how to disable 'scan with AVG anti-spyware' shell extension

How do I switch off the 'Scan with AVG Anti-Spyware' shell extension that AVG AS adds to my context menu? I don't need it, I don't want it. It's more of an unsolicited ad - a nagging reminder - than a feature as far as I am concerned. It's like a fifteen second ad you're supposed to watch before you're being served the content you came for. I don't like the way some applications add their shell extensions to your context menu without giving you an option at install time. Some installers have become better, offering users to opt out, but AVG AS apparently doesn't. So, how can I remove this unwanted and unsolicited shell extension?

 

Have you checked to see if it even does anything? On my system the new AVG (formerly ewido) context-menu entry opens AVG but doesn't scan the selected file(s) or anything else.

Personally I liked that one -- I'd been in the habit of specifically scanning any new downloads, particularly installers, with both a-v (avast) and a-t (ewido), but the latter doesn't seem to do the trick any more.

 

Are you looking for a tool like this?

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html

Gerard

 

Thanks for pointing to shexview, I've used Nir's tool to disable the shell extension but that's not the point that I've tried to make here. The point is that I should not have to use Nir's shell extension manager to remove a context menu entry that a different product has introduced without giving the user a choice.

I don't know how many windows users do or do not care about the number of unsolicited (or even useless, see reply above) context menu entries. I have no idea how many of those who do find Nir Sofer's little tool tucked away in some dark corner of the internet. But I think this is a question of decency in the relationship between customer and vendor. It's not that hard, others have figured it out too.