How to permanently uninstall McAfee in Windows

Like Norton, McAfee It has been for many years the antivirus that came pre-installed by default on all Windows devices. He wasn't the best at his thing, but he wasn't the worst either. However, with the passage of time, many users have opted for uninstall McAfee and install some other better and more effective antivirus.

But, even after installing another antivirus on our computer, Why remove McAfee? The reason is simple: when we have two programs of this type, duplicities and errors. The functioning of one tends to hinder the other, and vice versa. That ultimately leads to a lot of problems. And what is worse: a defenseless situation against the risk of malware entering our computers.

Before we get into the matter of the post, let's talk a little about McAfee and his story, in case there is still someone who does not know her. The journey of this popular antivirus began in 1987, with the foundation of McAfee Associates, a company named after its founder John McAfee, recently passed away under sad circumstances.

With a focus on digital security, McAfee offers a suite of tools that includes a VPN and enterprise-specific products. McAfee Antivirus software proactively monitors our computers for malware and privacy issues, alerting us to any problems it finds.

A guardian of our privacy and security. Doesn't sound bad, right? And yet, there are many who consider that it is best to eliminate this program from their computers. These are their motives:

Reasons to uninstall McAfee from our computers

Those who decide to do without the services of McAfee wield a large argument. Here are some of the most popular reasons for opting to uninstall it:

1. It is annoying. Like those employees who like to make their bosses feel like they are essential, McAfee Antivirus software likes to let us know that it is working. To do this, it bombards us with pop-up notifications. Maybe too many.
2. Is obsolete. Renewed or die. Many users believe that McAfee has become somewhat outdated and has failed to keep up with the new risks and threats posed by today's hackers.
3. It is expensive. Beyond the free trial period, the price of a monthly or annual subscription becomes really high, especially considering the functionalities offered by the paid versions, which do not go much beyond a simple antivirus and little else.

One last argument must be added that, even having a real basis, should be considered rather a joke. Some detractors of McAfee claim that "This antivirus program behaves like a real virus". This is said in reference to the persistence of McAfee pop-up notifications, which continue to annoy us even after we have uninstalled. However, it should be noted that when that happens it is because the uninstallation process has not been completed correctly, as we will see later.

Returning to the list of reasons above, the decision to uninstall McAfee usually comes after the free trial period has expired. So, it happens that sometimes we run into certain problems to uninstall. Normally, removing a program in Windows is a simple operation. It is enough to go to Control panel and select the option of "Programs and characteristics". There we will use the option to add and uninstall programs or to change their configuration.

But things are not always that easy. Antivirus programs are often reluctant to be removed or uninstalled (At the end of the day, it is in their nature to be distrustful), causing us the odd headache. Fortunately, there are tools and alternative ways to carry out this process.

The methods that we are going to analyze below are valid for uninstalling McAfee Antivirus, McAfee LiveSafe, McAfee Security Scan Plus and almost any other product created by this company.

But before reviewing these methods, a important recommendation: If you are going to uninstall McAfee, try to have its replacement ready. Leaving your computer without the protection of an antivirus is a risk that is not worth taking and that can cause us many problems.

Uninstall McAfee from the Settings menu

The improvements made to Windows 10 Regarding the administration of applications (especially those that are part of its ecosystem, such as McAfee), they have served to make the uninstallation process of this and other programs much easier than before.

In the specific case of McAfee products, the uninstallation can be performed using the built-in Windows tools. This is the method we must follow:

• Step 1:: First we go to the «Start» button, located in the lower left part of the screen. There we look for the settings icon (the small cogwheel). A menu and search box will appear.
• Step 2:: In that search box we will write «McAfee». This will bring up all the programs and files related to McAfee products.
• Step 3:: We will select the product that we want to remove from our system and execute the operation by clicking the "Uninstall" button. To continue the process, Windows will ask for our permission. Only after the second confirmation will we access the final step.
• Step 4:: Finally, after the confirmations, the McAfee uninstaller will be displayed. From that point on, you just have to follow the instructions until you completely remove the software from your computer.

McAfee Consumer Products Removal Tool (MCPR)

But the most practical and effective tool we have to uninstall McAfee is one implemented precisely by the brand itself. After all, who knows the ins and outs of the show better than its creators? It is a free application called McAfee Consumer Products Removal Tool (MCPR). This application can be downloaded for free at this link.

Although we are talking about an effective and definitive solution, it is necessary to know something. Before running McAfee Removal Tool (MCPR), you must first try the uninstallation through the Windows Control Panel. Exactly as explained in the previous section. This is important so that the McAfee antivirus is properly disabled and does not interfere with the proper functioning of the MCPR. It can therefore be said that these two methods are complementary, not opposite.

You also have to know that, for the sweep to be complete, you have to Restart the system after completing the uninstall. So we must not forget to save the documents and files before finishing the process.

But let's get down to business. To uninstall McAfee from your computer using the MCPR tool, these are the steps to follow:

• Step 1:: First of all, we must download the latest version of MCPR from the McAfee website.
• Step 2:: We execute the tool (which does not require any type of installation). Important: we will have to give the program administrator privileges.
• Step 3:: We accept the license agreement. To complete this step we will have to enter the CAPTCHA code that is requested.

It should be noted that McAfee Removal Tool (MCPR) is a tool that will be used to uninstall practically all McAfee seal products. Works for him McAfee AntiVirus Plus, McAfee Family Protection, McAfee Internet Security, McAfee Total Protection y McAfee LiveSafe. It is also used to delete McAfee online backups.

On the other hand, it should be noted that this tool works with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and 8.1 and also with Windows 10.

Uninstall McAfee on a Mac

Although the title of this post is "How to permanently uninstall McAfee in Windows", it is worth talking about how this process can be carried out on a computer manufactured by Apple. It must be said that, no matter how good the tool is, McAfee Removal Tool (MCPR) will not help us to uninstall McAfee software in a Mac. But this is not so important, because in MacOS the uninstallation processes are always simple.

The way to proceed in this case is simple. You have to look for McAfee in the Applications folder and drag it to the trash icon on the home screen of your computer. But here too McAfee will resist our uninstall attempts. Fortunately, there is a way to run this process in a direct and safe way. Just follow these steps:

• Step 1:: We open the Terminal application on our Mac.
• Step 2:: At the Terminal prompt, we enter one of the following commands:
  • For McAfee Antivirus version 4.8 or earlier: sudo /Library/McAfee/sma/scripts/uninstall.ch
  • For McAfee Antivirus version 5.0 or later: sudo /Library/McAfee/cma/scripts/uninstall.ch
• Step 3:: We press Enter on the keyboard to end the process.

Attention: It is very important to enter the commands exactly as they appear above. Also, to be more sure, we can copy and paste them in the Terminal. Any misspelled word or phrase can mess up the process.