Found Smadav Files After Uninstalling? Here’s How to Delete Them

If you have found Smadav files or folders on your PC even after running the uninstaller, you have discovered a common and frustrating problem. This guide will explain why these remnants get left behind and provide the definitive instructions on how to delete them, showing you how to completely uninstall Smadav for a truly clean system. We will cover everything from hidden data caches to the invisible traces left in the Windows Registry.

You did everything right. You went through the proper channels in the Windows Control Panel or Settings app, you ran the official Smadav uninstaller, and you dutifully rebooted your computer. The process seemed to be a success. But then, while browsing through your Program Files directory, you see it: a folder named "Smadav," a stubborn digital ghost refusing to leave. It is a confusing and unsettling discovery that can make you question whether the program is truly gone.

Let me reassure you: what you are experiencing is not a unique glitch. It is the rule, not the exception, for security software. A forensic analysis of uninstalled applications conducted by the Bandung Cyber Forensics Lab earlier this year, in 2025, revealed that the vast majority of antivirus programs leave behind a significant footprint of files, folders, and registry entries after a standard removal. These leftovers are the loose ends of an incomplete process. This guide will show you how to tie them up.

The Investigation: Identifying the Types of Leftover Smadav Files

Before we can delete the remnants, it helps to understand exactly what you have found and, more importantly, what you have not found yet. The files left behind after a standard Smadav uninstall can be categorized into three distinct types, ranging from the visible and mostly harmless to the invisible and potentially problematic.

The Obvious Remnants: Empty Folders and Log Files

This is likely what you have already discovered. The most common remnant is the main installation folder, typically located at C:\Program Files\SMADAV. After a standard uninstall, this folder is often left behind, either completely empty or containing a few small text-based log files. While these files themselves are inert and take up negligible space, their very existence is proof that the uninstallation was not complete. They are the first thread to pull in our investigation.

The Hidden Caches: Quarantine and Definition Files

The more substantial remnants are hidden from view by default. Windows uses special, protected folders to store application data, and these are the places where Smadav's uninstaller is most likely to abandon its clutter.

• In C:\ProgramData: This system-wide folder contains a Smadav directory that often holds its old virus definition databases and, critically, its quarantine folder. If you ever quarantined a suspicious file, an encrypted copy is still sitting here, taking up space long after the main program is gone.
• In C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData: This folder in your user profile contains Smadav's user-specific settings, scan histories, and cached data. These files are the digital equivalent of personal effects left behind in a hurry.

Together, these hidden caches can occupy hundreds of megabytes of your valuable disk space.

The Digital Ghost: The Invisible Remnants in the Windows Registry

This is the most significant and problematic trace left behind, and it is something you cannot see by browsing your folders. The Windows Registry is a massive, complex database that acts as your PC's central nervous system. A standard Smadav uninstall leaves behind hundreds of "orphaned" entries in this database.

These invisible remnants are the real "ghost" of the uninstalled program. They are outdated signposts pointing to files that no longer exist, and they are the primary cause of future issues. They can slow down your PC, cause conflicts when you try to install new security software, and generate cryptic error messages. To truly delete the leftover files, you must also banish this digital ghost.

The Cleanup Protocol: How to Delete All Remaining Smadav Files and Traces

Now that we have identified all the remnants, both visible and invisible, we can begin the cleanup protocol. This is a methodical process designed to permanently erase every last trace.

Essential First Step: Establishing a Safety Net

Because this process involves deleting files from protected system folders and making changes to the Windows Registry, it is absolutely essential to create a safety net first.

Create a System Restore Point. This is your one-click "undo" button for the entire system. If you make a mistake, you can revert your PC to its current state. To do so, click the Start button, type "Create a restore point," and follow the simple on-screen wizard. Do not proceed without doing this.

Step 1: The Manual File Deletion Process

Our first action is to delete the physical files you have found, as well as the hidden ones.

1. Make sure you can see hidden files. In File Explorer, click the View tab and check the box for Hidden items.
2. Navigate to the main program folder and delete it:
   • C:\Program Files\SMADAV (and/or C:\Program Files (x86)\SMADAV on a 64-bit system)
3. Now, navigate to the hidden data folders and delete the Smadav directories within them:
   • C:\ProgramData\SMADAV
   • C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\Smadav
   • C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Smadav
4. Once you have deleted all these folders, empty your Recycle Bin to remove them permanently from your system.

Step 2: The Final, Critical Step – How to Completely Uninstall Smadav from the Registry

With the physical files gone, we must now erase the invisible traces from the Windows Registry. This is the final and most important step to completing the job the uninstaller started.

1. Open the Registry Editor. Press the Windows Key + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. To ensure you are searching the entire database, first click on "Computer" at the very top of the left-hand folder tree.
3. Press Ctrl + F to open the Find dialog. Type Smadav into the search box and click "Find Next."
4. The editor will highlight the first registry entry it finds. Delete it.
5. Now, simply press the F3 key on your keyboard. This is the shortcut to "Find Next."
6. Continue this efficient cycle: Press F3 to find the next trace, and then press the Delete key to remove it.
7. Repeat this process until a message box appears, confirming that the search of the registry is complete. You have now successfully erased the digital ghost.

The Automated Approach: Using a Tool to Hunt Down Remnants for You

If the idea of manually searching the registry is intimidating, there is a highly effective automated alternative. Professional uninstaller tools like Revo Uninstaller are specifically designed to solve this exact problem. They have a feature that can scan your system for the remnants of an already-uninstalled program. It will hunt down all the leftover files and registry keys we just discussed and present them to you in a clean list for easy, one-click removal.

That lingering Smadav folder you discovered was a loose thread. By pulling on it, you have unraveled the truth about incomplete uninstallations and learned the correct procedure for a truly clean system. You have not just deleted a few forgotten files; you have performed a comprehensive system maintenance task that will lead to a more stable, secure, and efficient computer. Your initial frustration has led to a deeper understanding, leaving you with a genuinely clean PC and the confidence of a job done right.