Uninstall Webroot Secure Anywhere?
Discussion
In the last few days, I have "acquired" Webroot Secure Anywhere on my laptop. When I try to look at any of the config, it tells me to check with my network administrator. I don't have one - it's a standalone PC, although I sometimes acccess a corporate intranet via a VPN, but not for many weeks.
I already have a full paid-for subscription to Kaspersky, so I really don't need another AV app on the laptop, especially one that seems to use a fair mount of resource.
What REALLY pi$$es me off though is that I didn't want it, ask for it, or even know about it, but it still got installed AND won't allow me to un-install
Any ideas on how to nuke it?
I already have a full paid-for subscription to Kaspersky, so I really don't need another AV app on the laptop, especially one that seems to use a fair mount of resource.
What REALLY pi$$es me off though is that I didn't want it, ask for it, or even know about it, but it still got installed AND won't allow me to un-install
Any ideas on how to nuke it?
Can’t really help, but Google suggests:
https://community.webroot.com/webroot-secureanywhe...
I’m assuming that you’ve tried this though! You might need to right click the appwiz.cpl thing they mention and select run as administrator, should that be an option…
https://community.webroot.com/webroot-secureanywhe...
I’m assuming that you’ve tried this though! You might need to right click the appwiz.cpl thing they mention and select run as administrator, should that be an option…
How on earth can an application be installed on my PC that is controlled by a "network administrator" that doesn't exist.
It might be an AV system (and a half-decent one by all accounts), but this behaviour is no better than the viruses it claims to protect against. I didn't invite it and I struggled to get rid of it. I imagine after a certain amount of tie it would have demanded a subscription.
Anyway - solution was to reboot Win10 to Safe Mode (which was a mission as the C:\ drive is Bitlocker protected) and uninstall it from there - seems to have worked
It might be an AV system (and a half-decent one by all accounts), but this behaviour is no better than the viruses it claims to protect against. I didn't invite it and I struggled to get rid of it. I imagine after a certain amount of tie it would have demanded a subscription.
Anyway - solution was to reboot Win10 to Safe Mode (which was a mission as the C:\ drive is Bitlocker protected) and uninstall it from there - seems to have worked
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hstewie said:
hstewie said: My guess is that it got put on by your workplace as part of their VPN policies.
That was my initial though too, but:-I use a desktop for my usual access to the work VPN - that PC doesn't have Webroot
My workplace uses McAfee
I haven't accessed the workplace VPN from my PC for a few weeks now
Clearly, its something I've clicked, or somewhere I've been that has sneaked Webroot onto my laptop and it's the surreptitious nature of installation that winds me up
Nigel_O said:
That was my initial though too, but:-
I use a desktop for my usual access to the work VPN - that PC doesn't have Webroot
My workplace uses McAfee
I haven't accessed the workplace VPN from my PC for a few weeks now
Clearly, its something I've clicked, or somewhere I've been that has sneaked Webroot onto my laptop and it's the surreptitious nature of installation that winds me up
Webroot isn't free though which is why I'd start with your employer.I use a desktop for my usual access to the work VPN - that PC doesn't have Webroot
My workplace uses McAfee
I haven't accessed the workplace VPN from my PC for a few weeks now
Clearly, its something I've clicked, or somewhere I've been that has sneaked Webroot onto my laptop and it's the surreptitious nature of installation that winds me up
It's odd for something else to sneak commercial paid for licensed software onto your computer
anonymoususer said:
Sheepshanks said:
Is this the stuff that online banking keeps offering?
I don't think so I think the thing you mean is Rapport Security SoftwareWe use HSBCnet for work so that must be where I've seen it: https://www.hsbcnet.com/learningcentre/rich_media/... . I don't know if it's also used on consumer versions of HSBC accounts.
Harpoon said:
What operating system are you running? Is UAC disabled?
Win10ProUAC was disabled (but not by me) - I've re-enabled it to "always notify"
I've now removed Webroot again, by un-installing via safe mode - hopefully, that will be last I see of it.
I'd still like to know how it got installed, as I'm normally pretty careful about what I click.
Nigel_O said:
Harpoon said:
What operating system are you running? Is UAC disabled?
Win10ProUAC was disabled (but not by me) - I've re-enabled it to "always notify"
I've now removed Webroot again, by un-installing via safe mode - hopefully, that will be last I see of it.
I'd still like to know how it got installed, as I'm normally pretty careful about what I click.
From the article “ UAC is a convenience feature; it neither introduces a security boundary nor prevents execution of malware. (Links in article)”
The most effective controls you can apply here is to have two accounts, a non privileged (user) account which you log in with and use for your profile and an admin account that you can use when Windows needs a password to perform a elevated/privileged activity like changing a configuration setting or installing new software. This will also stop a lot of malware functioning if you happen to get it on your PC. Also password protect your AV settings using a separate account (most AV software let’s you do this from in the control panel).
AV software only provides a 50-70% solution as there’s a lot that still gets past all of the different brands. Maybe next gen AV will be more effective in the long run, think Crowdstrike, Cylance, Carbon Black etc.
Still with that said, most can’t be bothered with basic security hygiene so just run everything under an admin account.
Finally got to the bottom of it.... Several posters above were correct - it was a workplace thing
I used my personal laptop for a company I used to work at some time ago. The company used an online-only IT hepdesk, who installed a remote-assistance agent that runs silently in the background. The IT helpdesk wasn't informed that I'd left the company, so the agent was still running on my laptop.
The IT helpdesk has recently started applying Webroot AV, which it does through it agent service. That explains how it kept re-installing after I'd removed it. Interestingly, the IT helpdesk was surprised to find out that Webroot could be uninstalled by the end user - it was supposed to be impossible to remove.
Still - all sorted now - thanks to everyone that posted their suggestions
I used my personal laptop for a company I used to work at some time ago. The company used an online-only IT hepdesk, who installed a remote-assistance agent that runs silently in the background. The IT helpdesk wasn't informed that I'd left the company, so the agent was still running on my laptop.
The IT helpdesk has recently started applying Webroot AV, which it does through it agent service. That explains how it kept re-installing after I'd removed it. Interestingly, the IT helpdesk was surprised to find out that Webroot could be uninstalled by the end user - it was supposed to be impossible to remove.
Still - all sorted now - thanks to everyone that posted their suggestions
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