Some users accept 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 likely caused by a fake Chromium package – malware that is often bundled with freeware or shareware bachelor on some download sites.

This article is meant every bit an informative guide to help users uninstall both the make clean version of Chromium and the malware-infected 1.

What is Chromium?

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

Considering it'south open source, the source code of Chromium can be downloaded by anyone interested, modified so re-compiled into a working web browser. Equally you can imagine, this can pose a serious security adventure with unsuspecting users.

Keep in listen that nearly Chromium builds are portable and volition not require you to install them. Withal, there are certain Chromium-derived projects that distribute information technology via installers. Even more than, a clean Chromium build volition not starting time automatically at startup and is not bundled with other software.

Potential security risk posed by Chromium

At its cadre, Chromium is harmless by itself and should not be regarded as a security concern. Still, given the fact that its open source, some malware creators use Chromium to create malware-infected versions and trick users into installing them on their PCs.

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

The skilful news is, malware-infected Chromium versions are quite easy to place if you know where to expect. Here's a listing of some of the problems you might experience if you lot are dealing with a malware infected Chromium browser:

  • Your computer suddenly has the Chromium browser even if yous didn't manually installed it on your system – This occurs because the malware is often bundled with other software and volition install automatically.
  • Your default browser is changed to Chromium without your permission.
  • Chromium isn't listed in Command Panel > Programs and Features and can't exist uninstalled conventionally.
  • The default search engine is replaced with a shady search provider automatically.
  • Y'all become constant redirects, pop-ups and new tabs while browsing.
  • You start experiencing extremely low start-ups and your PC runs increasingly slow.
  • Every once in a while, y'all go advertizing pop-ups and notifications that cannot exist blocked. They often prompt you lot to download boosted software (which is as well malware).

If your PC is having some of the symptoms higher up, you're probably dealing with an infected Chromium version. Ignoring an infection such equally this is not advisable since it can cause huge bug along the way. 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

Note: Keep in mind that this is simply a shortlist with obscure Chromium-based browsers that are bundled with malware. On top of this list, there's a whole lot of Chromium clones that await and behave exactly the same every bit the real Chromium (same icon, same proper noun, same menus).

Identify if your Chromium Browser is Malware

If you're currently unable to uninstall Chromium, information technology's important to identify if you're dealing with a malware-infected version or the clean Chromium. A quick way to decide this is to pop upward Job Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and come across whether you lot have multiple instances of the Chromium browser in your Processes tab.

Note: Multiple Chromium processes that use High CPU resources are a clear sign of a malware infection. If you have multiple Chromium instances, at that place's a high chance that you're dealing with a malware infection – in this instance, the outset two methods and outset direct with Method 3. Go on in mind that this particular scenario tin besides be encountered with Chrome (where you take multiple Chrome processes).

In the event that y'all only encounter one Chromium process (with little resource usage), you might non be dealing with a malware infection – in this case, start with the start method and follow the rest in order until yous run across a gear up that manages to remove Chromium from your PC.

Beneath you accept a collection of methods that have successfully helped users to uninstall Chromium from their systems. If you didn't see multiple Chromium processes in Chore Director, follow each method in lodge until you find a fix that is effective in your state of affairs.

Steps to Forcefully Uninstall Chromium

1. Uninstall from Control Console and Delete AppData binder

In that location have been some reports where users were unable to install the clean version of Chromium. Some users accept 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 do with a malware infection. In this case, the solution would be to notice the Chromium folder in the AppData folder and delete it manually.

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

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

  1. Press Windows cardinal + R to open a Run window. Type "appwiz.cpl" and hit Enter to open Programs and Features.
  2. Curl down through the Programs and Features list, correct-click on Chromium and choose Uninstall. Follow the on-screen prompts to remove it from your estimator.
    Annotation: Reboot your computer and see whether you're yet seeing traces of Chromium. If you're however seeing a Chromium icon in your System Tray, continue with the adjacent steps.
  3. Open a File Explorer window and navigate to C (Windows Bulldoze) > Users > "Your Personal Folder" > AppData > Local.
    Note: If you're non able to locate the AppData folder, it'south probably considering you have subconscious folders disabled by default. In this case, open up a Run window (Windows central + R), type "control.exe folders" and hit Enter to open Folder Options. Then, go to the View tab and select Prove hidden files, folders and drives nether Hidden files and folders. Striking Apply to confirm the changes.
  4. In AppData, locate the Chromium folder and delete it completely – make sure to clean your Recycle Bin later deleting it from AppData.
    Note:     If you got the "Folder in utilize" mistake while trying to delete the AppData folder, make certain that Chromium is completely closed. Check your Arrangement Tray for a Chromium icon – if you see the Chromium icon, right-click on it and cull Exit, then try to delete the Chromium folder again.

At present that yous removed the Chromium'due south AppData folder, reboot your calculator and see if y'all managed to uninstall information technology completely. If you lot're all the same seeing traces of Chromium, continue with Method 2.

2. Employ an uninstaller software

Considering Chromium comes in a lot of different shapes and sizes, some packages might take bugs that will prevent the software from uninstalling successfully. If the first method was non effective, let'due south meet if a specialized removal tool can do the flim-flam.

There are a lot of powerful uninstallers out there, so feel complimentary to use whichever you feel more comfortable with. We happened to use iOBit Uninstaller considering it was already installed. You can too use CCleaner or Revo to achieve the aforementioned purpose.

If you'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).Exist sure 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-manus panel, then find Chromium in the correct-mitt console. Then, click the recycle bin icon associated with the Chromium entry.
  3. Check the box next to Automatically remove rest files, so hit the Uninstall push button.

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

If yous're still seeing signs of Chromium (System Tray icon or processes in Chore Managing director), 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 take regenerative properties. Every bit 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 organisation resources, so expect your overall PC functioning to get worse and worse over time if y'all get out the malware infection unattended.

If the previous two methods have been ineffective in removing Chromium (or you lot discovered multiple Chromium processes in Task Managing director), it's clear that yous're dealing with a malware infection.

Fortunately, there is a style of removing the malware permanently from your computer. Practise and then by post-obit the full instructions beneath:

Annotation: Continue in mind that depending on the malware you're struggling with, the exact proper name of the folders might be unlike, but the process is exactly the same.

  1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), become to the Processes tab and locate the Chromium processes. Then, right-click on any of them and choose Open File Location.
  2. Past at present, yous should have gained entry to the malware'due south location. But before y'all remove the malware binder, we'll demand to close every Chromium process. If you lot don't do information technology, it will say that the files are in use and y'all won't exist allowed to delete the malware. With this in listen, close every Chromium process (Correct-click > End Task) in Task director and quickly motility down to the side by side stride.
    Note:These processes will automatically re-open over fourth dimension, so practise the steps as rapidly equally possible.
  3. Once every Chromium process is closed, render to the malware location folder and delete the main executable (Explore.exe). The executable hosts the vast majority of data related to the malware – deleting it should prevent new processes from spawning again.
    Note: If right-click > Delete doesn't work, manually drag the file to your Recycle Bin.
  4. Once the executable is removed, delete the rest of files from the Explore folder. Once all the files are removed, hit the Upward arrow and delete the Explore binder as a whole.
    Note: You tin can't delete the folder as a whole unless you remove its contents first.
  5. Next, delete the leftover Data folder and motion upward in the binder hierarchy to Local.
  6. Finally, delete the Games Bot binder from Local.
  7. Make sure to empty the contents of your Recycle Bin and reboot your arrangement. Your system should restart without any traces of the Chromium malware.

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

four. Remove Malware left overs

Every bit mentioned in a higher place, this particular virus has regenerative properties. If non removed entirely, it has the ways to re-download the missing files and go on at it. Even more, if you had it for a while, information technology might accept infected other processes as well.

To ensure that nosotros remove every trace of it, let's do an anti-malware scan to remove every last trace of the malware. This detail Chromium-derived malware is known to leave behind registry entries that tin leave to successful browser hijacks. Yous tin utilize a number of tools to get this job done, but we recommend Malwarebytes considering information technology'due south 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 Malwarebytes and click Browse from the left-well-nigh panel. And so select Threat Scan and striking the Start Scan button.
  3. Wait until the scan is complete, it might accept a couple of hours, depending on your system.
  4. Once it's complete, see if it removed whatever registry entries or browser related files past clicking on View Identified Threats.And then, brand sure all threats are selected and hit the Quarantine Selected button.
  5. Regardless of the outcome, reboot your arrangement i final time. At the adjacent startup, there should non be any trace of the Chromium malware.