How to completely remove mcafee from windows 8.1. Complete removal of Mcafee antivirus

McAfee is a useful but intrusive product. Yes, it protects your computer, but the problem is that you might have installed it accidentally. And if you are already using another antivirus, this may lead to incorrect operation of both programs.

By the way, even if McAfee is the only antivirus, after removing it, installing others sometimes fails. This is due to residual files that need to be “cleaned up”. Now let's figure out how to do this.

general information

If you don’t know exactly how this product ended up on your computer, then most likely you accidentally installed it in conjunction with another program. For example, when installing Adobe Flash Player on a website, what we are now dealing with is offered as a “bonus”. If you forget to uncheck the box, the software will be installed in addition.
The second situation is when some laptops already have a set of programs preinstalled upon purchase, which often includes McAfee. It has several modules that are distributed in this way. But they are all combined into McAfee LiveSafe Internet Security, so using its example we will look at the removal procedure. It is the same for both Windows 7 and the more modern Windows 8.

Standard method

We use 2 programs:
This utility is good because if for some reason you cannot uninstall the program “in a simple way,” then the “Force Uninstall Wizard” option comes to the rescue. For it to work, just specify the folder with the program you want to remove (most often this is C:Program FilesMcAfee) and click “Next”.

PU will scan for a long time, because will “comb” the entire registry and all system files to clean out everything it comes across. Be patient.

At the end of the process, run MCPR again and see if it finds any traces of the antivirus. If not, everything is done, if yes, let her erase them.

Conclusion

Because McAfee really is an antivirus, so there are no problems with its removal. In fact, this is a very good solution for protecting your computer, the only problem is its aggressive advertising. Many worthy products (Yandex.Browser, Amigo, etc.) have earned the dislike of users precisely due to such self-promotion.

In the world of digital gadgets and the Internet, it is very difficult to do without high-quality antivirus software. The leading positions in the global market for such programs are occupied by programs from the American manufacturer Intel, produced under the McAfee brand.

McAfee antivirus software is distinguished by its simplicity and sufficient reliability, but, like when using any other software, from time to time it becomes necessary to disable or remove it.

Removing McAfee antivirus is quite simple. To do this, on the main screen of Windows 8, click on the icon "control Panel", then in the window that opens, select the item "uninstall programs".
In the list of installed programs that appears, you need to find McAfee antivirus:

Click on the menu "delete", and in the window that appears, check the boxes next to each item:

Then press the button several times Delete" and agree to restart the computer. The antivirus has been removed from your system.

Disabling McAfee antivirus

Almost all antivirus programs cannot be disabled completely, this is explained quite simply - the virus should not be able to disable the antivirus. Disabling McAfee antivirus comes down to disabling real-time protection. To do this, just call the McAfee main screen, go to the menu "settings", click on the link “ Real-time scanning" and turn off this function. Later, you need to select the time for which the shutdown is performed, by default it is 15 minutes.

Often, software manufacturers offer to install other related products during installation. And it often happens that the user does not pay attention to such software, but only later notices it on the computer. One of such applications can be McAfee antivirus, and many users have a question about how to completely remove it from Windows 10.

McAfee is a very common antivirus. What is its use? The fact is that it is an extremely useful and simple program that can effectively protect your PC from threats. In addition, the software has good reviews. However, many users still do not need it for various reasons. For example, another licensed antivirus may already be installed on your computer. In this case, it becomes necessary to remove it, but deleting it using the standard method will not help in this case, since the software leaves its traces throughout the system, including in the registry.

Let us immediately clarify that there are several versions of the product - AntiVirus Plus, Internet Security, Total Protection and McAfee LiveSafe.

Uninstallation of any of these versions is carried out using similar methods on an OS of any bit size, be it x32 Bit or x64 Bit.

The surest way is to completely remove the antivirus and its accompanying data manually. The sequence of actions in this case can be imagined as follows:

We get rid of the antivirus itself. To do this, you need to go to the control panel. This can be done by clicking on the search icon located next to the Start menu and entering the appropriate query.

Go to the “Programs and Features” section in the control panel that opens.

Find McAfee Security Scan Plus or a similar name in the list of installed programs, click on it and click on the “Uninstall/Change” button. We do the same with the McAfee WebAdvisor program, if it is present in this list.

We activate both proposed items and click on the “Delete” button, and when the process is complete, reboot the PC. The program will be removed from the computer, but this will not end there.

We destroy residual files. To do this, you need to go to the partition on the hard drive on which the antivirus was installed. By default, all programs are installed on the system drive “C:” in the “Program Files” folder, so we are looking for McAfee here. The user should see two folders.

We delete them: select them, right-click, and then click on the “Delete” line.

But the procedure is not over yet. It is necessary to remove the drivers. To do this, you need to open the “Windows” folder on the system drive “C:”, and then go to the “System32” section and then to the “Drivers” folder.

We find and remove the following list of drivers using the standard method:

mfeapfk;
mfeavfk;
mfebopk;
mfeclnk;
mfehidk;
mferkdet;
mfewfpk.

If for some reason you are not sure that the driver you are removing is associated with McAfee, you can right-click on it and go to “Properties”.

In the “Digital Signatures” section, look at the name of the signatory. If McAfee appears in the name, the driver can be safely removed.

Having removed all of the above drivers, we move on to cleaning the registry. To open it, enter the key combination Win + R on the keyboard and enter the command “regedit”. Click "OK" or Enter.

In the registry editor that opens, press the combination Ctrl + F and enter McAfee in the search field, then click on “Find Next.”

We right-click on the found entry and click on “Delete”, then press F3 and continue deleting entries until they run out.

You can also clean the registry after uninstalling the antivirus using automated means, for example, CCleaner.

Just open this utility, go to the “Registry” item and click on “Search for problems”, and after completing the search, click on “Fix all”.

This completes the manual removal procedure. As you can see, this method is quite labor-intensive and requires a lot of time from the user. For those who do not want to uninstall components manually, a separate utility has been developed, which we will consider further.

Using MCPR

McAfee Consumer Product Removal Tool is a separate McAfee removal program created exclusively for this purpose. The utility does not require installation, so you just need to download it. The next steps are as follows:

After downloading, open the executive file MCPR.exe.

In the uninstaller window that opens, click on the “Next” button.

Activate the “Agree” item and click on “Next” again.

Enter the proposed captcha in the window provided for it and click on “Next” for the last time. The removal of all components will begin, after which all that remains is to restart the computer or laptop.

MCPR Removal Utility is the simplest tool suitable for any user. However, we will also look at the last, alternative method - using various third-party utilities.

We will use, but other similar programs can successfully cope with the task. Such solutions are good because they remove not only the antivirus itself, but also all residual files and data.

In this method, everything is as simple as possible:

Open the program (you can download it through the official website), find McAfee in the list provided, click on it and click on “Delete”.

We are waiting for the process of creating a restore point to complete, with which the system can be returned to working condition.

We remove the antivirus using a standard uninstaller, which will open automatically. To do this, activate both proposed items and click on “Delete”.

We are waiting for the process to complete.

After the removal is complete, select the advanced mode and click on “Scan”. The button will not be active until the antivirus is removed.

We are waiting for the scanning process to complete.

A list of registry entries related to McAfee will be generated. To clean the registry, click “Select all” and then “Delete”.

After deleting entries in the registry, the formation of a list of remaining files will automatically begin.

Click on “Select all” and “Delete” again. All associated residual files will be automatically deleted.

Some objects will remain, but the utility will immediately notify you that they will be deleted the next time you start the OS (in our case, only 8 files remain). Click “Finish”.

The antivirus product has been completely removed from the computer.

In some cases, the user is satisfied with the functioning of the antivirus, but wants to remove it because it has quarantined necessary files or is preventing a program from installing correctly. In such cases, it is not at all necessary to resort to extreme measures.

Restoring files from quarantine

If the necessary trusted files are quarantined, you can simply restore them. Let's figure out how this is done:

Open the antivirus, click on the settings icon and select “Quarantined items”.

Select the desired object, click on it and click on the “Restore” button. In our case, not a single file was quarantined.

Close the window and check the required file. It should now be available.

If the antivirus interferes with the installation of any software or, for example, a game, you can simply disable it for a certain time.

Shutdown

Let's figure out how to turn it off for a while. In this case, everything is quite simple:

Open McAfee, go to the “PC Protection” tab and click on the “Real-time Scan” item.

In the window that opens, click on the “Turn off” button.

We choose for what period to disable the protection, and then click on “Turn off” again.

The protection is disabled, which is indicated by the corresponding indicator in the antivirus itself. Now you can install the desired application or game without unnecessary interference.

There may be situations when the antivirus needs to be disabled for a longer period of time. To do this, you must use the instructions below.

Disable McAfee services

If you need to disable your antivirus, but don’t want to remove it, you can disable all services responsible for its operation. To do this, you need to carry out the following sequence of actions:

Press Win + R on the keyboard and enter the command “msconfig” in the window that opens. Click on Enter or “OK”.

Go to the “Services” section, find services that have McAfee in the name, and uncheck the boxes next to them. Click “OK”.

The antivirus is disabled, and to activate it you must enable the corresponding services.

At this point, the consideration of the work and removal process can be completed and we can move on to some conclusions.

Results

We have examined in as much detail as possible all the removal methods, as well as methods for temporarily disabling the defender. As you can see, there are quite a lot of options - from manual removal to using specialized utilities.

Antivirus is a complex program that cannot be removed using standard methods known to everyone. You should not immediately resort to the uninstallation procedure, because it effectively protects the computer from software threats of various types and effectively protects the user while using the Internet. A clear indication for removal will be a replacement for McAfee already installed on your computer - any other anti-virus product.

Video instruction

For greater clarity, we attach detailed video instructions that explain the process of carrying out all the operations described above.

Good day, dear readers. Today we will look at a very interesting topic, or rather, we will solve a problem that computer users very often encounter. How to completely remove McAfee antivirus from your computer or laptop?

Typically, this antivirus is installed simultaneously with some software that you download from the Internet. Why uninstall McAfee? This is necessary in order to install another antivirus in its place. If you do not remove McAfee, then when installing, for example, Kaspersky, problems may arise due to incompatibility.

Now let's look at the two easiest ways to completely remove McAfee antivirus from your computer. By the way, both of these methods work perfectly in both Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Method one

First, let's go to " Control Panel", through the "Start" or "My Computer" menu.

Then set the view to “Categories” and in the “Programs” section click on “ Uninstalling a program».

Now from the list of installed programs we find our free McAfee antivirus utility. Next, right-click on it and select “ Delete».

Next, a new dialog box will appear, in which we also click the “ Delete».

The process of removing the antivirus from your computer will begin. When it's finished, restart your computer and try installing another antivirus program.

In addition to using the Control Panel, you can also get rid of McAfee using programs or utilities, such as:

Revo Uninstaller
MyUninstaller
ZSoft Uninstaller
Total Uninstall

Second way

The developers of Intel Security have done a great job. To popularize their brainchild, they managed to make their antivirus so easy to remove from a computer. That’s why we need a second method that will help you completely get rid of this annoying and useless antivirus utility.

You probably know that when installing any program, some adjustments and changes are made. The same thing happens when installing McAfee antivirus. When you remove any program from your computer, the previously mentioned changes in the registry are cleared and everything returns to normal (maybe not always completely, but in 95% of cases this is the case). With McAfee the situation is a little more complicated and when you get rid of it, data about it may remain in the registry. This is why problems arise when installing other antivirus programs.

Okay, let's go back to the second method. To implement it, we will need a special utility, which you can download below:

Have you downloaded it? Then let's launch it. A dialog box will appear on your screen, in which first click the “ Next».

Then we agree to the license without reading it. Check the box next to “ Agree" Then press " Next».

The removal process itself will begin. It will take no more than two minutes, or five at most. After which the utility will inform you that McAfee antivirus has been successfully and completely removed from your computer. You can either close this window and restart your computer a little later, or immediately click the " Restart».

That's all, thank you all for your attention. Don't forget to share this article with your friends if you found it useful.

Most users from time to time notice various programs on their PC that they did not install, including antivirus software - let's look at how to remove McAfee as quickly as possible and without harm to the system.

What's happenedMcAfeeand how does it appear on the computer

Have you discovered an unknown program that has come from nowhere on your computer? There are applications that are downloaded and installed “as a load” on top of other software. For example, you recently installed a utility or application using an EXE file from an unofficial source. Most likely, during such an installation you will receive not one, but several programs, browsers or extensions.

At the stage of installing new components, the user can cancel the additional installation, however, this function is often hidden, and we click “Continue”, confirming the user agreement.

McAfee is an antivirus that appears on a PC using other programs. Also, it can be found in the OS after installing an unlicensed or custom Windows image.

Fig.2 – Welcome page in McAfee

In 90% of cases, free McAfee appears on the PC after installing Flash Player, PDF Reader and other products from Adobe. This policy of “imposing” the program on users began in 2015, when antivirus developers faced large losses due to a drop in demand for server-based antivirus systems. And downloading the full free version of the program was and is an almost impossible task.

As for the functionality of the antivirus, it has a clear interface and allows you to quickly scan your computer. The downside of the program is its small database of threats and limited functionality depending on the version.

VersionsMcAfee

Before you begin removing McAfee from your PC, decide which version of the defender is installed:

AntiVirus Plus is a simple version of the utility with a minimal set of functions;
Internet Security – to create a user security system on the computer and on the network;
Total Protection – a full-fledged antivirus with protection against phishing;
LiveSafe is an advanced version of McAfee. Available only with a paid subscription.

The simpler the McAfee version, the fewer files it stores on your PC. You can view the version in the main program window. As a rule, the full name of the product is indicated in the header. Another way to find out the version is to open the “Add or Remove Programs” window and look for the name of the utility.

Method 1: Uninstall using built-in functionsWindows

Do you have AntiVirus Plus or Internet Security installed on your computer? Then you can remove the utility using the built-in OS functions. If Defender is already installed on your computer, after installing McAfee, serious malfunctions may occur in the operation of the first Defender or in the operating system. To prevent the utility from displaying an uninstallation error and applying uninstallation protection, we recommend running the OS in safe mode:

Turn off your computer;
Press the Power button to start restarting;
After the Windows icon appears, press the Ecs or F8 key and select “Safe Mode” in the menu that appears (using the up-down and Enter keys).

After the system boots into Safe Mode, enable Control Panel and open the Uninstall Programs window. Wait for the list of all applications installed on your PC to load and find McAfee in it. Uninstall the program.

Fig. 3 – Windows control panel

Without restarting the computer, go to the root folder of drive C and search for folders at McAfee's request. Delete all detected files and folders that mention the name of the antivirus.

Fig.4 – search for remaining utility files

Now go to the “This PC” window and right-click on the icon of the main system drive. Select "Properties" and click on "Disk Cleanup". Wait for the free space analysis and in the window that appears, check the “Temporary files” checkbox. Confirm cleaning. Now you can restart your computer. McAfee's files will be deleted.

Fig.5 - clearing temporary files

Important! If McAfee was not installed on the C drive, follow the same procedure to search for files and delete temporary data on another drive.

Even after uninstalling McAfee, installation errors of other programs and antiviruses may occur. This happens due to remaining temporary files or entries in the computer’s registry. To clean your OS from traces of McAfee, use the following methods one by one.

Method 2 - Use Revo Uninstaller

Revo Uninstaller is a popular utility for uninstalling programs and cleaning your computer from junk files or processes. Revo can handle applications that, even after being deleted, can restore their functionality. This method is suitable for more complex versions of McAfee antivirus:

Download and install the trial version of the program from the official website of the developer;
In the main Uninstaller window, click on the “Uninstaller” icon and wait until the list of programs is built. The software will also include those components that you removed, but some of them still remained on the computer;
Select McAfee from the list and click on the “Delete” icon;
If there are still a few parts of the program left on the sheet, clear them too.

Fig.6 – working with Revo Uninstaller

During the removal process, you will be asked to select a method of operation. We recommend clicking on the “Advanced” option. This way you will see all the hidden files and their location on the disk.

Fig. 7 - selecting the advanced uninstallation mode

In advanced mode, you can also activate the function of searching for files on other drives and permanently deleting them.

Fig. 8 – selection of object and uninstallation properties

Click on the “Next” button to have the utility scan the system for traces of unwanted software. As a rule, the search result consists of files with the tmp extension - temporary components that can even resume the operation of the software.

Fig. 9 – list of McAfee tracks

You can delete all found files by clicking on “Select all” and “Next”. Then confirm the user agreement and enter the captcha. Removal may take several minutes. After the uninstaller works, you can check the root folders and erase the remaining parts of the program yourself if the utility did not erase them.

Method 3 – Using Perfect Uninstaller

Perfect Uninstaller is another utility application for removing unwanted files and OS components. The difference between the previous uninstaller is that Perfect Uninstaller can even remove copies of McAfee that are infected with a virus. Often, such software options simply do not allow the user and other utilities to carry out the removal. “Object access error” and other problems appear.

Perfect Uninstaller allows you to bypass the uninstallation ban and clean your PC of programs you don’t need. The principle of operation of the uninstaller is similar to the previous version:

Download the component from the official resource;
Install and open Perfect Uninstaller;
In the main window, click on “Force uninstall”, which means “Forced removal”;
Select McAfee from the list;

Fig. 10 – Perfect Uninstaller main window

In the window that opens, click on “Next” to start scanning.

Notice! After selecting the component to be removed, PU will spend a very long time scanning the PC for traces. The search takes place in all folders, other programs, and the registry. Please be patient as the process may take up to 30 minutes.

Deleting found files will be done automatically. Restart your computer immediately after Perfect Uninstaller finishes.

How to uninstall antivirus?

If you have already completed the uninstallation and want to install any of the Adobe products on your computer, remember how to cancel the antivirus download:

Log in to the Adobe website;
Select the software product and wait for the download window to appear;
Be sure to uncheck the “Get a free program...” item, as shown in the figure below;
Then click on the “Install Now” button.

Fig. 11 – McAfee download cancelation

Thematic videos:

How to Quickly Remove McAfee Completely

How to completely remove McAfee - simple instructions

How to completely remove McAfee® antivirus

How to completely remove McAfee® antivirus download the special MCPR utility

It might be useful to read: