Bitdefender Free: Can't uninstall or reinstall

SeánT

Hi, Using Win 10 x64 and I needed to do a system restore but it failed and blamed the antivirus so I uninstalled Bitdefender Free and the restore completed OK. However when I try to reinstall Bitdefender Free it downloads OK but then the setup bombs out with 'Install Error. Cannot copy installer.' When I checked under Apps it still lists Bitdefender and all the Bitdefender directory is still on the drive full of Bitdefender files so I tried uninstalling to get a clean run at reinstalling but the uninstaller just bombs out and does nothing. I found an uninstaller tool on the Bitdefender website but it can't remove the old installation. I read this thread and am hoping somebody might have a URL for the tools mentioned https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/79335/cannot-copy-installer

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/83032/bitdefender-free-cant-uninstall-or-reinstall

Hi Member,

First of all uninstaller available on the bitdefender website are only meant and created to uninstall commercial/ paid version of bitdefender product. There is currently no bitdefender developed uninstaller for free version.

Moving forward, kindly perform below steps & see if they help you in anyway.

1) Kindly uninstall bitdefender free & bitdefender agent.

2) Restart PC in safe mode (https://support.microsoft.com/en-in/help/12376/windows-10-start-your-pc-in-safe-mode)

3) As soon as desktop opens, assuming your windows drive is C, open below things in run (windows icon + R) command one by one :

C:\Program Files (delete any folder with name bitdefender)

C:\Program Files (x86) (delete any folder with name bitdefender)

C:\ProgramData (delete any folder with name bitdefender)

C:\Users\{your pc name}\AppData\Local (delete any folder with name bitdefender)

4) Open run command again and run below command one by one :

temp ,delete all the files in the folder

%temp% ,delete all the files in folder

prefetch ,delete all the files in folder

5) Restart your PC in general mode by unticking the option that you selected to run the system in safe mode and then click apply.

6) Try reinstalling bitdefender free

Regards

Flex

(Bitdefender beta tester 2019/ 2020)