Chrome Story

Uninstall Google Chrome from your Computer

Looking for a way to remove Google Chrome from your computer? This guide helps you uninstall Chrome from Windows or Mac computers.

This article covers uninstalling Chrome from a different operating system and also includes steps to remove files that do not get removed with a standard uninstall.

If you are not able to remove Chrome from your computer even after following steps on this page, drop me a comment and we can work together to find a solution.

I have got a few tips that you can try out. These are tips you can try if you are not able to uninstall Google Chrome, and also if you are trying to remove Chrome and re-install it.

I met a lot of people complaining about Google Chrome on G+. It was a little surprising for me because I am a die-hard fan of Chrome. But, there are a lot of people who had unpleasant experiences with Chrome and wanted to remove it from their computers.

Uninstall Google Chrome

So, how do you remove Chrome from the computer? How do you remove your synced data (passwords, bookmarks, and form data, etc) from Google servers? Or, instead of removing Chrome completely from your computer, how to stop it from being your default browser?

Let’s find out.

How to Change Default Browser from Chrome To IE or Firefox

If you are not quite satisfied with Chrome at the moment and trying to get rid of it now, I would suggest you just make it a secondary browser and leave it on your computer. It may come in handy later when you are looking for a different browser to test something etc. Here is how to do that. (If you just want to remove Chrome completely, skip this part of the article)

Windows XP

  1. Go to your Control Panel
  2. (Classic View) Open Add or Remove Programs
  3. Select Set Program Access and Defaults and choose Custom
  4. On Choose a default Web browser, choose one of your existing web browsers
  5. OK

Windows Vista

  1. Go to your Control Panel
  2. (Classic View) Open Default Programs
  3. Click Set program access and computer defaults.
  4. Select Custom, you need to click the drop-down to view the list.
  5. On the Choose a default web browser menu, select one of them.
  6. OK

Windows 7 

  1. Go to the control panel > default programs > set your default programs. Click on Internet Explorer.
  2. Click on Set this program as default.
  3. How To Uninstall Google Chrome – Remove it Completely

Here is how to uninstall Google Chrome from your computer. This will remove the program from your computer. Later, I will tell you how to remove your data from Google servers too, if you had opted for the “Chrome Sync”  

Windows

Go to Start > All Programs > Google Chrome > Uninstall Google Chrome.
If you want to delete your user profile information, like your browser preferences, bookmarks, and history, select the “Also delete browser data” checkbox.
Select the default browser you’d like to use.
Click OK in the confirmation prompt.

Apple Mac – OSX 

Go to the folder containing Google Chrome.
Drag Google Chrome to the Trash icon in the Dock. You’ll need administrative rights if it’s installed in your Applications folder. To remove the Google Chrome icon from your Dock, simply drag it out of the Dock with your mouse.

Manually Uninstall Google Chrome on Windows

If the normal uninstalling method did not work, here is how to uninstall Chrome from Windows manually. Make sure extensions are displayed for your files. Here’s how:

  1. Go to the Start menu > Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Folder Options.
  3. Click View.
  4. Make sure the “Hide extensions for known file types” checkbox is deselected.
  5. Right-click this link.
  6. Click Save Link as and save the file name as remove.reg. (Select “All files” as your file type.)
  7. Exit Google Chrome completely.
  8. Double-click remove.reg on your desktop.
  9. In the confirmation window, click Yes.
  10. Click OK.
  11. Go to the Start menu > Run.
  12. Enter one of the following commands in the text field, depending on your operating system:
  13. Windows XP:%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google
  14. Windows Vista: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google
  15. Delete the Chrome folder in the directory that opens.
  16. Google Chrome should now be uninstalled.

Remove Your Chrome Synced Data From Google

Uninstalling Chrome from your computer may not remove your data saved on Google servers. This may include your bookmarks, passwords, other settings, etc depending on what you have selected while turning Chrome Sync on.

It is useful to leave this on Google servers if you want them saved somewhere or planning to install Chrome later or on a different computer. When you sync it on a new computer, all this data will be downloaded and made ready for you.

However, if you wish to remove this completely from your Google account, that is possible too. Here is how. (ps: Please be sure to use this ONLY if absolutely necessary.)

Go to Google Dashboard here – https://www.google.com/dashboard/

Login using your Google account which you used to Sync data on Chrome.
Look for “Chrome Sync” (it may take a while for its content to show up, you will see “requesting ChromeSync data”
Click “Stop sync and delete data from Google” and confirm.

Remove Google Chrome from Windows Registry

Ideally, the Chrome uninstaller should remove the settings from the Windows registry. You can check the registry entries to be sure. Instructions for editing the registry are available here.

How to Remove Google Chrome from Android

Here is how you uninstall Chrome from Android.

  1. Go to your device’s Settings menu > Apps or Application manager (this may differ depending on your device).
  2. Touch Chrome
  3. Touch Uninstall.

Chrome Cleanup Tool

Google has introduced an official tool to cleanup Chrome on Windows. You can download this tool directly from Google here. According to Google, this tool will:

This application will scan and remove software that may cause problems with Chrome, such as crashes, unusual startup pages or toolbars, unexpected ads you can’t get rid of, or otherwise changing your browsing experience.

This tool is available for Windows 10/8.1/8/7.

Conclusion

Yes, I’ve got some more stuff here for you. Some additional “remove” “delete” topics. Check them out.

I hope you got to uninstall Google Chrome following the steps explained here. If you have any further questions, please drop me a comment.

In

24 responses to “Uninstall Google Chrome from your Computer”

  1. cshreiner
    Craig Shreiner

    Arg! Why would anyone want to get rid of Chrome? I just don’t get it. 🙁

    Reply
  2. kackyw
    kacky

    I wanted to get rid of it because it came in, un-invited, with an Adobe Reader update. Chrome could be the greatest thing since sliced bread but if Google can’t be above-board with their tactics, it won’t be allowed on my system.

    Reply
  3. kackyw
    kacky

    P.S. AND it positioned itself as my default browser, again without permission. So the answer to Google Chrome will always be NO.

    Reply
    1. cshreiner
      Craig Shreiner

      That’s two strikes. I can completely understand your frustration. I can only hope that one day you’ll give Chrome a chance and let it redeem itself.

      Reply
  4. dd

    Right-click this link.
    Click Save Link as and save the file name as remove.reg. (Select “All files” as your file type.)

    which link???

    Reply
    1. Dinsan – Bangalore, India – Digital Minimalist & Content Developer. Drinks Tea and writes Stuff (mostly about Chromebooks). My views are mostly copied from others.
      Dinu

      thanks for checking it.. I have added the link back

      Reply
  5. Rollo

    I’d like to remove it as I have never used it #1 # 2 When I try to stop it in task manager I get this, Your System may be unstable and some data loss will occur, what the &()*^%* is that all about? is it going to crash my machine if I stop it? It sure sounds like it. It’s running fine as of now, but I’m intimidated to the point that I do not want to lose all my book marks that I’ve gathered over the years. What can be done without risking the Big Crash which I’m sure is to follow if uninstalled?

    Reply
  6. DaveW
    Dave

    I don’t like it because you have to go out of your way for it not to save your history. With the kids and others around all of the time .. I have gotten into the habit of never saving my history.

    I tried to uninstall Chrome .. with all windows closed .. and it gives me a message “Please close all of you Google Chrome windows and try again”. They are closed .. I have re-booted .. tried many times .. can not uninstall this program.

    I do not want it!!!

    Reply
    1. bluze101
      Bluze

      Dave – the solution to your problem is to go into Task Manager and select each instance of chrome.exe 32* (there will be several of them), and click ‘end process’. Once all are gone, you will be able to complete the uninstall.

      Reply
      1. mfinlan

        How do I go into Task Manager?

      2. Dinsan – Bangalore, India – Digital Minimalist & Content Developer. Drinks Tea and writes Stuff (mostly about Chromebooks). My views are mostly copied from others.
        Dinsan Francis

        On Windows, Ctrl + Alt + Del

  • frank124c
    frank124c

    There is an extension in Google Chrome called “Select Links.” I have been trying to remove it for days. Nothing works. The check box provided under “extensions” in chrome does not work. I have tried cc cleaner and other anti-maleware programs. None of them works. How do I get rid of it? I cannot use chrome until this maleware thing is gone. This one little thing ruins google chrome for me. I am using XP.

    Reply
    1. bluze101
      Bluze

      frank124c – I found this helpful. A couple of provisos: I found nothing to remove in Step 1, and after completing all steps the bugger was still in my extensions. HOWEVER, after a reboot it was completely gone.

      http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/chrome/Tg_Wk5oXCtw/4nZRXST0cgIJ

      Reply
  • finebetty
    finebetty

    I cannot delete Chrome no matter what I do and it hasnt been working for months (when I click on the chrome symbol, the timer comes up for a few seconds and nothing happens, not listed anywhere on task manager either.) I have tried deleting it via the windows installer – nothing happens, there is no “uninstall” option in the chrome folder and I have tried the instructions above (and on the chrome site) but the “remove.reg” file isnt recognised – says it doesnt contain reg. info or something like that. Its also mostly being saved as a htm file even though I changed the ending and type to all files – thought I had got it once but then got the msge mentioned above that it didnt contain the right info. I’d be really grateful for any advice!

    Reply
  • finebetty
    finebetty

    PS. its being saved as a firefox htm file – I can only try these steps through firefox cos as I said I cant even open Chrome any more – could that be anything to do with it? Do I need to get Chrome working again before I can uninstall it?! (Have an old and tired dell inspiron 1501 laptop with windows XP!)

    Reply
  • TPBuehner – Munich. Germany – Founder of a publishing house for fiction and nonfiction.
    Tom

    Just FYI: The download in your instructions (I assume to download the reg file) does not work, as the link currently goes to a Google Help page. Google’s original file (which you were probably linking to) cannot be downloaded either with IE – it gives the error “File could not be downloaded”.

    Reply
  • Moranbah

    Just started using Samsung Chrome Notebook, want to install Free apps that work OFFLINE as I often am not near power, only one works, also tried to get help from their NINJA service nothing happens, just a blank screen, not happy with Chrome as yet!!!!!

    Reply
  • Lester Chaves

    I got tired of advertisements coming up while watching one of my videos that I paid for. It just took over my computer. I did like being able to go straight to my websites while it was on my pc. Like most you like some but not all. thanks for your help.
    Les

    Reply
  • Robert Shields

    I agree totally with kacky. I accidentally installed it with another program and now find it almost impossible to remove it (shades of AOL). It keeps reinstalling itslef and taking over as my default browser. Google’s lack of honesty makes me want to puke as they try hard to look like the best and most honest provider on the Internet. Also, FYI Craig Shreiner, I use Roboform to store passwords etc, and have done for many years. Google Chrome is not compatible – hence a lot of unecessary hassle. Please don’t assume everybody is as an idot.

    Reply
    1. JAMES

      EVERY TIME I TRY TO REMOVE IT,IT SAYS TO CLOSE ALL THE GOOGLE WINDOWS FIRST.WHAT THE HECK DOES THAT MEAN?I,M NOT EVEN ON THAT WEB SITE.PLEASE HELP.I HAVE WIND7 HP PAVILION WITH A WINDOWS NINE UPGRADE

      Reply
  • YouAreWrong

    This will NOT remove Google from your computer. This will only remove the Google interface (The part you see) from your computer. You will need to reformat your computer to removed all of Google from it. There is no other way and anyone who tells you differently either is uneducated on the issue or is lying.

    Here’s proof. After removing Google Chrome using the uninstall feature, click start, then type in regedit and hit enter. This will pull up your reg file. Look at the selections on the top of that page and select “find”, then search “google” using that function. You will find hundreds if not thousands of Google processes running in the background, many of which are gathering and sending your computer information to their databases. Now screenshot that and send it to the naysayers.

    Reply
    1. Denys Ostapenko

      I did it, there it only google earth.

      Reply
    2. r4in

      Paranoid much?

      Reply
  • Kenny

    I see this article has June 2022 as its most recent update… whoever performed that update was not very thorough. Alot of it is still outdated. For example, there is no folder options in control panel. Only file explorer options. Etc

    Reply

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