How to Remove Chromium Browser Completely from Your Computer

Every day, thousands of people search for “how to remove Chromium” because a fake and annoying version of this browser suddenly appears on their computer. It changes your homepage, shows too many ads, slows down your system, and refuses to go away easily. This guide will help you delete both the real Chromium browser and the fake, harmful one in just a few minutes.

No technical knowledge needed. Just follow the steps.

Note: Fake Chromium browser full of ads? Uninstall it, delete all folders from AppData, run Malwarebytes + AdwCleaner, and reset browsers. For full protection against such infections, always browse safely with iProVPN. 

What is Chromium? Good vs Evil Version

The Good One (Real Chromium)

• Made by Google as open-source code
• Looks almost exactly like Chrome, but without Google login and auto-updates
• 100 % safe if you download it from the official site
• Used by developers and privacy fans

The Evil One (Fake Chromium)

• Made by unknown companies to earn money from ads
• Comes hidden inside free games, PDF tools, video downloaders, cracks, etc.
• Changes your homepage, injects ads everywhere, and tracks every click
• Very hard to delete on purpose

If you have never visited chromium.org and suddenly have a “Chromium” icon, you have the evil one.

12 Clear Signs You Have Fake Chromium Right Now

1. Homepage changed to something strange (mysearch, chill-tab, portal, do-search, etc.)
2. Google searches go to Yahoo or other weird engines
3. New toolbars you never installed
4. Pop-up ads even when no browser is open
5. The CPU fan is always loud
6. Antivirus keeps showing “PUP.Optional.Chromium” alerts
7. Extensions with bad English names
8. Start menu full of new shortcuts like “Best Deals” or “Free Games.”
9. The browser opens by itself after a restart
10. Friends say you send strange links on Facebook
11. Download folder full of .exe files you don’t remember
12. Task Manager shows many chromium.exe running from the AppData folder

If you have even one of these signs, keep reading.

Super-Easy Normal Uninstall (Only Works for Real Chromium)

Windows 11/10/8/7

1. Press Windows key + R → type appwiz.cpl → Enter
2. Scroll and find “Chromium.”
3. Click → Uninstall → restart

Mac

1. Open Finder → Applications
2. Drag the Chromium icon to the Trash
3. Empty Trash

Linux

Bash

sudo apt remove chromium-browser

Done. But 95 % of people reading this have the fake one, so the easy way will fail. Go to the next section.

Complete 10-Step Removal for Fake Chromium on Windows

Step 1 – Boot in Safe Mode (Makes Removal 10× Easier)

1. Hold the Shift key and click Restart from the Start menu
2. Choose Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart
3. Press 5 or 5 to boot into Safe Mode. Everything loads slower, but viruses can’t protect themselves in Safe Mode.

Step 2 – Stop All Chromium Processes

1. Right-click taskbar → Task Manager
2. Click “More details.”
3. Look for any process named chromium.exe, chrome.exe, update.exe
4. Notice the folder location on the right side. If it says AppData or Temp → fake!
5. Right-click → End task for every single one

Step 3 – Uninstall Everything That Looks Like Chromium

1. Settings → Apps → Installed apps
2. Search “chromium”, “chrome”, “browser”, “search.”
3. Uninstall anything suspicious, even if the uninstall fails. Try it

Step 4 – Delete Every Single Folder (Copy-Paste These Paths)

Open File Explorer and delete these folders one by one (if they exist):

text

C:\Program Files\Chromium

C:\Program Files (x86)\Chromium

C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Chromium

C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome

C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Chromium

C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Temp\*chromium*

C:\Windows\Temp\*chromium*

Quick shortcut: Press Windows + R → type each path above → Enter → Shift + Delete

Step 5 – Remove Startup Entries

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc → Startup tab
2. Disable anything with “Chromium” or an unknown publisher

Step 6 – Delete Scheduled Tasks (Very Important!)

1. Windows key + R → taskschd.msc
2. Left side → Task Scheduler Library
3. Look for tasks named “Chromium Update”, “Browser Update”, and random letters.
4. Right-click → Delete (do this for every suspicious task)

Step 7 – Clean the Registry (Safe and Easy Method)

1. Download a free tool called “CCleaner” (only from piriform.com)
2. Open CCleaner → Registry → Scan for Issues → Fix selected issues → Backup when asked → Fix All

This removes thousands of leftover keys safely.

Step 8 – Reset Every Browser to Factory Settings

Do this for Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Brave:

Microsoft Edge:

Settings → Reset settings → Restore settings to default

Google Chrome:

chrome://settings/reset

Firefox:

Type about: support → Refresh Firefox

Step 9 – Run the Best Free Cleaning Tools

1. Malwarebytes – www.malwarebytes.com (free version)
   • Install → Update → Scan → Quarantine all
2. AdwCleaner – same website
   • One click “Scan Now” → Clean
3. HitmanPro (second opinion scanner)
4. ESET Online Scanner (no install needed)

Run them one after another. They find different things.

Step 10 – Final Reboot and Victory Check

Restart normally (not Safe Mode).

Open Task Manager → check no chromium.exe running.

Open browser → homepage should be normal.

You won! Chromium is completely gone.

How to Remove Fake Chromium from Mac

1. Force quit Chromium (Option + Command + Esc)
2. Applications folder → drag Chromium to Trash
3. Click Go → Go to Folder → type these one by one and delete: ~/Library/Application Support/Chromium ~/Library/Caches/Chromium ~/Library/Preferences/org.chromium.Chromium.plist /Library/LaunchAgents/ any file with chromium
4. Empty Trash (may ask for the  password)
5. Download Malwarebytes for Mac → scan and remove
6. Reset Safari/Chrome/Firefox the same way as Windows

How to Remove Chromium from Linux (Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora)

Terminal commands (copy-paste one line at a time):

Bash

sudo apt remove chromium-browser -y

sudo snap remove chromium

rm -rf ~/.config/chromium

rm -rf ~/.cache/chromium

sudo rm -rf /opt/chromium

sudo rm -rf /usr/local/bin/chromium

Then search your home folder for “chromium” and delete anything left.

How Fake Chromium Makes Money (So You Understand Why It’s So Hard to Remove)

The people who make fake Chromium earn $1–$5 every day from each infected computer through:

• Pay-per-click ads
• Selling your browsing data
• Installing crypto miners in the background
• Redirecting Amazon links to earn commission

That’s why they fight so hard to stay on your PC.

Best Free Tools in 2025 to Keep Fake Chromium Away Forever

1. uBlock Origin (browser extension) – blocks bad ads
2. Malwarebytes Browser Guard (free) 3 Windows Security (keep real-time protection ON) 4 iProVPN – hides your real location and blocks dangerous websites before they load 5 Unchecky – automatically unchecks bundle offers during installation

I personally use all five together – zero problems in years.

How to Download Software Safely in 2025 (Never Get Fake Chromium Again)

Golden rules:

• Only download from OFFICIAL websites
• Never click “Recommended Download” buttons on download sites
• Always choose Custom/Advanced install
• If a site says “Your Flash Player is outdated,” close it immediately
• Use iProVPN on public Wi-Fi or when visiting torrent/cracked software sites

One click on the wrong download button = hours of cleaning.

Extra Bonus: Make Windows 200% Faster After Removing Chromium

After fake Chromium is gone, do these quick speed boosts:

1. Settings → System → Storage → Storage Sense → Run now
2. Search “Disk Cleanup” → clean system files
3. CCleaner → Custom Clean → Run Cleaner
4. Settings → Privacy → Background apps → turn off everything you don’t need
5. Restart

Your PC will feel like new.

FAQs

Your Final Checklist – Print or Save This

• Safe Mode boot completed
• All chromium.exe processes killed
• All folders deleted
• Scheduled tasks removed
• Browsers reset
• Malwarebytes + AdwCleaner scan done
• Restarted normally
• Homepage back to normal
• No more pop-ups

If every box is checked → congratulations! You are now Chromium-free and much smarter. So, if you’re looking for how to remove Chromium browser, follow the above steps. Stay safe, download carefully, and enjoy your clean, fast computer again!