I'm trying to remove Google Chrome from my laptop because I switched to Opera. Windows says I need administrator permission, even though I gave myself full control and made my account the owner of the file or folder. I also uninstalled Chrome, but some of its files are still present. Occasionally, opening my Opera shortcut launches Chrome instead, or the shortcut seems to change back to Chrome. How can I properly remove the leftover files and fix the shortcut?
2 Answers
First restart the computer, then try deleting the leftover files. A background Chrome process or another program may still be using them, and Windows can block deletion while a file is open. After restarting, check Task Manager for any remaining Chrome processes and end them before trying again. For a complete removal, uninstall Chrome through Windows’ Apps settings rather than deleting its program folder manually.
If the shortcut keeps launching Chrome, inspect its properties instead of deleting random files. Right-click the Opera shortcut, open Properties, and make sure the Target points to Opera’s executable and that the shortcut location is legitimate. You may also want to delete the broken shortcut and create a new one from Opera’s installation folder. Avoid forcing ownership changes on system folders, since that can create permission problems.
It isn’t a protected system file—it’s just Chrome. I already uninstalled the app, but some files remain, and my Opera shortcut sometimes opens Chrome instead.