How do I Uninstall Chrome from PowerShell?

You can uninstall Google Chrome using PowerShell with a specific set of commands that leverage Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI). Here's how:

Steps to Uninstall Chrome using PowerShell

Here's a breakdown of the PowerShell commands to uninstall Chrome, explained step-by-step:

1. Identify Chrome using WMI: The first step is to identify the Chrome installation using the Get-WmiObject cmdlet. This command queries the Win32_Product WMI class to find the application named "Google Chrome."

   $Chrome = Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Where-Object { $_.Name -like "Google Chrome*" }

2. Iterate through the results: If Chrome is found, the next step is to iterate through each instance (although typically there's only one).

   foreach ($Product in $Chrome) {

3. Uninstall Chrome: Within the loop, the Uninstall() method is called on each found Chrome instance. This initiates the uninstallation process.

   $Product.Uninstall()
   }

4. Confirmation Message: After attempting to uninstall, display a confirmation message to the user.

   Write-Output "Google Chrome successfully uninstalled"

Complete PowerShell Script for Uninstalling Chrome

Here's the complete script:

$Chrome = Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Where-Object { $_.Name -like "Google Chrome*" }
foreach ($Product in $Chrome) {
    $Product.Uninstall()
}
Write-Output "Google Chrome successfully uninstalled"

To use this script:

1. Open PowerShell as an administrator.
2. Copy and paste the script into the PowerShell window.
3. Press Enter.

Troubleshooting

• Permissions: Ensure you are running PowerShell as an administrator. Otherwise, the script might fail due to insufficient permissions to uninstall software.
• Chrome in Use: If Chrome is running, the uninstallation might fail. Close Chrome and any related processes (e.g., Chrome Helper) before running the script.
• WMI Issues: Problems with WMI can prevent the script from functioning correctly. You can try restarting the WMI service.

Why Use PowerShell to Uninstall?

PowerShell offers a command-line approach, which can be useful for:

• Automation: You can include this script in larger automation workflows.
• Remote Uninstallation: With proper configuration, you can use PowerShell to uninstall Chrome on remote machines.
• Scripted Solutions: For system administrators, PowerShell scripts provide a consistent and repeatable method for software management.