Jun 10, 2020 The safest place to download apps for your Mac is the App Store. If you need third-party software for your Mac, and it isn’t available in the App Store, get it directly from the developer or another reliable source, rather than through an ad or link. Nov 13, 2018 Steps on how to remove or uninstall an antivirus program. Uninstall through the Start menu. First, try utilizing 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. In the future, avoid unwanted software by only downloading files or visiting sites that you know are secure. Learn how to block or allow pop-ups in Chrome. Remove unwanted programs (Windows, Mac) Before you reset your browser settings on a Windows or Mac.
There are many 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.
CautionHaving 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.
NoteKeep in mind that if you have a subscription with the antivirus company, uninstalling the program may not cancel your subscription.
TipIf you are uninstalling the antivirus because you believe it is causing problems, you can also temporarily disable the antivirus before uninstalling, see: How do I disable my antivirus program in Windows?
Uninstall through the Start menu
First, try utilizing 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.
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.
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 is not loaded and running, making it possible to uninstall using either method mentioned earlier.
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.
| 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 malware programs posing as an antivirus program, it is strongly recommended that they be uninstalled. 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.
Summary
You don't need to pay for expensive antivirus software anymore to get rid of viruses and malware from your computer. This page includes reliable methods to guide you remove all existing or potential viruses from Windows PC without antivirus software. If you lost files during the process, EaseUS data recovery software with CMD command line will locate and get back inadvertently deleted files for you.
This article shows you four effective ways to remove viruses from PC or laptops without antivirus. Check the detailed content.
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| Workable Solutions | Step-by-step Troubleshooting |
|---|---|
| Fix 1. End running processes | Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to open Task Manager. On the Processes tab, check each running process...Full steps |
| Fix 2. Disable unknown process | Open System Configuration or Task Manager, go to the Startup tab. Scroll down to select all programs...Full steps |
| Fix 3. Turn on Windows defender | Open Control Panel > click 'Windows Defender Firewall' > Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off...Full steps |
| Fix 4. Use virus & threat protection | First, turn Oon Virus & threat Protection in Windows Defender. Right-click Windows icon and...Full steps |
How Can I Remove Virus from My Computer Without Antivirus
'I had a sudden drop in PC performance and I assumed it could be a virus. I downloaded some free antivirus software but found that they are not really free! Some ask for a payment straight-up or allow you to scan for malware but have to pay to clean out the virus.
Most antivirus software is really expensive and I don't want to expend huge money on testing unknown antivirus software. There should be a way to remove a virus without antivirus software. How can I do this?'
Besides finding free virus removal methods, some users may also want to know how to check and prevent virus on their computers. Here in the following three parts, we'll provide practical solutions to help you resolve this issue, cleaning all existing virus from your PC, external storage devices without losing any data.
Part 1. Remove Virus from PC or Laptop Without Antivirus
In this part, we'll show you the complete process of cleaning the virus from Windows computers and laptops without using antivirus software or tools. Follow the below steps one by one to fully protect your computer:
# 1. End Running Virus-Related Processes in Task Manager
This process will end running virus-related programs on your PC, stopping the virus spreading over your device.
Step 1. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to open Task Manager.
Step 2. On the Processes tab, check each running process listed in the window and select any unfamiliar processing programs, search online to confirm.
Once confirmed it's a virus-related program, click 'End Task' to stop it from infecting your PC and device.
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# 2. Disable Unknown or Strange Process from Windows Startup
This is an effective action to blocking strange malware or virus to take over your computer from the startup.
Step 1. Open System Configuration or Task Manager, go to the Startup tab.
Step 2. Scroll down to select all programs with unknown manufacturers and click 'Disable'
Usually, programs with unknown manufacturers are related to malware and even virus.
# 3. Turn Windows Defender Firewall On
By doing so, it will block further more viruses from infecting your computer and storage devices
Step 1. Open Control Panel > click 'Windows Defender Firewall' > Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off.
Step 2. Check the boxes of 'Turn on Windows Defender Firewall' and click 'OK' to confirm.
# 4. Remove Virus with Virus & threat Protection in Windows Defender
Virus & threat Protection is a Windows built-in feature that can be applied to protect Windows computer from virus infection and even use to remove virus. Follow through below steps to enable this feature on your PC and remove virus immediately:
First. Turn On Virus & threat Protection in Windows Defender
Step 1. Right-click Windows icon and select 'Settings' > Click 'Update and Security'.
Step 2. On the Windows Security section, click 'Open Windows Defender Security Center'.
Step 3. Click 'Virus & threat protection' on the new window > Go to Virus & threat protection settings.
Step 4. Turn on these three options: Real-time protection, Cloud-delivered protection, and Automatic sample submission.
Usually, once you enabled this feature, Windows Defender will automatically scan all drives and files to detect and check virus on your computer. If it finds virus, do as requested to remove the virus.
Next. Remove Existing Virus from PC by Using Virus & threat Protection
Sometimes, you may also manually run this feature to scan and remove virus from Windows computer.
Step 1. Go to 'Settings' > 'Update & Security' > 'Windows Security'.
Step 2. Click 'Virus & threat protection'.
Step 3. In the 'Threat history' section, click 'Scan now' to scan for viruses on your computer.
After this, you can restart your computer and the device is now clean of virus, malware.
If your computer is infected by some specific virus, such as write-protection or shortcut virus. You may need other solutions. As the above-provided methods are provided for removing virus from your PC.
Here are some relative tutorials that may help you remove some specific virus from your PC and storage devices:
Part 2. Recover Files after Removing Virus from Windows PC
After removing virus from your Windows computer, you can then check and continue using your device and files again. If some files are missing on your computer due to virus infection, don't worry.
Go back to follow Part 1 to remove virus from your computer first. Then you can follow provided data recovery methods here in this part to fully bring lost or missing files back immediately.
Method 1. Recover Deleted or Missing Files after Removing Virus
No matter how you end up killing the computer virus, you should always check your storage device for data loss afterward. Except for the virus itself may delete or hide files, the removal of virus files can also inadvertently delete non-virus files.
Reliable data recovery software such as EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can scan your entire storage device for any lost files due to false operation or virus removing.
This software offers you with a straightforward workout on restoring virus deleted data:
Step 1. Select the desired data location.
Select the location where you have lost files after using an anti-virus program. For example, if you lost files from C drive after using the anti-virus program, then you should select C drive.
Step 2. Let the software scan the anti-virus deleted files
Click 'Scan' to generate a Tree-view of all the recoverable files. With an intuitive interface, the recovery process is quite straightforward and does not demand technical expertise.
Step 3. Recover the anti-virus deleted files.
Select the desired files from the list and preview what you want to recover. You can click the 'Deleted files' option to find the desired files. The 'Filter' option provides a quick way to your wanted files, click the option if you have difficulty in finding the desired files. Then, click 'Recover' to recover lost files.
Method 2. Use CMD to Unhide Files (That Were Hidden by Virus)
- Warning
- Be careful while using cmd. Make sure you only enter commands from trusted sources and type them out correctly.
- Improper use of cmd can result in serious damage to your system.
Sometimes, virus will not only take over your computer, blackmailing money for decrypting your devices. Some may also hide your files, making you believe that all files were removed.
Actually, these files were not lost but hidden on your PC. Therefore, you can also try to run the following CMD command to unhide files that were hidden by virus:
Step 1. Run Command Prompt as an administrator.
Step 2. Type attrib -h -r -s /s /d F:*.* and hit 'Enter'. (Replace 'F' with the drive letter of your virus-infected hard disk or USB).
Step 3. Type del autorun.xxx (the extension of the shortcut virus) and hit 'Enter'.
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Part 3. Prevent Computer and Data from Virus Infection
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In addition to offering reliable solutions to remove viruses from your computer and restoring lost files, you may also have some other concerns about virus prevention and data protection.
Here we've gathered some top concerned questions and provide a brief answer to help you out:
1. How do I check my laptop for a virus
There are many symptoms and signs that may show your computer or laptop is infected by a virus. For example, computer suddenly stops working, hard drive gets encrypted or files turn into shortcuts. How to check a virus? You can run the Virus & threat protection as mentioned in # 4 Part 1 or use virus cleaning software like Kaspersky, McAfee, Norton 360 or VAG, Avast, etc. to scan and remove viruses, malware from your computer.
2. How do I prevent virus from infecting or encrypting my computer
The easiest and free way to prevent virus infection is to turn on the real-time protection in Windows Defender and enable Virus & threat protection on your computer. You can also run antivirus software like AVG， Avast, Avria or Kaspersky, etc. to protect your device anytime.
3. How do I prevent my files from being deleted or infected from viruses
First, you need to turn on the Real-time Protection in Windows Defender or run virus cleaner software on your PC. Next, you can save a copy of all your valuable files to an external hard drive as a backup. By doing so, you can always survive whenever your computer gets infected by a virus or malware.
Here, you may use a reliable file backup software to selectively back up all desired files to an external hard drive at one time:
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Remember to select the external hard drive as your target device for saving file images.
Step 1: Launch EaseUS Todo Backup software and then choose 'File Backup', 'Disk/partition Backup' or 'System Backup' for different backup purpose.
Step 2: Choose the system, disk partition, files or apps that you want to back up. Then select a destination where you want to store the backup file.
Step 3: Click 'Proceed' to start the data backup process.