I have 4 machines that someone has installed the Avast free version on them. I foolishly used the Uninstall option for Avast thinking that it would remove all traces of the application and all of its plugins. It did not. On one of these computers, I had to uninstall and reinstall Google Chrome. As soon as I did that Avast two plugins were automatically installed Avast OnLine Security and Avast SafePrice. I tried using Avastclear in safe mode. Rebooted into normal mode uninstall Chrome and reinstalled and the darn plugins are automatically installing themselves.
How the heck do I remove ALL traces of Avast plugins and lingering other hanger ons that was installed on these computers
I already did that and I am still seeing these two plugins showing up in Chrome. If I uninstall Chrome nuke its Data directory and then reinstall Chrome the Avast extensions reappear like a virus.
SIgh Chrome should NOT be installing an extension on a Windows10 Administrator account by itself. Especially when the software they are from has been uninstalled via multiple means. These extensions will appear in every web browser that are installed on these computers. That should not happen.
How can Avast install them if Avast is not on any of these computers? If I remove them from Chrome, uninstall Chrome. Reinstall Chrome and do not thing else these extensions are showing up in Chrome all by themselves.
Uninstalling Avast AV doesn’t uninstall extensions you installed in Chrome.
It’s a separate operation that’s up to you. You can use certain Avast extensions even without Avast AV.
If I uninstall Chrome and then delete the “C:\Users[login_name]\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data” folder under which extensions reside in Chrome. I then reboot the computer and reinstall Chrome how the heck are these extensions being reinstalled on their own then?? I am certainly not going to the Chrome extension store and selecting them that is for darn sure.
Read what Pondus just posted. When you sync, clearing something from one computer only erases items from that computer.
Once you sysc settings take over after a re-install, all your synced information is restored.
I apologize for my attitude but I use to recommend Avast to people and with Avast in the news recently about selling browser links to a company which they had part ownership in I no longer recommend Avast to anyone.
When I discovered Avast on these computers I uninstalled it. I used various means including the official antivirus removal tool yet extensions from the antivirus maker which was installed during the original installation continues to show up repeatedly in Google Chrome. This is happening even after wiping Chrome out of the computer and reinstalling it. That behaviour of the extension could be viral.
I suggest you read all of the information about Avast’s data sharing. What was shared was anonymised so it didn’t identify you.
Again it’s your decision. If syncing is turned off in Chrome and you’ve removed the extensions, then there is no way that they will still be there or com back.
Even though Avast was uninstalled via the Windows10 Apps option on all 4 of these computers this behaviour continued to exist on all 4 computers. I downloaded the free installer for Avast and UNCHECKED every item except the two offenders Avast SafePrice and Avast OnLine Security. I rebooted the computer. I then opened up Avast and went into its configuration screen and unchecked Avast SafePrice and Avast OnLine Security. I then deleted UserData folder for the Chrome installation, opened up Chrome and waited. Neither extension was being installed automatically. I then went into the Control Panel and uninstalled Avast completely.
Now I have to go through this same process 3 more times. I should never have had to spend countless hours trying to figure out what was going on. Running AvastClear should of removed any remains. It clearly did not and I only happen to discover this issue since one computer had an issue with Chrome requiring a uninstall and reinstall of Chrome. Only then did I discover the automatic installation of extensions I had told Chrome previously to remove.
In Windows10 when one uses the Apps option in settings and uses the Uninstall option for an application one assumes that the process will remove whatever that application installed on your computer. The same applies when one boots into safe mode and uses that application’s official removal tool. You assume all components have been removed including extensions for Chrome browsers. Apparently, with Avast one can not assume all traces of the product are gone and instead one has to jump through hoops prior to using any of these uninstall procedures. BTW There was absolutely NO syncing on any of these 4 computers in Chrome.