How to Uninstall Kaspersky Antivirus – A Detailed Guide
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One common trait that all antiviruses share apart from keeping you safe from malware is that they are all challenging to uninstall. The all-pervading level of access to your device they need to function also makes removing them tricky.
The same goes for Kaspersky, whose ability to protect you from viruses is rivaled only by its notoriety for being difficult to get rid of. Still, don’t despair – we’re here with a step-by-step guide on how to uninstall Kaspersky antivirus software.
How you will go about uninstalling Kaspersky depends on the operating system you use, as the rules for uninstalling it from Mac and Windows are slightly different.
Unfortunately, these rules don’t always work on their own. If things don’t pan out, you’ll need to download and install a specialized uninstalling program for Kaspersky.
Still, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’ll start with the typical way of uninstalling Kaspersky antivirus on both Mac and Windows devices and troubleshoot further from there.
A Quick Guide On How To Uninstall Kaspersky On a Mac
The starting procedure is reasonably similar to the one you’d follow for any other app:
- Quit all Kaspersky programs that might be running in the background.
- Launch the Applications folder either from your Dock or from the Finder.
- Locate all Kaspersky apps and move them to Trash. You can either drag and drop them or use the right-click, move-to-Trash routine.
- Empty your Trash, and restart your Mac. In the easiest scenario, this process should do the trick and free you of any Kaspersky-related troubles.
A Step-by-Step on How To Uninstall Kaspersky on Windows 10
If you want to get rid of Kaspersky on your Windows device, here are the steps you should take:
- Quit all Kaspersky-related processes running in the background.
- Your next stop is the Control Panel. In it, open Programs and Features.
- Find the Kaspersky Endpoint Security app among the listed programs.
- Click on the Change button and then on Remove.
- The following window in the wizard will present you with the option to keep some data if you want to. Simply select what you want to keep, and click Next.
- The last step is to click on the Remove button and restart your device once the removal finishes.
As you probably know, this is the standard procedure for almost every application or program installed on a Windows computer. It should be more than enough to uninstall Kaspersky from a Windows 10 device. However, if Kaspersky antivirus is still there even upon restart, it is time to turn to alternative methods.
The Kavremover Tool
Even if you manage to remove Kaspersky the traditional way, you probably haven’t gotten rid of all the files it needed to operate. This is why you should consider downloading the kavremover tool, especially if you are a Windows owner.
Kavremover is a tool provided by Kaspersky Labs to help users safely remove Kaspersky from their devices. We’ll list the instructions for using it below:
- Download the kavremvr.exe file.
- Run the .exe file once it downloads.
- It will prompt you with the End User Licence Agreement. Read it and click Accept if you are fine with the terms.
- Fill in the CAPTCHA, and then select the Kaspersky app you would like to remove.
- Restart your computer.
Still, occasionally, this won’t work either. If the app is still there even after all this trouble, you should try repeating the process by running the Kaspersky uninstaller in Safe Mode. To enter Safe mode, you should restart your computer and then press the Ctrl and F8 keys together during the startup process.
Final Word of Advice
If you are a Kaspersky user looking to remove its software from your devices, the safest bet is to try all the options available. Start with uninstalling it the regular way, and then try the additional measures mentioned here one by one, until something eventually works.