Google releases software removal tool for Windows version Chrome

Google has released an removal tool that detects add-ons, extensions and other programs that are causing problems for the Windows version of the Chrome browser. The tool should increase security when using Chrome.

In the description of the software removal tool, Google talks broadly about scanning for programs that “may cause problems”, but the dialog box after scanning explicitly mentions “suspicious programs” that may or may not be found. The tool can remove add-ons and extensions that exhibit malicious behavior. Google is increasingly forced to tighten security as it pushes Chrome forward more emphatically as a sort of operating system with apps, as it already explicitly does with Chrome OS as a standalone OS. Not all browser malware is also undeleted after a clean installation of the browser.

The tool requires no installation and only displays a simple dialog box with the result after the scan. For the time being, it is a test version for only the Windows version of Chrome. Google recommends creating a system restore point before running the tool. According to Google, the application should not be seen as a virus scanner and only detects certain types of browser malware. Google does not publish a list of malicious programs that the tool scans for.