Warning: Before attempting to manually uninstall your ESET security product, first attempt to use the ESET Start Menu uninstaller provided with ESET Smart Security 4.0 or ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4.0. Click here for illustrated instructions.

Do not attempt to uninstall your ESET security product using the Windows Add or Remove Programs utility from the Control Panel.

After Uninstall Failure

If you ran the ESET Start Menu uninstaller and you continue to have problems, are unable to reinstall your ESET security product or if your ESET security product remains active after uninstallation and restart, then the uninstallation has failed. Deleting files from version 4.0 products requires booting in Safe Mode and using the ESET Uninstaller tool. Follow the instructions below to download and use the ESET Uninstaller tool to manually remove your ESET security product. The techniques below apply to both version 4.0 and version 3.0 of your ESET security product.

Warning: Using the ESET Uninstaller may reset your Windows network settings. Proceed with caution. Windows 7 users: click here before proceeding.

1. Download the ESET Uninstaller application (384 KB) and save it to your Desktop. Click the button below to begin your download.
   
     
    
2. Restart your computer and start in Safe Mode. During startup, repeatedly press the F8 key until the advanced options are displayed. Select Safe Mode and press ENTER.
    
3. Once you have started up in Safe Mode, double-click the 'ESETUninstaller' icon on your Desktop to begin the uninstallation process.
   

   

   
   NOTE: If you attempt to run the ESET Uninstaller in normal mode, it will fail and create an "ERROR!" message text file on your Desktop.

   
   
   Advanced user commands: If you wish to see a full list of available commands in the ESET Uninstaller, type /help. If you are removing ESET security products from bootable media, you will be prompted as to whether you wish to remove the ESET files from each available partition separately. The /mode=offline parameter specifies the uninstallation mode for CD and USB drives and the /mode=online parameter specifies hard disks. Very rarely, you may need to use this parameter to force the ESET security product file deletions if the ESET Uninstaller does not detect your bootable media automatically.
    
4. At the first command prompt, read the warning and type 'y' to confirm.



Fig. 1-1
 

5. At the second command prompt, ensure that your ESET security product is being uninstalled from the correct operating system and type 'y' to confirm.



Fig. 1-2
 

6. The ESET Uninstaller will run for under a minute and then close automatically. After it completes, restart your computer in normal mode.
   
   Click the links below for instructions to download and reinstall your ESET security product:
   
   Installing ESET Smart Security (4.0)
   
   Installing ESET NOD32 Antivirus (4.0)

Windows 7

• If you must run the ESET Uninstaller tool in Windows 7, first enter Safe Mode and then launch the Uninstaller tool.
   
• From the Administrator command prompt instead of the Desktop icon. To launch the Administrator command prompt click Start → Run, then type  "cmd", then press CTRL + Shift + ENTER to enter Administrator mode. 
   
• After starting the Administrator command prompt, the working directory will be C:\Windows\system32, which needs to be changed to the Desktop.  Type the command cd %homepath%\Desktop and press ENTER.
   
• Run the tool with the /reinst parameter in the Administrator command prompt by typing ESETUninstaller.exe /reinst and pressing ENTER. 
   
• The ESET Uninstaller tool will run as described above and will reinstall your network drivers at the next restart. 
  

  

  
  NOTE: Please be aware that this process will cause all network settings (static IP, default gateway, subnet mask, wireless settings, etc.) to be lost.  You will need to reconfigure those settings with guidance from your Internet Service Provider after restart.  If you do not use the /reinst parameter your network drivers will need to be manually reinstalled.

  
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Related:

How to start Windows in Safe Mode

How do I uninstall or re-install ESET Smart Security/ESET NOD32 Antivirus? (4.0)

 How do I check my ESET security product installation package or other ESET tool for a digital signature?