Malwarebytes is a popular antivirus software that is widely used to protect computers from malware attacks. However, there are times when you may want to uninstall Malwarebytes from your Windows 11 computer. This could be due to various reasons, such as the software not functioning properly, or you simply want to switch to a different antivirus program. In this article, we will guide you on how to completely remove Malwarebytes from your Windows 11 computer.
Step 1: Close Malwarebytes and Stop Its Services
The first step in removing Malwarebytes from your computer is to close the program and stop its services. To do this, follow these steps:
- Right-click the Malwarebytes icon in the system tray and select "Quit Malwarebytes."
- Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
- Type "services.msc" and press Enter.
- Scroll down and locate the Malwarebytes service.
- Right-click the service and select "Stop."
Step 2: Uninstall Malwarebytes from Control Panel
The next step is to uninstall Malwarebytes from the Control Panel. To do this, follow these steps:
- Press the Windows key + X and select "Apps and Features" from the menu.
- Locate Malwarebytes from the list of installed programs.
- Click on Malwarebytes and select "Uninstall."
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation process.
Step 3: Remove Malwarebytes Files and Folders
After uninstalling Malwarebytes from the Control Panel, there may still be some leftover files and folders on your computer. To remove these, follow these steps:
- Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
- Type "%programdata%" and press Enter.
- Locate the Malwarebytes folder and delete it.
- Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box again.
- Type "%appdata%" and press Enter.
- Locate the Malwarebytes folder and delete it.
- Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box again.
- Type "regedit" and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
- Backup your registry before making any changes.
- Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Malwarebytes.
- Delete the Malwarebytes folder.
- Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Malwarebytes.
- Delete the Malwarebytes folder.
Step 4: Restart Your Computer
After completing the above steps, it is recommended that you restart your computer to ensure that all Malwarebytes files and services have been completely removed.
Conclusion
Removing Malwarebytes from your Windows 11 computer is a simple process that can be completed in just a few steps. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can ensure that all Malwarebytes files and services have been completely removed from your computer. This will allow you to switch to a different antivirus program or reinstall Malwarebytes if needed.