How to block or disable Google Chrome’s Software Reporter tool?

 Software Reporter tool which gets installed with Chrome (and also available as standalone with name Chrome Cleanup tool) doesn’t have any network communication, runs a scan once a week for unwanted software and shares the scan results with Chrome which may allow browser to ask the user to run Chrome Cleanup tool (which has been recently got ESET Scan engine to detect more unwanted software on your computer) when adware was detected.

READ: Google adds ESET Scan engine to Chrome Cleanup to remove more unwanted software on Windows

Download Malwarebytes AdwCleaner 7.0

If you’ve privacy concerns about this tool or if Software_Reporter_ tool is using more CPU when running, you can disable it by removing the permissions already it has to do the scan, reporting and other stuff, here is how that can be done.

Block or disable Google Chrome’s Software Reporter Tool

1. Paste the below path in Windows Explorer or Run dialog and press enter

 %localappdata%\Google\Chrome\User Data\SwReporter

2. Click on the version number, right click on Software_reporter_tool, and select Properties

3. Click on Security tab and click on Advanced,

4. Click ‘Disable Inheritance’,

5. Select ‘Remove all inherited permissions from this object’

6. Click on Apply and OK to save the changes.

Doing so doesn’t cause any issues to the functioning of Chrome.

Video

To restore default functioning of SRT, follow the steps from 1 to 3 and click ‘Enable Inheritance’.

Now, know What Programs does Chrome Cleanup tool can remove?

Since deleting or renaming Software reporter tool folder doesn’t help, as with next Chrome update it gets added automatically, do you’ve still any issues or concerns with SRT after disabling it? Let us know in the comments.