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

This commodity is meant every bit an informative guide to help users uninstall both the clean version of Chromium and the malware-infected ane.

What is Chromium?

Chromium is a legitimate open-source browser projection originally created past Google which forms the basis of Google Chrome. Chromium seems virtually identical with Google Chrome, but the latest has an impressive listing of improved featured over its open source counterpart.

Considering information technology'due south open source, the source lawmaking of Chromium can be downloaded by anyone interested, modified and and then re-compiled into a working web browser. Equally you can imagine, this tin pose a serious security risk with unsuspecting users.

Keep in heed that most Chromium builds are portable and will non require you to install them. However, there are certain Chromium-derived projects that distribute it via installers. Even more, a clean Chromium build will not start automatically at startup and is non bundled with other software.

Potential security take chances posed by Chromium

At its core, Chromium is harmless by itself and should non be regarded every bit a security concern. However, given the fact that its open up source, some malware creators use Chromium to create malware-infected versions and trick users into installing them on their PCs.

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

The good news is, malware-infected Chromium versions are quite easy to identify if you know where to look. Here's a list of some of the bug you might experience if you are dealing with a malware infected Chromium browser:

  • Your estimator of a sudden has the Chromium browser even if you lot didn't manually installed information technology 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 Command Console > Programs and Features and can't be uninstalled conventionally.
  • The default search engine is replaced with a shady search provider automatically.
  • You get constant redirects, pop-ups and new tabs while browsing.
  • Y'all start experiencing extremely low kickoff-ups and your PC runs increasingly dull.
  • Every once in a while, you get ad popular-ups and notifications that cannot be blocked. They oftentimes prompt you to download additional software (which is also malware).

If your PC is having some of the symptoms in a higher place, yous're probably dealing with an infected Chromium version. Ignoring an infection such equally this is not advisable since it can crusade huge problems along the manner. Hither'southward 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 only a shortlist with obscure Chromium-based browsers that are bundled with malware. On top of this list, there'due south a whole lot of Chromium clones that look and acquit exactly the same as the real Chromium (same icon, same proper noun, same menus).

Place if your Chromium Browser is Malware

If you're currently unable to uninstall Chromium, it's important to place if you're dealing with a malware-infected version or the clean Chromium. A quick way to determine this is to pop upwardly Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and see whether you have multiple instances of the Chromium browser in your Processes tab.

Annotation: Multiple Chromium processes that employ High CPU resources are a clear sign of a malware infection. If you have multiple Chromium instances, at that place's a loftier chance that you're dealing with a malware infection – in this case, the commencement two methods and showtime directly with Method 3. Keep in mind that this particular scenario can also be encountered with Chrome (where you have multiple Chrome processes).

In the result that you simply see 1 Chromium process (with little resources usage), you might not be dealing with a malware infection – in this case, outset with the first method and follow the residue in gild until yous encounter a set up that manages to remove Chromium from your PC.

Below y'all take a drove of methods that have successfully helped users to uninstall Chromium from their systems. If you didn't see multiple Chromium processes in Task Manager, follow each method in order until you find a set up that is effective in your situation.

Steps to Forcefully Uninstall Chromium

1. Uninstall from Control Panel and Delete AppData folder

There take been some reports where users were unable to install the clean version of Chromium. Some users take reported that Chromium was still loaded at startup despite beingness uninstalled from Programs and Features. Equally it turns out, this is actually a known glitch and has nothing to exercise with a malware infection. In this case, the solution would be to discover the Chromium folder in the AppData binder and delete it manually.

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

Note: Skip the offset 2 steps if you lot already uninstalled Chromium from Programs and Features.

  1. Printing Windows fundamental + R to open a Run window. Type "appwiz.cpl" and hit Enter to open up Programs and Features.
  2. Scroll down through the Programs and Features list, right-click on Chromium and cull Uninstall. Follow the on-screen prompts to remove it from your estimator.
    Note: Reboot your computer and see whether you're still seeing traces of Chromium. If you're still seeing a Chromium icon in your System Tray, keep with the adjacent steps.
  3. Open a File Explorer window and navigate to C (Windows Drive) > Users > "Your Personal Folder" > AppData > Local.
    Note: If you lot're non able to locate the AppData folder, information technology'south probably because you accept hidden folders disabled past default. In this instance, open a Run window (Windows key + R), type "command.exe folders" and hit Enter to open up Folder Options. Then, go to the View tab and select Testify hidden files, folders and drives under Subconscious files and folders. Hit Apply to ostend the changes.
  4. In AppData, locate the Chromium folder and delete it completely – make sure to clean your Recycle Bin after deleting it from AppData.
    Note:     If yous got the "Folder in use" error while trying to delete the AppData folder, make certain that Chromium is completely closed. Check your Arrangement Tray for a Chromium icon – if y'all see the Chromium icon, right-click on it and choose Exit, and so attempt to delete the Chromium folder again.

Now that y'all removed the Chromium's AppData binder, reboot your computer and see if y'all managed to uninstall it completely. If you're however seeing traces of Chromium, continue with Method ii.

2. Use an uninstaller software

Because Chromium comes in a lot of different shapes and sizes, some packages might have bugs that will prevent the software from uninstalling successfully. If the commencement method was not effective, allow'south see if a specialized removal tool tin practise the trick.

In that location are a lot of powerful uninstallers out in that location, and so feel costless to use whichever y'all feel more comfortable with. We happened to use iOBit Uninstaller because it was already installed. You lot can also employ CCleaner or Revo to achieve the same purpose.

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

  1. Download and installiOBit Uninstaller from the official link (here).Be sure to check Custom Installation and prevent any bundled software from installing to your PC.
  2. Open up iOBit Uninstaller,click on All Programs in the left-manus panel, then find Chromium in the right-manus console. And so, click the recycle bin icon associated with the Chromium entry.
  3. Check the box next to Automatically remove residue files, and then hit the Uninstall button.

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

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

3. Remove the Chromium Malware manually

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

If the previous two methods take been ineffective in removing Chromium (or you discovered multiple Chromium processes in Task Director), it'due south clear that you're dealing with a malware infection.

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

Annotation: Proceed in mind that depending on the malware you're struggling with, the exact proper name of the folders might be unlike, just the procedure is exactly the aforementioned.

  1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), go to the Processes tab and locate the Chromium processes. Then, right-click on any of them and choose Open File Location.
  2. By now, you should accept gained entry to the malware's location. But before yous remove the malware folder, nosotros'll need to close every Chromium procedure. If you don't do it, it volition say that the files are in use and y'all won't be allowed to delete the malware. With this in listen, close every Chromium process (Right-click > End Task) in Task managing director and quickly move down to the adjacent step.
    Note:These processes volition automatically re-open up over fourth dimension, so do the steps equally quickly as possible.
  3. Once every Chromium process is airtight, return to the malware location folder and delete the main executable (Explore.exe). The executable hosts the vast majority of information related to the malware – deleting it should forbid new processes from spawning once more.
    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 binder. In one case all the files are removed, hit the Upwards pointer and delete the Explore binder as a whole.
    Annotation: Yous tin't delete the folder as a whole unless you remove its contents offset.
  5. Next, delete the leftover Information folder and motion upward in the folder hierarchy to Local.
  6. Finally, delete the Games Bot folder from Local.
  7. Make sure to empty the contents of your Recycle Bin and reboot your system. Your system should restart without any traces of the Chromium malware.

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

iv. Remove Malware left overs

As mentioned higher up, this particular virus has regenerative properties. If not removed entirely, it has the means to re-download the missing files and keep at it. Even more than, if y'all had it for a while, it might take infected other processes equally well.

To ensure that nosotros remove every trace of it, let's do an anti-malware scan to remove every concluding trace of the malware. This detail Chromium-derived malware is known to leave behind registry entries that tin leave to successful browser hijacks. You can utilize a number of tools to get this chore done, but nosotros recommend Malwarebytes because information technology'south a gratis, all-effectually solution.

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

  1. Download & install Malwarebytes from the official link (here).
  2. Open Malwarebytes and click Scan from the left-near panel. Then select Threat Scan and hit the Starting time Browse button.
  3. Wait until the scan is complete, it might take a couple of hours, depending on your system.
  4. One time it'south complete, see if information technology removed any registry entries or browser related files by clicking on View Identified Threats.And so, make sure all threats are selected and hit the Quarantine Selected button.
  5. Regardless of the outcome, reboot your organisation one last fourth dimension. At the next startup, at that place should non exist any trace of the Chromium malware.