How to Fix: Cannot Uninstall AVG Secure Browser (Won't Remove)

Infopackets Reader Frank G. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

I recently installed AVG antivirus and made the mistake of paying for the upgrade to premium, which has slowed my computer down considerably. I've since canceled my subscription and reverted back to AVG free (per your recommendation). I now cannot uninstall AVG Secure browser. Each time I try, it says it's removed, but it's still there. I've tried everything I can think of to remove AVG Secure Browser, but it seems I'm stuck with this steaming pile of poo. To make things worse, it automatically loads every time I reboot the machine like it's malware. It's super annoying and makes my Windows boot time 30 to 45 seconds longer than it needs to be. Also, the instructions how to uninstall AVG Secure Browser at AVG's website are completely useless. Can you please help? "

My response:

I asked Frank if he would like me to connect to his machine using my remote desktop support service in order to have a closer look, and he agreed.

Below I will discuss my findings.

How to Fix: Cannot Uninstall AVG Secure Browser (Won't Remove)

For those unaware, AVG Antivirus was purchase by Avast! back in July 2016. While the interfaces are very similar, they are essentially the same product.

As I've mentioned many times before, the free version of AVG or Avast with only real time file scanning is all you need. All the other "protection" offered by both Avast! and AVG are overkill and a waste of CPU and RAM resources. So if you're paying for the "premium" version, it is this author's opinion that you are wasting your money (and making your computer slower in the process).

Now that's out of the way, let's move on.

After much trial and error I was able to remove AVG secure browser using an administrative command line.

To do so:

1. Click Start, then type in "cmd" (no quotes); wait for CMD.EXE or Command Prompt to appear in the list, then right click and select "Run as administrator".
    
2. Next, highlight the text below with your mouse:
   
   cd %appdata%
   cd ..\local
   rmdir /q /s avg\Browser
   rmdir /q /s %programdata%\avg\browser
   echo this is a dummy line
    
3. Right click over the highlighted text above, then select "Copy" from the dialogue menu.
    
4. Now, click the black administrative command prompt window you opened in Step #1, then right click in the middle of the window and select "Paste". The text you copied in Step #2 should now be output to the command line, and AVG secure browser should be removed.
    
5. You should also be able to remove AVG Secure Browser from your Control Panel via Programs and Features. It may say that the program has already been removed. If so, it should also ask if you would like to remove it from the list. Choose Yes.

I hope that helps.

If you are still having issues trying to remove AVG secure browser, you can contact me from additional support, described next.

Additional 1-on-1 Support: From Dennis

If all of this is over your head, or if you still can't remove AVG Secure browser despite the instructions above, I can remove it for you with my remote desktop support servce. Simply contact me, briefly describing the issue and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Got a Computer Question or Problem? Ask Dennis!

I need more questions. If you have a computer question - or even a computer problem that needs fixing please email me with your question so that I can write more articles like this one. I can't promise I'll respond to all the messages I receive (depending on the volume), but I'll do my best.

About the author: Dennis Faas is the owner and operator of Infopackets.com. With over 30 years of computing experience, Dennis' areas of expertise are a broad range and include PC hardware, Microsoft Windows, Linux, network administration, and virtualization. Dennis holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science (1999) and has authored 6 books on the topics of MS Windows and PC Security. If you like the advice you received on this page, please up-vote / Like this page and share it with friends. For technical support inquiries, Dennis can be reached via Live chat online this site using the Zopim Chat (currently located at the bottom left of the screen); optionally, you can contact Dennis through the website contact form.