Not able to update Brave

After uninstalling, the Brave application isnt listed in:

  1. Apps and Features
  2. Programs and Features
    i merely use Brave Beta for multiaccounting, please ignore Brave Beta

    image

How would you uninstall Brave? i mean its already uninstalled, but theres a brave.exe right here in AppData Local. How do you uninstall AppData Local’s Brave? its supposed to be in Program Files in C:// and not there cuz its ‘officially’ uninstalled
@Mattches @Saoiray if you could assist

and where is it fetching the user data from? the user data folder gets deleted while uninstalling the official way. i dont know where the user data stuff it gets from. could you help?

@MainframeSupertasker,
When uninstalling the browser (via Add/Remove programs) you should be prompted to clear user data as it uninstalls the browser.

You can double check that no user data is left over by going to the ~\AppData\Local directory you were sent to in your first screenshot. There should be no Brave-browser folder listed here if your user data was fully deleted.

@MainframeSupertasker ,

Trying to track down, where you may have installed Brave Browser on a previous occasion.

About custom installations . . .

June 23, you wrote:


Same topic, anon57438784 replied:

Custom installation folder - #4 by anon57438784

Brave uses the OMAHA updater, which is open source alternative to what Chrome uses, and probably what Edge uses as well.

OMAHA update can only update in two locations, Program files when you install with admin rights and %localuserdata% when you install without admin rights, but the User Data never changes, it always goes to where it goes.

Brave by not having a custom installer, they have the way to use Policies and all that which is good for enterprise, unlike other Browsers.

So, in that case, what you have to move is the User Data.

Brave in their Github page already offers a zipped version of the Browser which doesn’t have the updater, which means you can place it anywhere you want, and then you can create a BAT file [batch file?] or Shortcut and use whatever directory you want for the User Data.

You can use --user-data-dir="User Data" and the folder will be placed wherever the Brave.exe you are starting is.

If you want to keep the ‘updater’ but move the files, then you should use Junctions or Symbolic Links, which is exactly what Windows users all over Windows, so using them will not cause issues.

The best way to use it is by installing Brave without admin rights, so everything Application, Updater and User Data will be placed in the same folder, in %localappdata%\BraveSoftware

Then you use move it somewhere else and create the junction or symbolic link to it in the same place so Updater and everything works as expected.

It is the way Chromium works, this has to be something Chromium offers easier without using the --user-data-dir=.

You replied in August 2023:

“Thank you so much for the info”


In a January 7th reply, above (this topic: “Not able to update Brave”), you mentioned that you changed your username to “Mainframe” and “and had to do the registry edits to fully change it and stuff - apps still wanted to install in the C drive /users/[my personal name]”.


So, it sounds like some file/folder permissions might not be correct; and, you might have done at least 1 custom installation of Brave Browser . . . placing that installation . . . where you now need to find it . . . plus all things Brave, scattered about your computer - including, your searching in all Windows OS users’ directories (and of course, their sub-directories).


You may find CCleaner to be useful.

https://support.ccleaner.com/s/?language=en_US

https://www.ccleaner.com/knowledge/why-your-pc-is-so-slow-and-how-you-can-speed-it-up


Thank you soo much!
The June 23 comment was for my old laptop, i abandoned it. This is my new laptop where this issue’s occuring
Heres some additional info

I found it all in AppData

So, you might have one or more brave.exe files in sub-folders of:

C:\Users\Mainframe\AppData\Local\

youre right! the appdata folder is only meant to store User Data

I wonder what Application is doing here
C:\Users\Mainframe\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser

do i just delete Application folder? Is there a uninstall button for Application?

i refuse to use ccleaner due to nonconsensual data collection

So CCleaner is a bust. Shame.


Anyway . . . without using CCleaner . . . you can use the Windows Registry to search to find some things to be removed. Be conservative (IOW NOT daring). There is some good guidance online.


I did not say nor infer/imply that “the appdata folder is only meant to store User Data”.

What I wrote, points out, that:

  • you may have run a Brave Browser installation that parked its ingredients in one location . . . and

  • you may have run a Brave Browser installation that parked its ingredients in another location.

I would get rid of all of those installations - everything - and then do what you can to police (conservatively) the Windows Registry (without damaging the Windows Registry - for example, wise to back up the Windows Registry before editing it).


Focus on having only 1 installation.


@MainframeSupertasker ,

Did you resolve the issue?

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Yes you did, thank you so much
It was the brave inside the application folder. I just hit delete
Installed a fresh brave

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There’s a residual brave but I think it’s just a thumbnail

You might be able to edit that “Choose an app” list?

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-default-apps-in-windows-e5d82cad-17d1-c53b-3505-f10a32e1894d

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000128257/how-to-change-the-default-applications-within-windows-10