-infected version or the clean Chromium. A quick way to decide this is to popular up Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and run into whether you lot have multiple instances of the Chromium browser in your Processes tab.

Notation: Multiple Chromium processes that use High CPU resources are a clear sign of a malware infection. If yous have multiple Chromium instances, in that location's a high take chances that you're dealing with a malware infection – in this case, the first two methods and start directly with Method 3. Go on in listen that this particular scenario tin can also be encountered with Chrome (where yous have multiple Chrome processes).

In the event that you lot only see one Chromium process (with little resource usage), you might non be dealing with a malware infection – in this example, start with the first method and follow the remainder in order until yous encounter a fix that manages to remove Chromium from your PC.

Below yous have a collection of methods that have successfully helped users to uninstall Chromium from their systems. If yous didn't see multiple Chromium processes in Job Manager, follow each method in guild until you lot detect a gear up that is effective in your situation.

Steps to Forcefully Uninstall Chromium

1. Uninstall from Control Panel and Delete AppData folder

There have been some reports where users were unable to install the clean version of Chromium. Some users have reported that Chromium was still loaded at startup despite being uninstalled from Programs and Features. As it turns out, this is actually a known glitch and has goose egg to exercise with a malware infection. In this case, the solution would be to find the Chromium folder in the AppData binder and delete it manually.

Follow the steps down below to remove the legitimate version of Chromium:

Annotation: Skip the first ii steps if you already uninstalled Chromium from Programs and Features.

  1. Press Windows key + R to open a Run window. Type "appwiz.cpl" and striking Enter to open Programs and Features.
  2. Scroll down through the Programs and Features list, right-click on Chromium and choose Uninstall. Follow the on-screen prompts to remove it from your computer.
    Note: Reboot your computer and see whether you're still seeing traces of Chromium. If you're all the same seeing a Chromium icon in your System Tray, continue with the next steps.
  3. Open a File Explorer window and navigate to C (Windows Drive) > Users > "Your Personal Folder" > AppData > Local.
    Note: If y'all're not able to locate the AppData folder, information technology's probably because you have hidden folders disabled by default. In this case, open a Run window (Windows central + R), blazon "control.exe folders" and striking Enter to open Folder Options. And then, go to the View tab and select Evidence hidden files, folders and drives under Hidden files and folders. Hit Utilize to confirm the changes.
  4. In AppData, locate the Chromium folder and delete it completely – make sure to make clean your Recycle Bin after deleting it from AppData.
    Note:     If you got the "Folder in use" error while trying to delete the AppData folder, make sure that Chromium is completely closed. Cheque your System Tray for a Chromium icon – if you see the Chromium icon, correct-click on it and choose Exit, and so try to delete the Chromium binder once more.

Now that you removed the Chromium'due south AppData folder, reboot your computer and see if you managed to uninstall it completely. If you're still seeing traces of Chromium, go along with Method 2.

2. Apply an uninstaller software

Because Chromium comes in a lot of unlike shapes and sizes, some packages might have bugs that will prevent the software from uninstalling successfully. If the offset method was not constructive, let'southward see if a specialized removal tool can practise the fob.

In that location are a lot of powerful uninstallers out there, then feel costless to employ whichever you feel more comfy with. We happened to use iOBit Uninstaller because it was already installed. Yous can also employ CCleaner or Revo to achieve the same purpose.

If you're having trouble using a specialized tool to uninstall Chromium, hither's a quick guide to doing it with iOBit Uninstaller:

  1. Download and installiOBit Uninstaller from the official link (hither).Be certain to check Custom Installation and prevent any bundled software from installing to your PC.
  2. Open iOBit Uninstaller,click on All Programs in the left-hand panel, then find Chromium in the right-hand panel. Then, click the recycle bin icon associated with the Chromium entry.
  3. Check the box side by side to Automatically remove rest files, then hitting the Uninstall button.

Once the software is uninstalled, reboot your system and see whether this removed any signs of Chromium.

If you're all the same seeing signs of Chromium (System Tray icon or processes in Task Manager), y'all're probably dealing with a malware infection. In this case, follow the methods below to remove information technology from your computer.

three. Remove the Chromium Malware manually

Chromium-derivated malware is known to have regenerative properties. As some users have pointed out, the virus has the capacity of re-infecting your PC if not removed properly the first time. The virus is known to be quite heavy on your system resources, so expect your overall PC functioning to become worse and worse over time if you go out the malware infection unattended.

If the previous 2 methods have been ineffective in removing Chromium (or you discovered multiple Chromium processes in Job Manager), information technology'south clear that yous're dealing with a malware infection.

Fortunately, there is a way of removing the malware permanently from your estimator. Do and so by following the total instructions below:

Note: Keep in listen that depending on the malware you're struggling with, the exact name of the folders might exist different, only the process is exactly the same.

  1. Open Task Managing director (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), go to the Processes tab and locate the Chromium processes. And then, right-click on any of them and cull Open up File Location.
  2. By at present, yous should take gained entry to the malware'due south location. But before you remove the malware folder, we'll need to shut every Chromium procedure. If yous don't practise it, it volition say that the files are in apply and you won't be allowed to delete the malware. With this in mind, close every Chromium process (Correct-click > End Job) in Job managing director and quickly move down to the adjacent step.
    Notation:These processes will automatically re-open over time, so do the steps as quickly equally possible.
  3. Once every Chromium procedure is airtight, return to the malware location folder and delete the main executable (Explore.exe). The executable hosts the vast bulk of information related to the malware – deleting it should prevent new processes from spawning again.
    Note: If right-click > Delete doesn't piece of work, manually drag the file to your Recycle Bin.
  4. Once the executable is removed, delete the balance of files from the Explore folder. Once all the files are removed, hit the Up arrow and delete the Explore folder as a whole.
    Note: You can't delete the binder as a whole unless yous remove its contents first.
  5. Next, delete the leftover Data folder and move upwards in the folder hierarchy to Local.
  6. Finally, delete the Games Bot folder from Local.
  7. Make certain to empty the contents of your Recycle Bin and reboot your organization. Your system should restart without whatsoever traces of the Chromium malware.

Even if this method has been constructive, please follow through with the final method to ensure that you remove every trace of the malware.

4. Remove Malware left overs

Equally mentioned higher up, this particular virus has regenerative backdrop. If not removed entirely, information technology has the means to re-download the missing files and keep at information technology. Fifty-fifty more, if you had information technology for a while, it might have infected other processes as well.

To ensure that nosotros remove every trace of it, allow's practice an anti-malware scan to remove every last trace of the malware. This particular Chromium-derived malware is known to leave behind registry entries that can leave to successful browser hijacks. Yous can use a number of tools to get this job washed, but nosotros recommend Malwarebytes because information technology's a free, accommodating solution.

Follow the guide below to remove any trace of the Chromium Malware:

  1. Download & install Malwarebytes from the official link (here).
  2. Open up Malwarebytes and click Scan from the left-most panel. Then select Threat Scan and hit the Start Scan button.
  3. Wait until the browse is complete, information technology might take a couple of hours, depending on your system.
  4. In one case information technology's complete, see if it removed whatsoever registry entries or browser related files by clicking on View Identified Threats.Then, make sure all threats are selected and hit the Quarantine Selected push button.
  5. Regardless of the outcome, reboot your arrangement i final time. At the adjacent startup, in that location should non be any trace of the Chromium malware.