Removing Chrome from Windows 8 should be a normal uninstall, but many people get stuck on one message: the uninstaller asks you to close all Chrome windows, including those in Windows 8 mode. Chrome for Windows 8 could run in two places, the classic desktop and the full-screen “Windows 8 mode”, and the uninstaller won’t continue while either is open. Here’s how to close Chrome completely and remove it.
Step 1: Close Chrome everywhere
- Close every Chrome window on the desktop.
- If you used Chrome in Windows 8 mode, open it from the Start screen, open the Chrome menu and choose Relaunch Chrome on the desktop. This moves Chrome back to the desktop, where you can close it normally.
- Check the system tray. If Chrome keeps running in the background for apps or notifications, right-click its icon and choose Exit.
- Still blocked? Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), select any Google Chrome entries and click End task.
Step 2: Uninstall Chrome
Windows 8 uses Control Panel for removing desktop programs:
- Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
- Find Google Chrome in the list.
- Right-click it and choose Uninstall, then follow the prompts.
- To remove your profile too (bookmarks, history and other browsing data), tick Also delete your browsing data before you confirm.
If you’re signed in to Chrome and sync is on, some of your data stays in your Google Account even after you delete it locally. Google has a separate page for deleting that synced data.
If the uninstall fails
If Windows shows an error while removing Chrome, Microsoft suggests running its Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter, which repairs broken uninstall entries. Then try again from Programs and Features.
Today
Chrome’s Windows 8 mode has long since been dropped, so on current Windows you only need to close the desktop browser. On Windows 10, go to Settings > Apps, select Google Chrome and click Uninstall; on Windows 11, go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, click the three dots next to Google Chrome and choose Uninstall. Windows 8.1 itself has been out of support since January 10, 2023. If you’re replacing Chrome, our Microsoft Edge guide covers the built-in alternative, and WinGet can install or remove browsers from the command line.
