How to Remove a Free Antivirus Program

Uninstalling unwanted and unused Internet security programs from your computer can be somewhat deceptive. When you think you've gotten rid of the software, a pop-up box comes up upon rebooting to let you know that, "Updates are ready to install." You can permanently remove these programs from your computer until you decide to re-install them another day, another season or another year. Logon without the nuisance of the stubborn programs that seem to cling to your computer like old gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe.

Instructions

How to Remove or Disable an Unwanted Antivirus Program

1. Select "Control Panel" from the Start menu.

2. Select "Add or Remove Programs." Be patient as the programs populate the list. Depending on the amount of programs you have installed on your computer, this could take up to 5 minutes.

3. Navigate to the program you would like to delete.

4. Click on "Change / Remove."

5. Select "Yes" to continue.

6. Repeat Steps 3 through 5 for each program you would like to delete.

7. Restart your computer.

How to Delete Additional Unwanted Folders

1. Select "Search" from the Start menu.

2. Enter the name of the program / folders you want to delete.

3. Select the Local Hard Drive C: from the "Look in" pull down menu.

4. Press "Search." Allow the list to populate.

5. Select the folder that has the name of the program you were searching for.

6. Right-click your mouse and select "Delete." Some types of files cannot be deleted based on their location or type, such as localized.dll applications/extensions. Write down the exact name of the program, including its extension, and conduct the following steps below for disabling the program. These programs often run automatically at Start Up.

How to Disable a Localized.dll Program

1. Select "Administrative Tools" from the Start menu.

2. Select "Services."

3. Select the program that you want to disable.

4. Right-click your mouse.

5. Select "Properties."

6. Go to the General Tab and select "Disable," then "Apply."

7. Go to the Log on Tab and select "Disable for the Profile listed in the Dialog Box," then "Apply."

8. Go to the Recovery Tab and select "Take No Action from the pull down menus on First, Second and Subsequent Failures," then select "Apply."

9. Go to the Dependencies Tab and be aware of the dependencies that rely on the program you are disabling. In the case of an Antivirus program, the dependency will be Remote Procedure Call (RPC). Write any dependencies down for future reference, but take no action here at this time.

10. Select "OK."

11. Repeat Steps 3 through 10 for any program you would like to disable.

12. Restart your computer.

Tips & Warnings

• When in doubt, remember those 3 magic words, "Control, Alt , Delete." Pressed simultaneously, they will bring up the Task Manager. There, you will be able to close running programs. Select "End Task," then walk away from the computer. Resist the urge to press multiple buttons because it may seem like the system is taking a while to shut down a program. It sometimes takes a while for a script to go through each command. Check your program listing at least quarterly. You may find that you haven't used a program in over a year, so it could possibly be deleted or disabled to increase the speed of your computer. Back-up your computer at a secondary location or on a separate device anywhere from daily to weekly to at the very latest, monthly. Always keep a copy of past programs used along with their settings prior to deletion from your computer. If you remember a program taking hours to be installed, it might take just as long to remove. Start the process for deleting larger programs at night for overnight removal to avoid restlessly watching the clock.

• Beware of deleting programs that state "Rarely" next to "Used," because oftentimes this is misleading. Some programs are actual service packs or behind the scenes mini-programs that keep your computer running smoothly. When it doubt, leave the program on your computer until you can verify that it is no longer going to be needed. You could always disable it instead of removing it entirely from your system if you are unsure of your future need for it. While receiving daily Internet security updates are best, old security is worse than no security. Therefore, never delete an Internet security program until you have one already installed to replace it.