Extensions can reinstall from sync the moment you sign back into Chrome or Edge. Disable sync temporarily, remove the add-on, then clear the browser’s local extension folder only if you recognize the publisher path.
Enterprise policies sometimes push extensions back silently. If a managed device keeps returning the same ID, talk to whoever owns Group Policy or Intune before you fight the tool again.
Pair this article with the Browser Extensions module inside Revo so you see every profile on disk, not only the default one.
Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Chromium forks all keep per-profile extension folders. A removal in the default profile does nothing for “Profile 2” that a teenager uses for school. Enumerate every profile directory before you declare victory.
Firefox stores extensions under each profile’s extensions and browser-extension-data paths. If Firefox Sync is enabled, disconnect the account first or the add-on will rehydrate from Mozilla’s servers within minutes.
Malicious extensions often install under obscure publisher names while showing a friendly toolbar. Cross-check the extension ID against your security vendor’s list, and prefer the browser’s own “remove extension” button before deleting random folders—some also register native messaging hosts that break if you delete only half the pair.
Clearing cache and cookies is not the same as removing an extension. If disk space is the goal, tackle Code Cache and GPUCache after the extension is gone; otherwise you may delete login sessions for unrelated sites.
When a managed browser policy reapplies an extension, document the policy source (GPO path or Intune profile). IT has to revoke the assignment; no amount of local deletion will stick until the policy changes.
Guest profiles and kiosk browsers are easy to miss. Edge’s guest window and Chrome profiles created with “Add person” each carry their own extension directories. Enumerate them before you tell the user the browser is clean.
Developer-mode unpacked extensions leave loose folders under user profiles. Removing them without revoking the developer flag first just invites the same sideload on the next debugging session—toggle the flag off when policy allows.
Password managers and banking extensions often install companion native messaging hosts. If the browser still shows “connecting” errors after removal, search HKCU\Software\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingHosts (and the Edge equivalent) for stale JSON manifests.
After cleanup, run one full browser update cycle and relaunch twice. Some hijackers hide until the second cold start; if symptoms return, pivot to Services and drivers for autostart binaries outside the browser tree.