If you install Avast 2014 latest version build number 9.0.2011 with ‘Regular Installation’ option, then GrimeFighter might get installed (since it currently being offered to a limited number of users only) along with unnecessary SecureLine VPN, that’s why you should always consider installing a program with custom method if available or offered by an installer.
How to disable GrimeFighter and Popups of Browser Cleanup in Avast?
Recently Avast has acquired JumpShot, they integrated it into their security products including in free AV as GrimeFighter, it is just a connector added for feedback and security vendor has confirmed it will be available as stanaldone paid product.
After installing Avast, it gets your attention on UI status page (available on Tools in UI too for launching) that it has found evidence of grime on your PC, if you click ‘Optimize My PC’ it will download image and restarts your computer to fix PC problems. Users not all impressed as it doesn’t display clear information about issues it going to fix.
- Avast Users Fed Up with the Browser Cleanup Tool
- Be watchful, Avast installs Dropbox if you don’t pay Attention
If you too don’t like it and want to remove it from Avast here is how that can be done, follow the steps mentioned below.
Uninstalling GrimeFighter from Avast
1. Control Panel>Programs>Programs and Features, select ‘Avast Free Antivirus ‘ and click ‘Uninstall/Change’
2. When Avast installation dialog appears, select ‘Change’ and click ‘Continue’
3. On Next step, a dialog asks you which components do you want to install? Remove tick mark for ‘GrimerFighter’ and other Avast features/components you don’t need and click ‘Continue’
4. Your requested changes will be made to Avast and GrimeFighter will be removed.
5. Click ‘Done’ at the end.
Thank you for the clear instructions on how to get rid of Grimefighter. I am perfectly capable of optimizing my own system. Plus the lack of information it gives you and requires you to pay to “optimize” something unknown is pure rubbish. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much since I have the free version of avast.
Thanks. I agree with Menchii. Feel I can (and have) complain as we have a 3 year license for 10 PC’s and this aggressive upselling is enough to drive me to another anti-virus program. That’s with over 500 days left on the license. Very upset.
Thank you for the help uninstalling, removing disabling this piece of crapware /crap ware. Grimefighter aka Grime fighter by avast is anoying adware that borders malware and it didn’t come impressed installed but snuck in through a regular progam update unannouced than started its assualt with vague information that leads to scareware screen of pay us this is the crap of virus scanners of malicious download fame . I thank you highly for helping me get this crap and grime fighter’s bullshit Kobayashi , Dale Jumpshot Jr. , Beef, Torque , Sir Jeffrey , Mario , Dr. Liza , Zilch , Maximus, Holmes, Nikita scum ware off the computer. The first thing such a program should do is remove itself. This shit was digusting and looks like a virus or scriptkiddie from 4 channel /b designed it and is likely to kill your computer like Avast did on their previous update mistake. If you downloading custom might be option but if installed you get no warning than after you are infected with the malware flashing or better side hijacking your screen with scare ware messages. The program may be free but this crap is not acceptable. Caution should be used and removing Grimefighter a must. I hope my comment helps your page rise in search engines because Avast’s forums make you register (so they can then spam most likely) to see the removal guide a few people posted while the rest is accusing incompetents that praise avast as doing no wrong. Claiming the program isn’t installed yet acknowledging the fact it did scan the computer or it would just be advert. To use it you have to pay an absurd amount to unlock the features already downloaded just hidden from the user. With this malware grimefighter being outed publicly and the complaints, one has to wonder how much more crap and calling home shitware they have installed with the latest updates. Thanks for giving the burned users a place to post warnings for others and for the help of removing this garbage. Especially since Grimefighter is not easy to find in windows 7 for add remove program option has been changed. Anyone who came here uninstall and start shopping for another anti-virus app because this is going down the mcafee and norton road of bloatware loaded with scareware to leach more money and playing definition games and ripping you off for more money to do something that is as easy as opening task manager by ctrl control alt and del delete keys down to access it. or run msconfig an check boxes which guess what grimefight has missing in services. Avast hit this shiturd crapware malware and made removal difficult. I can only hope malware bytes, spybot and other programs start removing it has unwanted program for classification.
I just renewed Avast and while doing that they installed Google Chrome and google tool bar. I was going to log into my bank.(I use Internet Explorer) Every time I clicked ont eht bank in favorites aGoogle Chrome took over. I uninstalled Google Chrome and the same thing kept happening. I called their support number and the lady said I had to pay to fix this. Ove a hundred dollars. Then she said a cheaper price or a year of their service for much more. I said I did not want to pay for their help. She sounded upset. I found out that Google tool bar was doing it. I uninstalled it and that computer is working good now. I just use that for the bank I do not serf with that one. I had a computer with Windows 7 and that thing I had to wipe the drive and reinstall everything. It works good. I took it off this laptop, but it is real slow. I think this one also needs a drive wipe and reinstall. I used Avast for years. I never had trouble until buying it.
Went to uninstall it’s all or nothing. unistalls the whole anti-virus prog.
May be you’ve not followed the instructions step by step or it is not installed for you. If you don’t know you can disable it also. Check this https://techdows.com/2014/03/disable-avast-grimefighter-and-browser-cleanup-popup.html. Ask me if you’ve any doubts.
I’m hoping you can help me, Venkat eswarlu.
My Toshiba Satellite laptop (Windows XP / Version 2002 / Service pack 3) is running slow. I usually avoid speed-up software, but I trusted Avast after years of using it so I actually paid £19.99 to download Grimefighter.
After downloading, installing and starting, Grimefighter sedated my computer then a full-screen message said it could not run on my computer. I phoned Avast and was told to use the Avast support website to get a refund. After several messages to Avast I have heard nothing from Avast apart from automatic email acknowledgments.
The problem is that I can’t get rid of Grimefighter. I tried to uninstall Grimefighter using my Control Panel – Add / Remove. As Grimefighter was not listed, I uninstalled Avast – but Grimefighter was still there. I then searched for and deleted all files called Grimefighter and Jumpshot but Grimefighter was still there, even though Search finds nothing.
Avast have not helped at all, but I got several suggestion on Avast forum, including from a techie who said re-install Avast and untick Grimefighter. I did so but Grimefighter was still there. I have done this several times to be sure, but Grimefighter remains.
I have tried Control Panel Add/Remove and Change which shows Grimefighter already unticked – but it is still there and loads when it feels like it.
From another forum suggestion I tried Avastclear which required me to use Safe mode and reboot. On opening, Grimefighter loaded and started the same old sedating the computer then being unable to run. If I tried Setup, I got the choice between Grimefighter (now in Safe mode) or Windows.
I wish I had not bothered with Grime fighter (and never heard of Avast). It is more like an invisible virus than controllable software. I would have thought that any quality software would have the means to uninstall it.
The forum seems to have given up and Avast are not interested. I would appreciate any help you could offer.
Thanks.
You’ve downloaded and run standalone version of Grimefighter that doesn’t install on your computer and that’s why you’d not find its entry in list of installed programs.
Next its portable one, so no harm is done to your computer, but it runs from downloaded location, but extracts all files it needs including GrimeFighterApp.exe to a temp direcoty can be with name like this 7zS59C3.tmp in your computer, you can find this in C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp. (Remember AppData folder will be hidden, make sure Explorer to show hidden files and folders before accesing that path/)
I suggest you to find and delete GrimeFighterApp.exe residing folder in temp using Windows Explorer search.
Don’t fear, GrimeeFighter it self allows to revert undo all the changes if it had made something wrong, you can use that.
Are you able to enter into Windows and use your PC? Are you using Avast? if so you can disable it using the steps mentioned here https://techdows.com/2014/03/disable-avast-grimefighter-and-browser-cleanup-popup.html
Thanks for the information.
I looked for the files you mention using Windows Explorer (set to show hidden files) but the layout is different in my computer.
On my laptop the main files in C: are
C:\Documents and Settings
C:\I386
C:\Program Files
C:\Windows
There are some other files which have nothing relevant in them:
Freeserve
Downloads
unzipped
VALUEADD
The nearest I could find to C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp are:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data
C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Application Data
C:\Documents and Settings\Default User\Local Settings\Application Data
C:\Documents and Settings\Stan\Application Data
C:\Documents and Settings\Stan\Local Settings\Application Data\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\Stan\Local Settings\Temp
The only file similar to the temp file you suggested is:
C:\Documents and Settings\Stan\Local Settings\Temp\7zS135.tmp
File 7zS135.tmp contains a lot of .dll files plus two folders:
locales – which contains files with extension .pak
Resources – which contains file resources.pak
I haven’t managed to find GrimeFighterApp.exe yet.
I do still have Avast and I can run Windows if I press function F2 to go into Setup and choose Windows. If I don’t do this it usually goes into Grimefighter on booting up.
I tried to disable Grimefighter using Avast Settings>Tools, select ‘Customize’ but Grimefighter does not show up in the options.
There are only three options:
Enable software updater
Automatically download updates if possible
Notifications (popups) enabled
How about running GrimeFighter on booting? run it and let it make the changes, once it finishes you might get regular Windows boot option.
If I let Grimefighter run, it starts sedating the computer then displays full screen: “Houston, abort shuttle launch. We can’t run Grimefighter on this computer”, as it has done since I first installed it.
This screen then allows only two choices:
1/ to click a button that takes me to another full screen, headed chrome://jumpshot/content/browse.html which only allows me to get back to the “Houston, abort shuttle launch. We can’t run Grimefighter on this computer” screen.
2/ to click the close X in the corner and go to another full screen which only allows Reboot or Shutdown. Reboot gets me back to the original choice of Grimefighter or Windows in Setup. Similarly with Shutdown when I boot up again.
So running Grimefighter only delays going into Setup anyway.
I thought I was buying helpful software but it a useless virus that dominates my computer. Could there be another anti-virus software that would recognise Grimefighter as a virus and remove it?
Boot into Windows and try to restore system to earlier state before running Grimefighter, have you tried this? last option is to format c (OS) drive.
I read your email. its better for you to seek help of advanced user nearby or technician, can’t do much without the system in front of me.
Worst case: When I turn on the laptop, GrimeFighter starts even though I refused the offer to pay for it after I downloaded the suggested upgrade to my paid AVAST subscription that expires in November 2015.
I can never escape from GrimeFighter. My problem, that I discovered when I turned on my laptop the next day, is the same as Stan’s:
—-
it starts sedating the computer then displays full screen: “Houston, abort shuttle launch. We can’t run Grimefighter on this computer”, as it has done since I first installed it.
This screen then allows only two choices:
1/ to click a button that takes me to another full screen, headed chrome://jumpshot/content/browse.html which only allows me to get back to the “Houston, abort shuttle launch. We can’t run Grimefighter on this computer” screen.
2/ to click the close X in the corner and go to another full screen which only allows Reboot or Shutdown. Reboot gets me back to the original choice of Grimefighter. Similarly with Shutdown when I boot up again.
—–
I can never get to the screen that lets me unlock Windows that is password protected on my Dell Inspiron 17 laptop. So I can’t use the helpful suggestion above about uninstalling Grime Fighter. I went to a public computer in the library on campus to get the help number: 1-966-951-7679. The ESL speaker told me it was a “configuration problem” that required payment of $170+ dollars for advanced service. I told him that AVAST had ruined my laptop by making it unsusable. I should be suing AVAST for destruction of private property. He promised a return phone call from his supervisor within 24-48 hours!
I installed it by accident…I was going to opt out of the….tell the world about what sites I visit….but it had already downloaded so I ran it. It came up and said it couldn’t run the computer scan, not my fault but theirs.
@Frustrated User – Man, good vent! I feel your pain. Frustrated is putting it mildly, Brother.
Well, I just got a notification from Avast too about that Crimefighter thing. Was almost at the point of paying for a year for it, but then I found this site. It was a great help :)
Concurring on the point of where it becomes scareware. Was a bit scared to when I saw the problems, but now I am just a bit upset with Avast.
Am thinking of completely switching to Malwere Bytes Anti Malware. :)
how do i remove avast in my pc,,everytime i open my browser it always said that there is malware or threath and i forgot to remember the password..Pls help me this kind of problem.. Thank you and more power !!!
Just asking: did any of those who complain about the GrimeFighter & rest ever try to block it by the simplest method of switching the desired ON/OFF button from avast->Settings->tools and didn´t work?
May be they’re not aware of it.
I too feel victim to grimefighter. I followed the instructions on removal by removing the tick and restarting. When I start my PC it black screens to an option of running grimefighter or returning to windows. How do I correct this so my PC will start correctly?
Select return to Windows when that screen is displayed.
I do that, I need to know how to eliminate that screen completely so windows starts normally as it did before.
It is really hard to help or describe unless I am infront of your system. If you’ve purchased GrimeFighter, ask Avast team for assistance.
Unfortunately I too paid for this programme and it didn’t clean up and speed up my computer so I asked for a refund, got no reply so asked them again for a refund, just after asking the second time Grime Fighter started up at midday on Friday and it is now almost midnight on Saturday night and it is still going every time I try something the computer closes down and restarts and goes straight into sedation with grime fighter taking over again. I am so angry and now I will have to pay for someone to come fix this for me, so unfair we are pensioners and really can’t afford this. Thank goodness I could use my daughters laptop to see if there was any help available, but it looks too complicated for me to do. How do I ask Avast team for assistance please? I am in NZ
Leight visit Avast support page and submit a ticket for them about your issue https://support.avast.com/
I bought Grimefighter because my laptop was running slowly and I thought it was worth a try. It didn’t install the first time so I installed again. I found out I had been charged twice when I got my credit card statement. The first time I had mis-typed my email as .cpm instead of .com so I never got the confirmation.
The program made no difference to my laptop. I had got caught up in other things so I missed the 30 day guarantee period. I was prepared to write that off as my fault, but I thought I should be able to get the second payment back. But no – they said I was out of the guarantee period. They said they would extend the licence for another year, which isn’t much use if the product is no good.
My advice is to avoid this product, it doesn’t do any good and the company is completely unhelpful.
Thanks john for sharing your experience about Grimefighter.
I recently got stuck with Grimefighter. After uninstalling Avast it was still there on start up. I got rid of it finally on Windows XP by doing the following: Go to start> control panel> system> advanced> start up and recovery settings> edit file manually and delete the line with Grimefighter. It’s gone (for good I hope).
Hi Mark. I downloaded the free version of Avast and ended up with Grime Fighter. I am also running XP and can’t get rid of GF. Also can’t completely get rid of Avast. I’ve followed your instructions and am at the editing point ready to delete the line with GF. I’m just not exactly sure where to start and stop the delete. I’m not too savvy when it comes to this stuff. Could you tell me exactly what to delete? Here is what comes up for editing:
[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=C:\stage0
[operating systems]
C:\stage0=”Run GrimeFighter”
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS\=Back to Windows
Many other things stopped working when I installed this such as Windows Firewall and internet, but taking care of this will at least be a start. I tried to run Malwarebytes from a flash drive and it wouldn’t work either.
Hopefully this will help. Thanks!
I have purchased Grimefighter but I see there is no easy way to unsubscribe from it. It works on my computer, but I do not have the money in my budget to keep paying for it. How do I unsubscribe? Do I really have to call AVAST or can I just click a button saying unsubscribe somewhere that is not in clear sight?
Thanks Venkat.. much appreciate these posts.. Researching GrimeFighter before installing and glad I found you.
Do you recommend a quality alternative to Avast, who have served me well over he years I must say.
With thanks, David
Panda Free antivirus may be or if not try Avira or Avg.
avast (free) grimefighter
open avast (2015)
select settings, find “smart scan” in list
click v then turn off grimefighter
click ok
done
Grime fightrr is a bugga alright.
It was the only way of giving a donation to avast by buying it.
Venkats posts are good. He said turn it off in the settings. TIA,all the best.
Absolutely right. GrimeFighter, which I have never used mainly because I hate its quirky figures and crap, suddenly hijacked my hard disk on a Dell Inspiron 660 running Windows 10. To obtain control again, I had to pay a technician to go into the bios and put everything hack to normal. I risked having to put the computer back to factory status with all the time and trouble this involves in returning to the current state. Avast support failed to understand the importance of the problem or possibly did not want to know.