Unable to uninstall Kaspersky from my Mac

[cristinaward]

At the end of December I updated the operating system on my Mac to Big Sur. Since that moment my Kaspersky internet security stopped working. I got in touch with Kaspersky technical support in Spain who told me I needed to uninstall it in order to re-install a different version. However this is not possible -  If I try to open the Kaspersky application my Mac tells me I’m not authorised to open it and if I try to send it to the trash can I’m told I can’t because it’s “blocked”.

I spoke to Apple support over the phone who told me it was an issue that needed to be resolved by Kaspersky.

I’ve now been in touch with 2 different people from Kaspersky technical support in Spain. Neither have been able to resolve the issue. This is not great, however I am able to understand that someone may not know how to resolve a problem themselves and may need to consult with others. What is really disappointing and annoying is the way that both Kaspersky technicians have just “disappeared off the face of the earth” without solving the issue, without providing a possible future solution or without maybe just admitting that the issue was beyond their capabilities.

My first appointment with Kaspersky technical support was on 28th December. After about an hour sharing my computer with him, the person dealing with my issue was unable to solve it and concluded that he needed to consult his Russian colleagues and would get back to me. He never did.

I got back in touch with Kaspersky technical support a few days later and a different person was assigned to my issue. After explaining the problem all over again, on 4th January he kept me an hour and a half on my computer while I shared it with him. Most of the time he seemed to be following the same steps as his colleague before him, naturally with no results. Eventually he told me to paste a whole lot of info into the Terminal window of my Mac and then restart my computer and “all would be solved”. It wasn’t of course, and despite my sending him 2 further emails telling him the issue was still unresolved I have received no further reply.

These days we’re all very used to substandard customer service particularly in relation to a digital product already purchased, so I was temporarily impressed with Kaspersky’s initial personalized attention when I first got in touch about the issue. I’m sad to see that it looks like Kaspersky is no different from all those technological corporations who pretend to offer decent customer service, when the reality is that they wash their hands of you as soon as they’ve got your money.

Any hints towards possible solutions would be gratefully received although I’m almost resigned to not being protected by Kaspersky, not being able to uninstall it from my computer and needless to say losing money for a service I’ve already paid for and yet am unable to use.

 

Thanks for reading this.

 

 

 

[andrew75]

@cristinaward, maybe this article will help you.

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @cristinaward, 

Welcome! 

It’s sounds as if you’ve had a dreadful time😥 

None of us should be accepting sub-standard service, from any company, as the new normal. 

1. Which KIS version & patch(x) currently installed, is it that cannot be removed?
2. Did the agents check for software compatibility conflicts? 
3. Have you created a second user profile, with full administrative rights & tried to remove KIS? 
4. When you chatted with the Kaspersky agents, did they give you an INC? 
5. Maybe, it would be good if you could take the time to let us know which steps you & the agents tried please, that will save us asking lots of questions🤔

Please post back?

Thank you🙏

Flood🐳 +🐋

[cristinaward]

Hi @andrew75 thank you for your reply. Both Kaspersky support agents tried the options the article suggests and they haven’t worked. As I can’t open Kaspersky on my computer I’m not able to uninstall it through the application menu. The “uninstallation wizard” hasn’t worked either as Apple wasn’t able to “scan the app for known malicious software” and therefore wouldn’t allow it to be opened. However I’ve just realised that maybe I need to explore this second option further and should perhaps try and download the uninstallation wizard from the App Store or revise the security and privacy preferences on my Mac.

I guess this is all good as part of a learning process, and also at seeing how helpful people such as yourself are. Many thanks!

[cristinaward]

Hi @Flood and Flood's wife thank you so much for your reply and interest. I’ll try and answer your questions as best as I can:

1. I’ve tried to discover which Kaspersky Total Security version & patch I have but I haven’t been able to find any details. I renewed the license at the end of April 2020 and I don’t remember having needed to update any software since then.
2. No, the agents did not check for software compatibility conflicts. However I’ve checked the list you sent me and I don’t have any of those items installed on my computer.
3. No, I’ve not created a second user profile to try and remove KIS.
4. I don’t know what an INC is! If it’s personal identification then yes, they told me their names which were also included on the emails they sent me. I didn’t include their names on my first post as I didn’t think identifying them on the Community would be relevant to the issue (and they know who they are). This morning I also sent the text I posted on the community as an email to the Spanish Technical support email address, and in that communication I did mention their names.

Thanks again for your help, best!

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @cristinaward, 

You’re most welcome☺ !

Thank you for updating us👌

1. When a Kaspersky customer contacts the Kaspersky Technical Support team, and if a case is logged, their “process” is to provide a case reference with a unique number; the number is always prefixed by INC (incident), then 12 numbers, e.g. INC000012345789; any follow-up emails they send, will always have the INC# in the subject line. 
2. Regarding Kaspersky Total Security (KTS), a KTS subscription/license, installs Kaspersky Internet Security (KIS) software on MAC devices. 
3. If the solution provided by @andrew75 does not work, please try the other suggestions in our previous reply. 
4. When KIS is opened, on the top of the application window, is it possible to access the Help option? If “yes”, select Help, select Support, the version & patch information will show, (if no patch has been applied it will just show version)

 

• Let us know if you make any progress with any of the suggestions & or if a revision of the security and privacy preferences shows something that may have been missed please?

Thank you🙏

Flood🐳 +🐋

[cristinaward]

Thank you @Flood and Flood's wife for your reply and all the information.

Yes, I was provided with an INC - it is INC000012239408.

I’m afraid the answer is “no” to your question “When KIS is opened, on the top of the application window, is it possible to access the Help option?”

When I try to open KIS I get a window popup from Finder saying that “I’m not authorized to open the KIS application and that I should get in touch with the administrator to ask for assistance”.

I’m going to try creating a second user profile to try and remove KIS as you suggested, as well as trying to download the uninstallation wizard from the App Store and/or revising the security and privacy preferences on my Mac.

I’ll keep you posted, thanks!

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @cristinaward, 

You’re most welcome☺ !

Thank you for updating us👌

One other thing, if you’ve not already done so, make sure all important data, files, etc are backed up.

&, the Uninstallation Wizard may ask you to enter your password twice, please make sure to do so. 

Thank you🙏

Flood🐳 +🐋