Unable to uninstall one of the security apps in MacBook Pro

NJM55 wrote:

I have several security apps from AVG. I've learned that they may be unnecessary, and I suspect one or more of them are affecting performance on my MacBook. I want to uninstall one of them, but I can't open it. Every time I try, it crashes and I get an error report from Apple. The directions on AVG's website for uninstalling their apps start with opening it, which I can't do. Is there a workaround for this?

You can try deleting the App, reinstalling the app and proceed to the official uninstaller if that is what the instruction or saying— or what you are trying to say. Or contact AVG support...

third party software Remove

Look for a built-in or in-app uninstaller and use that, not all uninstallers are 100% effective

place to look for parts and pieces, Finder>Go>Go To Folder copy & paste each location:

/usr/local/

/Library/Application Support/

/Library/LaunchDaemons/

/Library/LaunchAgents/

Uninstall all third party apps that are Cleaners/Optimizers/VPN/Anti-Virus

all known to cause issues on the macOS

Third party AntiVirus is not recommended— it typically does nothing but add issues to the macOS and competes directly with Apple’s own built in security:

macOS antivirus - Protecting against malware in macOS - Apple Support

macOS - Security - Apple macOS - Security - Apple

Apple Platform Security - Apple Apple Platform Security - Apple Support

if no resolve —if necessary, NOT often recommended—

You can try something like AppCleaner Version 3.6.8 (4332)

AVG has a uninstaller on their support site if you cannot find it on your Mac.

https://support.avg.com/kA60N0000004aGy?name=uninstall-avg-software-clear-remover&language=en_US

Avoid the generic "uninstall" apps that rank at the top of search engine results due the nasty practice of paid positioning. They too often carry adware that makes things worse.

Uninstall them all! They are not needed. There is no reason to ever install or run any 3rd party "cleaning", "optimizing", "speed-up", anti-virus, VPN or security apps on your Mac.  This documents describe what you need to know and do in order to protect your Mac: Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community and ¨.  

There are no known viruses, i.e. self propagating, for Macs.  There are, however, adware and malware which require the user to install although unwittingly most of the time thru sneaky links, etc.   

Anti Virus developers try to group all types as viruses into their ad campaigns of fear.  They do a poor job of the detecting and isolating the adware and malware.  Since there are no viruses these apps use up a lot of system resources searching for what is non-existent and adversely affect system and app performance.

There is one app, Malwarebytes, which was developed by a long time contributor to these forums and a highly respected member of the computer security community, that is designed solely to seek out adware and known malware and remove it.  The free version is more than adequate for most users.  

Unless you're using a true VPN tunnel, such as between you and your employer's, school's or bank's servers, they provide false security from a privacy standpoint.  Read these two articles: Public VPN's are anything but private and Security Risks: The Dangers of Using Free VPNs (eccu.edu).  

After uninstalling according to the developers' instructions You can check to see if you've removed all of the supporting files by downloading and running the shareware app Find Any File to search for any files with the application's or the developer's name in the file name.  For AVG software you'd do the following search(es): 

1 - Name contains avg

Any files that are found can be dragged from the search results window to the Desktop or Trash bin in the Dock for deletion.

FAF can search areas that Spotlight can't like invisible folders, system folders and packages.  

If you get warnings that the file can't be deleted because it is in use or used by another app boot into Safe Mode according to How to use safe mode on your Mac and delete from there.

Note:  if you have a wireless keyboard with rechargeable batteries connect it with its charging cable before booting into Safe Mode.  This makes it act as a wired keyboard as will assure a successful boot into Safe Mode.

Again, get rid of all of them.

MrHoffman wrote:

This is unfortunately the normal remediation for recalcitrant apps and for system corruptions caused by these sorts of add-on apps.

By way of explanation, the reason it is often necessary to erase the Mac — and the reason I chose that option after installing the "AVG" product for evaluation purposes (and subsequently determining its uninstaller didn't work) — was that those kinds of ill-conceived products modified the operating system at a fundamental level when it was still possible to do that with the explicit permission of the presumably well-informed user.

With the introduction of Catalina macOS became unmodifiable by any means whatsoever, later walled off behind a completely separate and cryptographically protected volume, making it utterly impermeable to such modifications. For a while Apple let us know about that upcoming change with an informative dialog so that the user had time to update, remove, or otherwise adapt to those modifications, but unless you were one of those Mac enthusiasts who install every single macOS update and upgrade that comes along, you may have missed out on that warning.

When macOS became unmodifiable in that manner macOS "grandfathered" certain existing system modifications, allowing them to continue doing whatever it was they did. These system extensions can be difficult to remove, at best, and I do not know of a specific method that works for all of them.

That is the reason for recommending that you erase the startup drive, and I don't disagree with it. However, before you arrive at that conclusion yourself, you might consider using EtreCheck and posting its report here. It may help identify the specific components that need to be removed. How to use the Add Text Feature When Posting Large Amounts of Text, i.e. an Etrecheck Report - Apple Community contains the instructions. No promises, but it will be more information than we have to go on thus far.

A Time Machine backup is a fundamental prerequisite; hopefully that just goes without saying.

NJM55 wrote:

ref:

AVG has a uninstaller on their support site if you cannot find it on your Mac.

https://support.avg.com/kA60N0000004aGy?name=uninstall-avg-software-clear-remover&language=en_US

(?)

not sure I see a mac reference on that link above... I only see Windows. Maybe I am missing something.

if in doubt search the developers website or contact their: Support/Help/FAQ/Known issues/compatibility/updates/uninstaller

https://support.avg.com/SupportArticleView?l=en&urlname=uninstall-avg-antivirus

From my notes, I used the following instructions:

https://support.avg.com/SupportArticleView?q=uninstall+avg&urlname=How-to-uninst all-AVG-AntiVirus-for-Mac&l=en_US

Try those links, but it may interest you to know they were not completely effective at removing their system modifications. I eventually contacted the developer for assistance under "Read More" — at the time, they did not charge for it like they do now.

They were unable to help, and after exhausting all known options I completely erased the Mac and restored it from a backup predating its installation.

That extreme step may yet be required, so if you are unsuccessful and / or you are unwilling to pay an obviously incompetent developer to fix the problems they caused, please write back for assistance. The first step will be to create at TM backup so if you have not already done so do it now.

NJM55 wrote:

I was able to uninstall Anti-virus using the link for that app. I don't know who well it worked, but I opened AVG Tune-Up, chose their tool for deleting apps, and selected Breachguard. In theory I used one of their apps to delete another. I don't think I can make Tune-up delete itself, however.

Back up your data using Time Machine.

Erase and re-install macOS.

During the reinstallation, select files and documents and preferences and such, but no apps.

Reinstall the apps you need, avoiding all add-on “coffee shop” VPN apps, add-on anti-malware and security and firewall apps, add-on cleaner and optimizer apps, etc.

This is unfortunately the normal remediation for recalcitrant apps and for system corruptions caused by these sorts of add-on apps.