How do I completely uninstall Kaspersky from my Windows 10 and 11 PC?

US and European Governments have recently warned against using Kaspersky antivirus software. In this article we’ll explain why governments have published such warnings and how you can easily uninstall Kaspersky if you are concerned.

We want to be clear that, as of today, there is no evidence that Kaspersky is actively spying on customers. We are simply relaying information from US and German governments to inform people, so they can make their own choice about whether to continue using Kaspersky or not.

At a glance:

• What’s happening? US, German and Italian governments see Kaspersky as a “high risk” application that could be used by the Russian government to compromise individuals and businesses. You can see the original bulletin from the German Federal Office for IT security (BSI), here.

• Kaspersky responded to the bulletin, saying ‘We believe this decision is not based on a technical assessment of Kaspersky products – that we continuously advocated for with the BSI and across Europe – but instead is being made on political grounds.’ Read the full response here.

• What should you do? If you are concerned, you can use CCleaners “Uninstaller” (found in CCleaner Free for Windows, Android, and Mac) and then make sure to run our junk and registry cleaners to remove all potentially leftover files from your devices.

• Are there any good Kaspersky alternatives? You can install free Avast One for Windows, Android, and Mac. It includes not just an antivirus but a free VPN, anti-fingerprinting tool, web-shield, and more.

Below you’ll find more and how to go about thoroughly cleaning up Kaspersky.

Why should I uninstall Kaspersky? US, German and Italian government issued warnings

The German Federal Office for IT security (BSI) recommends that all Kaspersky users switch over to another antivirus software. In their high priority bulletin (BSI-Warnung gemäß BSIG §7 (bund.de) they elaborate how antivirus products have complete control over all data and system components, making them a potential tool for cyber espionage. The BSI ranks this as a “high risk” scenario and goes on to say that the Russian government could force Kaspersky to manipulate their antivirus to spy on businesses, politicians or individuals. Their advice is simple: “Antivirus software from Kaspersky should be replaced by an alternative product”.

Kaspersky responded to the BSI’s bulletin, saying ‘We believe this decision is not based on a technical assessment of Kaspersky products – that we continuously advocated for with the BSI and across Europe – but instead is being made on political grounds.’ You can read the full response here.

The U.S. government even began privately warning American companies within a day of the attack on Ukraine. On March 26th, 2022, the US FCC officially added Kaspersky to its list of “national security threats (source).

We want to be clear that, as of today, there is no evidence that Kaspersky is actively spying on customers. We are simply relaying information from US and German governments to inform people, so they can make their own choice about whether to continue using Kaspersky or not.

How to Uninstall Kaspersky

If you want to remove Kaspersky on PC, Mac, and Android, there’s a simple way using our own CCleaner uninstallers. You can then wipe away any leftover data with our disk and registry cleaning tools:

How to Uninstall Kaspersky on Windows 10 and 11 PCs

1. Open up CCleaner for Windows and go to Tools. In the Uninstaller section scroll down until you see Kaspersky Anti-virus. Click Uninstall:

   
   

2. On the next screen, click Yes and then check the following items:

   
   

3. Last but not least, hit the Remove button and reboot your PC. Repeat the same steps for Kaspersky VPN (which usually gets automatically installed with Kaspersky antivirus) or any other items.
4. To make sure that no junk files or registry items are left behind, run a complete CCleaner disk cleanup next. Go to CCleaner’s Custom Clean, select every item under System (to make sure all temporary junk files in Windows folders are deleted) and then hit Run Cleaner.

   
   

5. Next, go to Registry and click on Scan for Issues. This will scan the heart of Windows, the registry, for leftover items from Kaspersky:

   
   

6. Make sure to find all items as seen in the screenshot above, click on Review selected Issues, create a backup of the registry (just in case anything happens) and then remove all leftover Kaspersky entries by clicking Fix All Selected Issues.

How to Uninstall Kaspersky on Android

1. Open up CCleaner for Android. From the main dashboard, head over to Apps and go to the Installed category:

   
   

   
   

2. Scroll down until you see Kaspersky. Tap on that item and the Uninstall button:

   
   

3. Confirm with Yes and OK and let CCleaner remove Kaspersky.
4. Once that’s done, go back to the CCleaner main menu and click on Quick Clean. Make sure to select all items, such as Hidden cache and Visible cache, and remove everything to make sure no leftover junk files are left behind.

   
   

How to Uninstall Kaspersky on Mac

1. Open up CCleaner for Mac. From the main dashboard, click on the Show button next to Uninstall apps:

   
   

2. On the next screen, you’ll see a long list of programs. Find all Kaspersky apps and then hit the Uninstall button. Confirm all dialogues you’ll see to remove the app.
3. To make sure that all Kaspersky temporary leftover files are removed, go back to the main screen and click on Clean clutter. By default Application Cache and Log Files should be checked - this will include all potentially leftover files. Click Clean to get rid of it! Et voilá - your Mac is now cleaner and free from Kaspersky.