I love using extensions in Google Chrome. They’re handy for everything, from boosting my productivity to helping me shop right. And when you don’t need them, delete them to ensure Chrome runs smoothly. Sometimes, you might end up with a malicious or rogue Chrome extension that just won’t uninstall. You know, the ones where the Remove button doesn’t work or show up at all. That’s frustrating.
Before we start fixing that, let’s do a quick check. Open your PC’s Settings app and go to Apps section to view the recently installed apps and remove anything suspicious. Some sneaky software can automatically install unwanted extensions and mess with your browser settings, like changing your search engine. Also, run an anti-malware or anti-virus scan to check for any malicious software causing the problem.
After you’ve done that, here’s what can do to get rid of that rogue extension finally:
Check if Your Browser is Managed by an Organization
Home computers typically don’t have any profile or security policies installed by default. But if you see a message in Chrome that says, “Your Browser is Managed by an Organization,” you can’t remove any extension, there are two primary reasons for that:
- You’re using your company or school’s PC or account: If you’re using a company or school-provided computer or account, there may be group policies that automatically install certain extensions and prevent you from removing them. This ensures consistent software configurations and security measures across the organization.
- Your browser has been hijacked: Some malicious programs can install extensions in your Chrome browser without your consent or knowledge. These extensions might be designed to track your browsing activity, steal your personal information, or display unwanted ads. They often have mechanisms that prevent them from being easily removed through the usual methods.
The message “Your browser is managed by your organization” at the top of Chrome’s Settings or Extensions page on your personal computer. And if it’s not an office or school computer, a malicious program may have taken control of Chrome’s settings. In that case, proceed with the solutions below.
However, if you’re using a company or school-provided computer, this message is normal. You’ll likely be unable to remove the extension yourself, unless those policies or profiles are removed.
Run Chrome Policy Remover Script
Chrome Policy Remover is a free tool designed to remove policy settings that rogue extensions might have set to install unwanted search engines or display ads in your Chrome browser. Stefan VD, a recognized Google Chrome product expert, crated the Chrome Policy Remove. You can find Stefan’s comment in the Chrome Help Forum.
Download: Chrome Policy Remover
All you need to do is download the script and run it as an administrator on Windows PC. If it asks for permission, allow it, and you will see a message saying “All Chrome Policies are removed.” After that, you can uninstall any Chrome extension without any issues.
On Mac, GateKeeper, a security feature, might prevent the script from running. To fix that, go to Settings > Privacy & Security and choose Open Anyway next to the app name to run it.
Reset or Uninstall and Reinstall Chrome
If the problem persists, reset your Chrome browser. Note that resetting Chrome will restore it to the state it was when you installed it for the first time. So you might lose your bookmarks, browsing history, and get logged out of your favorite sites.
To reset it, open Chrome, head to Settings > Reset settings > Reset settings to their original defaults. This will reset your startup page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs. It will also turn off all extensions and clear temporary data like cookies. After that, you can remove the extension.
If that doesn’t work, the last resort would be to uninstall and reinstall Chrome. That’s easier said than done. Because, if you have sync enabled, your extensions are synced too with your Google account. So, when you sign in to your account after reinstalling Chrome, the extension might return.
To avoid that, tap your profile picture on the top-right corner > tap Sync is On > Manage what you sync. Choose Customize sync and toggle off Extensions. Then, uninstall Chrome, clear the browser’s leftover data (important), and reinstall the browser.
When, the Remove button didn’t work in Chrome, you could uninstall any extension without losing any data.
