How To Uninstall Antivirus Programs Plus Reasons For Removing Them

Antivirus programs are essential security applications which every computer should have. They protect your computer from malware such as viruses, trojans and worms, adware, spyware, and hacker infiltration. Usually, antivirus software is a combination of the following: antivirus, antispyware and firewall. Seeing as an antivirus program is so crucial to the health and security of your computer, why would you want to remove it? The following are possible reasons for removing an antivirus.

Reasons for Removing Antivirus Software

Improper or Incomplete Installation: The software may not have been installed correctly and therefore, may not work properly or even function at all. You may also not have installed all the components which the antivirus needs to function effectively.

Multiple Antivirus Software Installation: You should not have more than one antivirus application installed on your computer. Multiple programs will interfere in each other’s activities and this may harm your computer.

Malfunction: In the course of using an antivirus, it may begin to malfunction even if it was installed properly. It could begin to detect normal files as malware especially if it has been updated with a faulty antivirus signature database.

Ineffectiveness: An antivirus may be unable to detect malware created using certain techniques. You may also want to remove it if it is unable to update itself with a current antivirus signature database.

Inefficiency: Your antivirus might use up a lot of your computer’s memory when it is performing its activities and thus, you would want to replace it with one that does not do so.

Disruption: Some antivirus might prevent perfectly safe and possibly essential applications from running. Some may also require user input every time an application tries to run which can be bothersome.

Better Antivirus Product or Version: Installing a better antivirus product usually requires you to uninstall the one that you currently use.

If any of the above is your reason for uninstalling your antivirus program, the following is how to uninstall antivirus software on computers that run on Windows.

How to Remove or Uninstall Antivirus Software

Procedure A

Step 1: Select Computer on the Start menu. This opens Computer. Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut: Windows Logo Key + E.
Step 2: Click on “Uninstall or change a program” on the toolbar at the top. This opens the page with a list of all installed programs. Double-click on the antivirus you want to uninstall.
Step 3: If you use Windows Vista or 7, a User Account Control dialog box will be displayed asking whether you want to continue or not. Click on Continue.
Step 4: Follow and complete all the prompts in the un-installation process.

Procedure B

Select Control Panel on the Start menu. Double-click on Programs and Features (Classic View) to display the page with a list of all installed programs. In the default view on Vista, click once on “Uninstall a program” (which is found below Programs) to open the page.

Double-click on the antivirus you would like to uninstall.

Follow Steps 3 and 4 from Procedure A.

Procedure C

Select All Programs on the Start Menu. Find the software you want to uninstall and click on it. This action will display a sub-menu.

Click once on the “Uninstall” option if available.

Follow Steps 3 and 4 from Procedure A.

Procedure D

Open Computer. Double-click on the primary hard disk to open it. It is usually labeled “Local Disk (C:)” except when it has been renamed. However, even when renamed the “(C:)” still identifies it.

Go to the Program Files folder. Open the folder of the software you would like to uninstall and double-click on the “Uninstall” file if available.

Follow Steps 3 and 4 from Procedure A.

Note: An “Uninstall” option or file may not be available if you use Procedures C and D.