If you have Windows 10, follow these steps:ġ. Now, search for McAfee and uninstall all the related programs. In the Settings window, type in Uninstall into the search box.ģ. Type in “ Settings” in the Windows search bar or choose the Settings app from the Charms menu.Ģ. If your system runs Windows 8, here’s what you should do:ġ. To eliminate McAfee completely, you first need to uninstall it either through the Settings menu or the Control Panel and then use the McAfee Removal tool to clean up the remains.Ī. Some of the security center files will remain on your computer, resulting in an “ Access Denied” error on many occasions. You can’t remove McAfee from Windows the same way you uninstall regular apps through the Windows uninstall utility.
To install another antivirus, you’ll have to uninstall McAfee.Įven if you want to install the updated version of McAfee yourself, you need to remove the existing one thoroughly. If you’ve done your research on the best antivirus suite, your decision might be to go with one of the alternatives. McAfee has fallen behind the competition, and it may take a while for it to catch up. To be honest, nowadays, you won’t hear the name “ McAfee” as much as Avast, AVG, Norton, or Malwarebytes. Lastly, some people want to have other antivirus apps on their devices. It could be because it uses up too much of the computer’s resources or that it just isn’t as good as the Defender. Secondly, since the Windows Defender became available, many Windows users choose to rely on it for complete protection of their device and eliminate third-party applications. Though McAfee has come a long way since the beginning days, there are various reasons one might want to uninstall it from their device.įirstly, the manufacturer who has installed the app on your device might not have done a thorough job, and you may be left with a corrupted installation that you want to get rid of.
Read on to find out if you should uninstall McAfee and how to do it correctly.
You’ll need to know what you’re doing, or else it’ll bother you to the point of giving up. However, uninstalling an app like McAfee isn’t the most straightforward task. Some people may even find McAfee sitting on their computers without their consent. Those who were past McAfee fans may be rethinking their decisions. Just push through their scare tactics when it informs you that you will no longer be protected.Many users find themselves wondering whether or not they should uninstall the McAfee app. You shouldn’t have any trouble getting rid of it. It’s as simple as uninstalling the program the normal way, through Programs and Features in the Control Panel (or Add/Remove Programs for Windows XP). Do yourself a favor and keep your computer clean. As long as you have a good antivirus running and your firewall is enabled, you’re mostly fine, regardless of whatever marketing-speak they throw at you when you try to uninstall it. Windows has all the same alerts already built in. Should I Uninstall McAfee Security Scan?Īs much as I despise products like McAfee Security Scan, I can’t tell you it’s bad for your computer. Really, it’s just a form of advertising, and a very effective one I’d guess. It’s a halfhearted pseudo-security solution that’s used as an excuse to put McAfee products in front of your eyes. It won’t even remove any malware should it find any. It’s not antivirus, nor does it really protect your computer from anything. McAfee Security Scan is what we in the know like to call “bloatware” or “junkware” or “crapware” or any other number of technical-sounding terms.
Windows performs most of these functions already, but McAfee Security Scan makes these alerts more prominent. It checks the status of your firewall, antivirus, and scans your web history and objects currently running in memory for malware. It’s official purpose is to “analyze” your defenses and tell you if your computer is vulnerable. You should read every window before clicking the Next button so that stuff like this doesn’t happen. The problem is, most people don’t read what the instructions say when they install a program and just click Next until the program is installed. When you install one of these programs that has McAfee Security Scan included, it gives you the ability to opt out. Programs like Java and Adobe Flashplayer frequently come with extra “bloatware” like McAfee Security Scan because they typically get paid nicely for it.
Most likely it came bundled with other software you installed. You probably didn’t install it on purpose. So who did put it on there and why do they think you need it? How Did McAfee Security Scan Get On My Computer? Chances are that you’ve had this installed on your computer once or twice and wondered where in the world-wide-web it came from. More than likely, this desktop icon looks familiar to you. 28 Aug, 2013 No Comments Bobby Software Security