How to Remove Chrome Extensions Installed by Administrator

Download Article

Explore this Article

parts

1Finding the Extension in Chrome

2Removing the Extension ID in the Registry

3Deleting the Extension from Chrome

Other Sections

Expert Q&A

Video

Related Articles

Expert Interview

References

Article Summary

Download Article

Are you unable to remove that extension? Do you get an error that it was installed by an Administrator? If you are part of a company or enterprise, like a school or work-from-home environment, removing these addons will only result in them being re-added the next time the computer connects to a network. If not, these extensions could be malicious and forced to load on your Chrome. To delete them, you'll have to remove the extension ID using the Registry. This How.com.vn article teaches you how to remove Chrome extensions that were installed without your permission on Windows.

Steps

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Finding the Extension in Chrome

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Open Chrome. This web browser icon looks like a yellow, green, and red orb surrounding a blue center.
2. 
   2
   Enter "chrome://extensions" into the URL bar and press ↵ Enter. This shows you all the extensions you have installed on Chrome, even if they are disabled.
   Advertisement
3. 
   3
   Click the switch next to "Developer mode" to turn it on

   

   . If the switch is light blue and pointing to the right, then it is on.

   • You'll also notice that each extension has more information displayed in its tile.
4. 
   4
   Copy the ID from the extension you can't uninstall. You should see an ID displayed next to any extensions that were added via a policy. Highlight it, then press Ctrl + C to copy it to your clipboard.

   • You can paste this in a text editor like Notepad or Sticky Notes.
Advertisement

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Removing the Extension ID in the Registry

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Open the Registry Editor. You can do this by clicking the Start menu icon to open your Start menu, then click Run and type "Regedit." Finally, click the executable app result.

   • Click Yes when prompted. Before the app runs, you'll get a pop-up asking if the program "Registry Editor" can make changes to your device. You'll need to allow this by pressing Yes to continue. Make sure to make a backup before you continue since making the incorrect adjustment in the Registry can damage your computer to make it inoperable.
2. 
   2
   Click Edit and select Find. The Edit menu is at the top of the window and Find will appear near the bottom of the menu that appears.

   • Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + F with the Registry Editor open to launch the "Find" window.
3. 
   3
   Paste the ID of the extension and click Find Next. Make sure your cursor is in the text field, then press Ctrl + V to paste the ID from your clipboard.

   • When you click Find Next, Registry Editor will locate that ID text for you.
4. 
   4
   Right-click the value with that ID and select Delete. The value that you're clicking is located in the right panel on the window.

   • Make sure you're right-clicking the name of the value instead of the data value (which will only delete the data string).
5. 
   5
   Click Edit and select Find Next. The Edit menu is at the top of the window and Find Next will appear near the bottom of the menu that appears.

   • You can also press F3 instead to prompt the "Find Next" feature.
6. 
   6
   Right-click the value with that ID and select Delete. The value that you're clicking is located in the right panel on the window.

   • There are usually 2 entries with that ID that you need to delete, and they are usually located in:

     HKEY_USERS\Group Policy Objects\Machine\Software\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallForcelistHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallForcelist
7. 
   7
   Close the Registry Editor and restart Chrome. You can close Registry Editor by clicking the x icons in the upper right corners of the windows. To restart Chrome, close it by clicking the x then click the web browser icon from your Start menu, Desktop, or Taskbar.
Advertisement

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Deleting the Extension from Chrome

Download Article

1. 
   1
   Open Chrome. This web browser icon looks like a yellow, green, and red orb surrounding a blue center.

   • Only after you've edited the Registry will this extension be able to be removed from Chrome like any other extension.
2. 
   2
   Enter "chrome://extensions" into the URL bar and press ↵ Enter. This shows you all the extensions you have installed on Chrome, even if they are disabled.
3. 
   3
   Click Remove next to the extension that you want to delete. As long as it's the extension with the same ID you deleted from the Registry Editor, it'll delete from Chrome.

   • After you've deleted the extension from Chrome, you should run an anti-malware scan to make sure you don't have any other malicious files hanging around.
Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

• Question

  Are there free Chrome extensions that block adult websites?

  

  Stan Kats
  Cybersecurity Expert

  Stan Kats is the COO and Chief Technologist for The STG IT Consulting Group in West Hollywood, California. Stan provides comprehensive technology & cybersecurity solutions to businesses through managed IT services, and for individuals through his consumer service business, Stan's Tech Garage. Stan has over 7 years of cybersecurity experience, holding senior positions in information security at General Motors, AIG, and Aramark over his career. Stan received a BA in International Relations from The University of Southern California.

  

  Stan Kats

  Cybersecurity Expert

  Expert Answer

  Use ad blocking software! An extension like uBlock can be good (and can even be used to block adult content), though sometimes goes a bit too far, which makes browsing a little more challenging. If you do a quick Google search for extensions that block adult content, you'll get quite a list to choose from.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

  YesNo

  Not Helpful 5Helpful 4
• Question

  How do you remove extensions that can't be removed?

  

  Stan Kats
  Cybersecurity Expert

  Stan Kats is the COO and Chief Technologist for The STG IT Consulting Group in West Hollywood, California. Stan provides comprehensive technology & cybersecurity solutions to businesses through managed IT services, and for individuals through his consumer service business, Stan's Tech Garage. Stan has over 7 years of cybersecurity experience, holding senior positions in information security at General Motors, AIG, and Aramark over his career. Stan received a BA in International Relations from The University of Southern California.

  

  Stan Kats

  Cybersecurity Expert

  Expert Answer

  Try resetting your Chrome browser! Go into the three little dots in the upper right corner, choose Settings, and then select the Reset option. If everything is really failing and there's potentially malware, remove all the Chrome settings manually on your computer.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If How.com.vn has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support How.com.vn

  YesNo

  Not Helpful 20Helpful 8

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Video

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!