Everything you need to install, run, and get the most out of Browser Nuke the complete browser removal tool for Windows.
- Getting Started
- System Requirements
- How to Use
- Troubleshooting
- FAQ
- Will this work on Windows 11 where Edge is built in?
- Will Edge come back after a Windows update?
- Can I keep my bookmarks before removing Chrome or Edge?
- My antivirus flagged BrowserNuke.ps1. Is it safe?
- Some folders say “queued for reboot” did it fail?
- Can I remove just Chrome or just Edge not both?
- Does Browser Nuke remove WebView2?
- Can I reinstall Chrome or Edge after using Browser Nuke?
Getting Started
Browser Nuke is a single PowerShell script that removes Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge completely from Windows 10 and 11, including all leftover files, registry keys, services, and scheduled tasks.
No installation required. Browser Nuke is a standalone script. There is nothing to install just download the file and run it.
Download
After Downloading from KentDevTools.com, you will receive a download link. Save it anywhere on your PC; your desktop is recommended for easy access.
First run
Right-click BrowserNuke.ps1 and choose Run with PowerShell. The script will automatically ask Windows to re-launch it with administrator privileges; if needed, click Yes on the UAC prompt.
Back up your data first: Browser Nuke permanently deletes browser data, including bookmarks, saved passwords, history, and extensions. Export your bookmarks and use your browser’s password manager export before running.
If PowerShell blocks the script
On some systems the execution policy may prevent the script from running. Fix it by opening PowerShell as administrator and running the following:
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy BypassThen try running BrowserNuke.ps1 again. Alternatively, right-click the file and choose Properties, then tick Unblock at the bottom.
System Requirements
Browser Nuke is designed to work on any standard Windows 10 or 11 machine. No additional software or runtime is needed.
| Requirement | Minimum | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 or 11 | 64-bit recommended. Both Home and Pro editions are supported. |
| PowerShell Version | 5.1 or higher | Pre-installed on all Windows 10/11 systems. No download needed. |
| Privileges | Administrator | Required to remove system-level files and registry keys. Script auto-elevates. |
| Disk Space | None | The script itself is under 100KB. |
| Internet | Not required | Browser Nuke works completely offline. |
| Windows Defender / AV | May flag script | Some antivirus tools flag PowerShell scripts by default. See Troubleshooting. |
No .NET or runtime needed: Browser Nuke uses only built-in Windows components. PowerShell, takeown, icacls, robocopy, and sc.exe. All are included with Windows.
Compatibility notes
Windows 11: Microsoft builds Edge directly into Windows 11. The script handles this by clearing Edge’s uninstall protection flags and setting group policies to block reinstallation after removal. A restart is required to complete cleanup.
Windows 10: Both Chrome and Edge are treated as standard applications and are fully removable without special handling.
Enterprise / domain-joined PCs: Group policy may restrict PowerShell execution or protect Edge. Contact your IT administrator if removal fails on a managed device.
How to Use
1. Download and save the file
Save BrowserNuke.ps1 to your desktop after purchasing. Keep it somewhere easy to find.
2. Right-click → Run with PowerShell
Right-click the .ps1 file and select Run with PowerShell. Click “Yes” on the administrator prompt that appears. The browser Nuke window will open.
3. Select what to remove
The tool automatically detects whether Chrome and Edge are installed on your system and shows the version number. Check the box next to each browser you want to remove. Both are selected by default.
4. Choose your options
Delete user profile data: removes bookmarks, saved passwords, browsing history, extensions, and cookies. Enabled by default. Uncheck this if you want to keep your profile data.
Auto-restart when done: automatically reboots your PC after removal to complete the cleanup. Off by default.
5. Click DETONATE
Click the orange DETONATE button. A confirmation dialog will appear listing exactly what will be removed. Click Yes to proceed.
6. Watch the log
The green log panel shows every action in real time: processes killed, services deleted, folders removed, and registry keys wiped. The orange progress bar tracks overall completion.
7. Restart your PC
When the log shows ALL DONE, restart Windows. Some files that were in use can only be fully removed after a reboot. This is normal.
Reading the log
Every line in the log follows this format:
Log format
14:22:09 [OK] Killed: chrome.exe (PID 4821)
14:22:13 [WARN] Removing: C:\Program Files\Google
14:22:18 [FAIL] Could not remove locked file — queued for reboot
14:22:20 [SKIP] Not found: C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome
14:22:21 [INFO] Running: Chrome Setup (system)
| Tag | Meaning |
|---|---|
OK | Action completed successfully. |
WARN | Partial success or something to be aware of — not an error. |
FAIL | Action failed. Usually means a file is locked—a reboot will finish it. |
SKIP | Item not found on this system — nothing to remove. |
INFO | Informational message — no action taken yet. |
Saving the log
After removal is complete, click Save Log to export the full activity log as a .txt file. This is useful for troubleshooting or keeping a record of what was removed.
Troubleshooting
“Cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system.”
PowerShell’s execution policy is blocking the script.
Open PowerShell as Administrator and run it; then try again. Or right-click the .ps1 file → Properties → tick Unblock → OK.
The script opens and closes instantly with no window
The script may have errored before the GUI loaded, or PowerShell closed the window on error.
Open PowerShell manually as administrator, navigate to the script location, and run it. Any error message will stay visible in the window.
The antivirus deleted or quarantined the file
False positive: the script uses system administration commands that AV tools sometimes flag.
Restore the file from your antivirus quarantine and add an exclusion for it. The script is plain text. Open it in Notepad to verify its contents before running.
Edge folders still exist after running the tool
Files were locked by Windows during removal and are queued for deletion on next boot.
Restart your PC. Windows will delete the queued files during startup before any browser processes can lock them again. If folders remain after reboot, run Browser Nuke a second time immediately after login.
Edge reinstalled itself after a Windows update.
A major Windows feature update reset the group policy that blocks Edge reinstallation.
Run Browser Nuke again; it will re-apply the reinstall blocker policy. This takes about 60 seconds. After completing, Edge will be removed and blocked again.
The GUI looks broken or controls are misaligned
Display scaling above 100% can affect Windows Forms layouts on some systems.
Right-click BrowserNuke.ps1 → Properties → Compatibility → Change high DPI settings → tick “Override high DPI scaling behavior” → set to “Application.” Then try running again.
Chrome or Edge shows as “not detected” but is still installed
The browser may be installed in a non-standard location or under a different user account.
Browser Nuke still runs all cleanup stages even when the browser is not detected; it checks all known paths and removes any files or registry keys it finds. If the browser is in a completely custom location, the leftover cleanup will still remove registry keys, services, and tasks but may miss the custom folder. In that case, manually delete the custom folder after running the tool.
FAQ
Will this work on Windows 11 where Edge is built in?
Yes. Browser Nuke specifically handles Windows 11’s protected Edge installation. It clears the experiment protection flag that Microsoft uses to block uninstallation, then runs Edge’s own uninstaller before force-removing any remaining files. A restart completes the process. Note that Windows Update may attempt to reinstall Edge; the tool sets a group policy to block this, but a future major Windows update could reset it.
Will Edge come back after a Windows update?
Browser Nuke is set HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate → InstallDefault = 0 to block automatic reinstallation. This works in most cases. However, a major Windows feature update (like a version upgrade) may reset this policy and reinstall Edge. If that happens, just run Browser Nuke again.
Can I keep my bookmarks before removing Chrome or Edge?
Yes. Before running Browser Nuke, open your browser and export bookmarks (Chrome: Bookmarks Manager → Export, Edge: Favorites → Manage → Export). For passwords, use the browser’s built-in password export or a password manager. If you want to keep your profile data but still remove the browser, uncheck the Delete user profile data option before clicking DETONATE.
My antivirus flagged BrowserNuke.ps1. Is it safe?
This is a false positive. Browser Nuke is a plain PowerShell text file; you can open it in Notepad and read every line. Some antivirus tools flag PowerShell scripts that use system commands like takeown, Invoke-Expressionsc.exe because these are also used by malware. The script contains no obfuscation, no network calls, and no executable payload. You can whitelist the file in your antivirus settings or verify the contents yourself before running.
Some folders say “queued for reboot” did it fail?
No. this is normal. Windows locks certain files while they are in use by running processes. When Browser Nuke cannot delete a file immediately, it queues it for removal on the next boot. After you restart your PC, those remaining files will be cleaned up automatically. This is the same mechanism Windows itself uses for system file replacement.
Can I remove just Chrome or just Edge not both?
Yes. In the Browser Nuke window, simply uncheck the browser you want to keep. Each browser is removed independently you can run the tool with only Chrome selected, only Edge selected, or both.
Does Browser Nuke remove WebView2?
Yes. when removing Edge, Browser Nuke also removes the EdgeWebView2 Runtime from Program Files\Microsoft\EdgeWebView. Note that some applications (like Teams, Office, and certain Windows apps) depend on WebView2. If any of those apps break after removal, reinstall WebView2 from Microsoft’s website independently of Edge.
Can I reinstall Chrome or Edge after using Browser Nuke?
Yes, completely. Browser Nuke removes the browsers but does not block you from reinstalling them manually. Download Chrome from google.com/chrome or Edge from microsoft.com/edge and install as normal. To allow Edge to reinstall via Windows Update, delete the InstallDefault value from HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate in Registry Editor.
