How to Uninstall AVG Completely – Ultimate AVG antivirus Step-by-Step Removal Guide

April 18, 2012

AVG is one of the top antivirus programs in the world, it benefits computer users a lot by bringing them solid protection against most of the online threats, however, when comes to the uninstall issue, AVG may become a problem and bring computer users some troubles, this is a common problem shared by most of the popular security programs, AVG is not an exception.

Uninstall problems/errors

Here are some common uninstall errors you may receive when trying to uninstall AVG:

“Error: @AvgErrorCode_0×0253 %FILE% = “C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8%u2033@Avg. ErrorCode_0×0020”
“Error: Action failed for file avgwdsvc.exe: stopping service%u2026. Error 0×8007041d”

Does these errors look familiar? Well, if you have trouble with uninstalling AVG, relax, for whatever problems/errors you experienced or whatever situation your compute is in, AVG should be removed successfully by one of the following methods.

FIRST OF ALL
Before conducting any uninstall method, please make sure you have shuted down AVG antivirus (if it is running), and disable all the related processes. By pressing “Alt + Ctrl + Del” or “Alt +Shift + Esc” button, you can open the Windows Task Manager, then click the process tab, highlight the related processes and click “End Task” button. Please refer to the below screenshot.

Note: this step is important, if you perform the AVG removal without closing the program and disable related process, you may receive the below error message and unable to continue the operation.

1.Automatic way to uninstall AVG Completely With Max Uninstaller

This should be the easiest and most time-saving way to remove AVG antivirus. Max Uninstaller is the best uninstall tool in the market, power by its unique algorithm, Max Uninstaller offers safe and effective solution to uninstall any unwanted/stubborn programs from your computer. Under the help of Max Uninstaller, AVG and all of its components/leftovers will be removed completely from your system within clicks.

How it work – video demonstration

This video demonstration shows you how Max Uninstaller works to uninstall AVG, you may watch it and then follow the detailed steps below to try it yourselves.

Step 1: Download Max Uninstaller here, install it in your computer.
Step 2: Open Max Uninstaller, select AVG in the right hand list, then click “Run Analysis”

Step 3: After all program files/folders and associated registry entries are scanned out. Click “Complete Uninstall” to start the removal. Click “Yes” to confirm the action.

Step 4: Wait for the standard uninstall completed. Click “Scan Leftovers”, and Max Uninstaller will conduct a full scan on your computer for a while.

Step 5: After the scan finish, click “Delete Leftovers” and “Yes” button to thoroughly remove all the leftovers AVG.

Step 6: Max Uninstaller has now fully uninstalled AVG related files and extensions. Click “OK” to finish, then reboot your system.

Easy as you see, AVG antivirus program has been removed completely from your system! You are free to install other security software or reinstall AVG program now.

2. Common solution, uninstall AVG with build in uninstall option

If AVG was installed properly, it should be able to be uninstalled using its build-in uninstall option or Windows Add/Remove applet, here we will walk you through the uninstall process.

Click Start > Program > AVG2012 > uninstall AVG

Or you can:

Click the Start button on the bottom left of your screen
From the Start menu, select Control Panel.
Select (or double click) the Add/Remove program in the Control Panel

AVG antivirus should be listed in the Add/Remove program list, highlight it
Click the “Remove” button behind the program name.

Deselect these two options and click “Next” button.

Select both “Remove user settings” and “Remove virus vault contents” options and click Next button again.

Wait patiently until the uninstall finish.

Click “Restart New” button to restart your computer.

3. Uninstall AVG manually

Due to problems like incomplete installation or file corruption/damage, sometimes the Add/Remove just won’t work to uninstall AVG, for situation like that, beside using professional software uninstaller, you can apply the below manual steps to remove each component of DLLSmith from your computer. Keep in mind that manual steps is can be dangerous sometimes, use this manual solution at your own risk.

Step 1: Turn off AVG antivirus (if it is running) and disable all the related processes. See the instruction in the “FIRST OF ALL” section

Step 2: Delete AVG program installation folder manually

Double click to open my computer.
Locate the drive where you installed AVG
Find out the AVG installation folder, right click it and select Delete.

Go to desktop, right click Windows recycle bin and select Empty the Recycle Bin.

Alternative: if you forget where you install AVG, perform the below steps:

Right click on the program icon in the desktop.
Select Properties in the appeared menu.

Under the Shortcut tab, click “Find Target” button, and you will be directed to the installation folder of AVG.

Delete the AVG installation folder and empty the recycle bin as described above.

Step 3: Delete leftover folders/files
Performing this operation is to make sure there is nothing about AVG antivirus program left behind.

From the Windows Start Menu, click Search option.
Click “All Files And Folders“

In the first blank, type in AVG.

In the Look In section, select the location where you want to search.
Click Search button to start.
The search will scan out all the remain files, folders, installation setup files of AVG, press Alt + A to select all the found data.
Press Delete key to delete them all.
Empty the recycle bin

Step 4: remove registry remains with Registry Editor
Every program/application you installed in the computer has related registry data, that means if you want to remove AVG from your system completely, these registry data needs to be removed as well. Just remember to backup the registry before any deletion to avoid server system problems caused by mistaken registry deletion, the backup tutorial is included in the below steps:

From the system Start menu, click Run
In the Run commend box, type in “regedit“.

Click File menu in the Registry Editor
Click Export option in the File menu
Select a location to store the backup file in your local machine
Rename the backup file if needed.
Expend the registry tree branch on the left side of the editor.
Locate the AVG registry entries showed as below screenshots.

Right click and select Delete to remove them on by one.
In order to let those changes in the registry take into effect, restart your computer after you finished the deletion.

Note: For computer users who does not know or familiar with registry editor operation, we recommend to use Max Uninstaller to help you do the AVG removal.

4. Using AVG Remover

AVG Remover is a little tool that helps you to remove everything about AVG including registry data, installation files & folder, etc. This tool can deal with any program that belongs to the AVG security product series. However, it is reported that this tool is not 100% work on the removal and always leave a bit user files and registry entries behind. All in all, this tool is provided by the program developer and still worth a try. You may follow the below steps to proceed:

Click here to visit AVG official site to download AVG Remover.
Select a version that suit your operation system (either 32-bit or 64 bit)

Click the download link and save the .exe file to your computer
Double click to open the downloaded .exe file
Then you’ll see a pop up message warning you that this operation requires you to reboot the system one or two times, you may first close all the unnecessary program and back up your work first. Click Yes to continue.

Wait for the uninstall process complete and reboot your computer.

Now AVG should have been uninstalled from your system, if you encountered problems or errors and the AVG Remover failed to work, you can apply the professional software uninstaller – Max Uninstaller to help you out.

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Tags: Uninstall AVG