Manually Remove Skype Extension from Firefox
If you accidentally checked the wrong box while installing Skype, you now are the proud recipient of an extension in Firefox that you can’t uninstall. Sure, you can disable it… but what about uninstalling it?
You could completely uninstall Skype, and then reinstall it without checking the button, but there’s a simpler (and more geeky) method.
Removing Skype Extension Manually
The first thing you want to do is go into Tools \ Add-ons and disable the extension if you haven’t already. You’ll notice that there’s no uninstall option, which is rather irritating… Skype is very useful, but it shouldn’t pollute my Firefox.
Now close Firefox and open up a Windows Explorer window and browse down to the following location, adjusting if you installed Firefox somewhere else:
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\extensions
In that folder you’ll find another folder with the following name:
{B13721C7-F507-4982-B2E5-502A71474FED}
Just delete that folder (or move it somewhere else if you want to be safe), and then open Firefox again. You’ll notice that the Skype extension is no more.
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There may be another way to uninstall said extension: If it is a globally installed extension , you could try the command line parameter
-unlock-item {GUID}
to enable the uninstall button. It might work.
Thanks for the tip! Great advice. Do you know how to do the same thing with “AVG Safe Search”? This firefox extension came with the new AVG 8.0 to flag malicious search engine result links. I disabled it inside AVG 8.0 but the firefox extension is still there and, just like the Skype extension, there is no way to uninstall it. CRAFTY!!! Any advice on this one? Thanks
I was one of those people who installed it when I really didn’t want it, but mine had a functioning uninstall button
You could also stop the extension from being installed in the first place by clicking the “Options” button in the Skype installer instead of just clicking the checkbox to agree to the EULA. In Options, you not only have the EULA checkbox, but also additional boxes to selectively install the Firefox and IE extensions, Skype Extras Manager, and other options.
thank you so much. your tip was extremely helpful.
Giorgio
thanx, i had to do it.
I didnt have a skype extenstion but it was still there!!!!
I also had this extension “accidentally” installed. Fortunately, the uninstall button worked just fine without further hassle for me.
There’s a simpler way. If you launch firefox with ‘Run as administrator’ then the uninstall option works.
Running FF as admin works. Thanks!!
Hi!
Thanks for the advice. I installed Skype to a new computer yesterday, and the same old thing happened with Firefox. Happily, though, with Skype 3.8.0.188 and FF 3.0.5 the Tools – Add ons – Extensions did have an active “Uninstall” button also for the Skype extension.
Can’t delete the file. Every time I try to delete the file in Windows Vista, I receive a “file is in use by another application”. Firefox is not running, and neither is Skype. Any ideas?
Having faffed around misunderstanding ‘other’ people’s advice on how to make Google maps work again, properly, I found your site. Instruction easy to understand and follow and worked. Thank you.
The advice on how to remove the Skype Firefox plugin worked. Thanks.
A third method here..Rather than delete or move the file I just added a few —’s to the front of the file name,to make it ” —-{B13721C7-F507-4982-B2E5-502A71474FED} “. Restarted Ff and hey presto , no more Skype extension.This way, if I want the extension back I don’t have to reinstall or remember where I put the file, just remove the —’s. Simple yet effective. Running Ff as an Admin does make more sense though XP
Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you
The Skype extension should be banned by mozilla.
Just look at Mozilla support
http://support.mozilla.com/tik.....pe&sa=
After uninstalling skype 4.1 on winXP-Pro (SP2) and then trying to re-install it, the installation process brings up the following error message and aborts the install:
“… not a valid win32 application”
I then checked my hard disk to find that there is STILL numerous skype files and folders that were NOT removed by the unistall process. Now I can’t re-install skype… what can I do?
Please help.
… forgot to mention… I used REVO for the unistall…
Great advice. Gonna give a shot right now!