The following article and guide are dedicated to the issue of removing the AVG Secure Search Toolbar from your browser. The guide featured below includes instructions for Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer and will work for all versions of Windows.
We’ve been receiving a number of requests regarding the AVG Secure Search Toolbar, asking for ways to remove the toolbar from users’ PC’s and fix this issue. The program integrates with your default browser, altering its settings, like changing the browser homepage to mysearch.avg.com and setting the default search engine to AVG Secure Search. Now, while there may be nothing wrong with that and there is certainly nothing illegal in it, the practice often tends to put users off and make them feel like their personal space had been invaded.
AVG Secure Search Tollbar is a product of the Dutch company AVG Technologies. The company specializes in making antivirus software and the point of the toolbar is to alert users, whenever they are attempting to visit a dangerous or potentially hazardous website. The toolbar provides a ranking of each and every one of the links and websites you see from “Safe”, to “Risky” and “Dangerous”. However, the main problem with this browser add-on is that it is often installed by users without them necessarily knowing it. And, well, if you don’t want something, no matter how great it might be – you’re still not going to want it.
AVG Secure Search Toolbar was probably bundled along another AVG software product or possibly even came with a completely different program, again – in a bundle. Program bundles are fairly common techniques used to distribute certain software together, as a package. There is usually one main program and all the added content is bundled within the installer, so the only way to be aware of what it is you’ve downloaded and are about to install, is to customize the setup. To do that, you only need to choose the respective feature in the installation wizard, which will typically be called advanced or custom. Choosing that option, as opposed to the default or quick on, will enable you to see the whole list of added programs and choose which one of them you do want installed, and which will be left out. As for the removal of the AVG Secure Search Toolbar, we will show you how to fix this in just a few easy steps.
How To Remove AVG Secure Search Toolbar
- Go to Control Panel. For earlier versions than Windows 8, you can do that through the Start Menu. For Windows 8 and newer, simply enter Control Panel in the Search field and select the first result.
- Under Programs, click on Uninstall a program.
- Locate the AVG Secure Search program (it may be named slightly differently), right-click on it and select Uninstall.
It may happen that you will still be experiencing the altered settings in your favorite browser, therefore you will have to uninstall the program from that particular browser.
For Chrome:
- Open Chrome and go to Menu -> Tools -> Extensions. This will open a new tab in your browser.
- Locate and disable the undesired toolbar, after which remove it by clicking on the trash can icon.
- Reset your default search engine to whichever one it was that you had before. Do this by going to Menu -> Settings -> Search -> Manage search engines. Set your preferred search engine and click Make default.
- You will also most likely need to set a new homepage. Go to Menu -> Settings -> On startup. Select Open a specific page or set of pages and click on Set pages. If you simply want a blank new tab to greet you when you open your browser, simply select Open the New Tab page.
For Firefox:
- Go to Menu -> Help (?) -> Troubleshooting Information. Click on Refresh Firefox.
For Internet Explorer:
- Go to the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under the Advanced tab click Reset. In the new dialogue box put a check mark in the box beside Delete personal settings and click Reset.
- A new window will appear, click Close. Then restart your browser.
Did we help in getting your issue solved? Let us know in the comment section below!
