Unable To Remove Chrome Extensions? We’ve Got The Fixes

Google Chrome extensions are fun to work with. They take your productivity to the next level. And, just like any other application or software, you can install or remove Chrome extensions whenever you want, especially, if an application is unwanted or potentially dangerous. 

But, what if you are unable to remove a Chrome Extension? What if few Chrome Extensions act up, crash, make your system crash or worst of all come across as malicious, and you are just not able to disable such Chrome extensions? Maybe you are falling prey to browser hijacking; we’ve covered a great deal on what it is and how you can prevent yourself from browser hijacking.  

Let’s be prepared for any such instance and learn how to delete Chrome extensions which just refuse to delete. But, first, let’s get down to the basics and see how you delete the Chrome extension. If you know this process and are still not able to delete a Chrome extension, you can dive into some more effective ways. Here’s how basically Chrome extension is deleted – 

1. Open Chrome and go to More tools by clicking on the three vertical dots that you can find on the far right 
2. Now select Extensions 
3. You will now be able to see all your extensions listed
4. Choose the extension that you want to remove and then click on the Remove button to delete or remove Chrome Extension
5. If you don’t want to uninstall a Chrome extension and just disable it, you can toggle the switch next to Remove button to the left

Despite going ahead with the above-mentioned steps, you might at times still not be able to remove or even disable a Chrome extension or plug-in. Instead, you might have to see “this extension is managed and cannot be removed or disabled”. In such instances, here are some other ways you can delete a Chrome extension.

Ways To Uninstall Or Delete Chrome Extensions When They Fail To Delete 

Method 1: Delete Chrome Extensions Using The File Explorer

Here’s a neat little trick that should help you remove Chrome extensions which you just can’t seem to remove by clicking Remove button. We shall be using the File Explorer on our system to get rid of extensions. 

But, before you open the file explorer, here’s what we want you to do. We want you to note down Chrome Extension’s ID that you want to remove. Here’s how you can do that – 

1. Type chrome://extensions and enable the Developer mode that you will find on the upper right.

2. Choose your extension and copy its ID as shown in the screenshot below 

If your File Explorer has stopped working, worry not! We’ve got the fix for that too! 

1. Now, Open up the File Explorer
2. Type the below-mentioned path in the address bar 

C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions

3. Match the Extension ID with the ID mentioned in the folder
4. Hit the shift + delete button, and the extension should now be gone, forever!

Method 2: Use An Antivirus Software

Having Antivirus software is always recommended. Especially in this case, when you are unable to delete or disable Chrome extensions, it could be that the extension is gravely infected with a virus or malware. If not removed in time, it can destroy imagination.

We’ve already mentioned some of the best paid and free antivirus for Windows. We recommend using the Systweak Antivirus. It scans all kinds of threats such as malware and viruses in real-time and offers you sure shot protection against zero-day attacks as well. To begin with, it offers three kinds of quick, deep, and custom where you can choose to either critical scan areas or folders and files of your choice.

• You can catch hold of malicious extensions using the Malware Protection module.

• Schedule scan as and when you desire

• It comes with real-time Malware protection and exploits protection.

Method 3: Use Chrome’s Own Cleanup Tool

Since we are sensing a malicious Chrome extension, here is potent defense. This method has already proved to be robust for removal of popups, unwanted ads, and malware, and in most cases, it should be able to delete that culprit Chrome Extension as well. So, to use this tool –

1. Open the Chrome browser
2. Click on Settings which you will find at the top right corner by clicking on the three vertical dots. It is the third last option
3. Once the Settings page opens, scroll down to the bottom and click on the Advanced dropdown arrow
4. Under the Reset and clean up section, you will now find a Clean up computer which is the last option. Click on the arrow next to it and then click on Find

Also Read: Here Is The Fix For Crashing Shockwave Flash On Chrome

Method 4: Reset Settings To Original Defaults

Quite like Method No 3, you can try resetting the settings to defaults; maybe then you’ll be able to get rid of Chrome extensions which you are not able to delete under normal circumstances – 

1. Type chrome://settings in the Chrome browser’s address bar and press enter
2. Scroll down to the very bottom of the page and click on the Advanced dropdown
3. Under the Reset and clean up option click on Restore settings to their original defaults 
4. Click on Reset settings

The Final Word On Unable To Remove Chrome Extensions

If up until now you were not able to remove Chrome extensions, we hope that the above fixes have helped you remove them. If the fixes worked for you, do upvote this blog, drop in your suggestions in the comments section below. Follow us on social media – Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.