Definitive Mcafee uninstall

"I need to uninstall Mcafee security centre from my Inspiron 531 so i can install Norton Security...   should I [register McAfee] before uninstall or after?"

 

I'm puzzled here:   is your intent to permanently remove McAfee, replacing it with Norton?    If so, I don't see any reason to register McAfee at all.

If, in contrast, you intend to temporarily remove McAfee, install Norton for some testing purposes, and subsequently remove Norton to replace it by McAfee again, then in such a case, you should register your McAfee before uninstalling it --- you might not be able to register it afterwards. 

 

you've spoken of various uninstallation procedures (from McAfee, from Dell, and perhaps elsewhere) without giving any specifics [or links to the different procedures].   Here is my understanding/recommendation about how to proceed:

1)  go to the McAfee Security Center (icon in your system tray) to [locate and] DISABLE (i.e., switch "off" ) each of its various components (anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, &etc).

2) go to your Control Panel, Add-Remove Programs, to remove the McAfee suite (or individual components, if that's all you intend --- provided it lets you).

3)  if you run into problems using Add/Remove, or if you just want to be extra-sure things have proceeded "completely", then you may download and run the MCPR [McAfee Consumer Product Removal] tool.   Keep in mind this is an "all-or-nothing" removal of EVERYTHING McAfee on your system... you can't "pick and choose" to remove some, but not all, items.  

 

if you still have questions [or doubts], feel free to continue questioning... and if you wish, gives links to the differing procedures so we can know exactly what you're talking about.

Please see next post

Thanks Maryam.....I'm kind of hoping it won't be as horrendous as some people seem to be finding. I haven't even registered the thing yet so am hoping that will help in terms of the number of files to remove. Will just need to sit down and work out how to switch the separate components off, uninstall them individually and then use the MCPR tool to rid my machine. The install another system that will probably give me headaches thereafter!

 

Thanks again

Having experienced the "joy" of uninstalling McAfee, I would recommend that you read this thread in their forums.

 

http://forums.mcafeehelp.com/showthread.php?t=220212

 

You are correct in that you must uninstall all the components before you uninstall Security Center.  Expect to reboot after each component is uninstalled.  Be sure to read the directions in the second post about deleting extra files.  From my experience, there is no "simple method". 

ky,

 

Yes, I want to completely remove the Mcafee and install NIS 2008 as my better half has it installed on her laptop and we can install on 2 additional machines. All for continuity, etc.

 

Your suggestion is the one recommended by the Mcafee site along with using the MCPR tool, which is what i intended using but wanted to make sure that it covered both the Vista platform and Dell computers.

 

ie. http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?id=107083&lc=1033

 

The Dell site recommends this method;

 

http://support.euro.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?journalid=4A4915F58D6CB39CE040A68F27281AB2&docid=286481#2

 

Though it recommends uninstalling the individual portions of Mcafee Security Centre (AV and Firewall) before Mcafee security centre and then no mention of MCPR tool.

 

Just wanting to make sure I don't use a lengthy method with potential failures over a simple method.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply, it's appreciated.

 

Harry

 

 

ky331 wrote:

 

I'm puzzled here:   is your intent to permanently remove McAfee, replacing it with Norton?    If so, I don't see any reason to register McAfee at all.

If, in contrast, you intend to temporarily remove McAfee, install Norton for some testing purposes, and subsequently remove Norton to replace it by McAfee again, then in such a case, you should register your McAfee before uninstalling it --- you might not be able to register it afterwards. 

 

you've spoken of various uninstallation procedures (from McAfee, from Dell, and perhaps elsewhere) without giving any specifics [or links to the different procedures].   Here is my understanding/recommendation about how to proceed:

1)  go to the McAfee Security Center (icon in your system tray) to [locate and] DISABLE (i.e., switch "off" ) each of its various components (anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, &etc).

2) go to your Control Panel, Add-Remove Programs, to remove the McAfee suite (or individual components, if that's all you intend --- provided it lets you).

3)  if you run into problems using Add/Remove, or if you just want to be extra-sure things have proceeded "completely", then you may download and run the MCPR [McAfee Consumer Product Removal] tool.   Keep in mind this is an "all-or-nothing" removal of EVERYTHING McAfee on your system... you can't "pick and choose" to remove some, but not all, items.  

 

if you still have questions [or doubts], feel free to continue questioning... and if you wish, gives links to the differing procedures so we can know exactly what you're talking about.

During the time I was preparing my response, I see that you've been offered some suggestions by Maryam, who has had recent first-hand experience with this issue...

 

likewise, the McAfee support link she referenced is current (April '08).  

 

Since my own experience with McAfee goes back quite a while, I will defer to her and that link... the only caveat being, that particular person admits running into the complications because of the presence of a bagel virus on his/her system.

 

I now include the post as I had already prepared it...

 

===============================================

 

interesting.

 

as you noted, my suggestion was essentially the McAfee procedure... only that I added the extra preliminary step of first disabling all the McAfee components. The reason for this is that, if still enabled, they [especially the anti-virus] may "refuse" to be uninstalled.

 

the DELL post refers to first uninstalling VirusScan Online ... which should be distinct from the "ordinary" McAfee anti-virus component. If you actually have that listed, it certainly wouldn't hurt to uninstall that first/separately.

 

as for having to first/separately uninstall the McAfee firewall, I've never seen that listed before. It's my understanding that the firewall is covered within the overall UNinstallation of the Security Center. [the link you gave goes through euro.dell , so I'm wondering if perhaps they prepare/ship their systems differently???]

 

finally, the somewhat "mysterious" appwiz.cpl mentioned on the DELL page is simply the Add-Remove component of the Control Panel, so I'm perplexed as to why they chose this alternative (="weird" ) way to access it.

 

If all goes well with the Add/Remove (Control Panel or AppWiz.cpl), there may not be a need to also run the McAfee MCPR tool... especially if you have other McAfee products you wish to keep. Basically, McAfee offers this tool for cases where "ordinary" Add/Remove results in some "failure". this is supposed to clean-up everything.

Some people advocate running the tool regardless [that is, if you wish to remove EVERYTHING], as this tool might clean up some registry entries or files still lingering around after "ordinary" removal.

 

The reason I listed that link is because in the second post Ex Brit gave the standard direction for uninstall and removal of files.  Those are the directions that I followed, and it did work for me.  Many of the directions don't include the extra step of deleting those files.  I should have been clearer on my reason for using that link.  Apologies for any confusion that I caused.

My Computer:  Dell dimension e520 windows xp home sp2 intel core2 6300 1.86ghz 1024mb ram

 My Security:  mcafee internet security suite WinPatrol2008 SpywareBlaster

 On Demand:  SuperAntiSpyware MalwarebytesAntiMalware Avast! v4.8

 

I've uninstalled Mcafee a couple of times after things have gone wrong with the program, and reinstalled to solve various problems.

i found downloading and running the MCPR tool the best way, just downloading it and running it straight away, then:

• Navigate to and remove the McAfee and McAfee.com folders found in C:\Program Files
• Navigate to and remove the McAfee folder found in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\McAfee.                                                                                                                         

•  

  i never found it necessary to uninstall through add/remove programs,the tool was pretty affective ,but ,thats just what worked for me and i'll bet countless others have had problems in removing it!

   

  it will remove everything though! if you intend keeping anything (such as site advisor, perhaps)

  then it may be best to either use add/remove programs, clicking on security center will give you the option to just remove individual components, but , mcafee dont seem to like giving stuff for free, and when a family members subscription to the free trial ran out not only did it not update which was expected, but the tools such as shredder didnt work although they appeared to do so. they just went through the motions without actually doing the intended job!

  Message Edited by melboy on 05-09-2008 02:48 PM

Many thanks to everyone who has replied, it's kind of underlined a few of things I'd checked and spurred me on to check the other things I wasn't sure about like how to switch off the firewall, AV and other things associated with the Security Centre.

 

I appreciate the XP info but I know that the MCRP tool is OS dependent so will ensure I have the Vista version rather than the XP. That said, I may have that wrong but am big enough to admit I'm wrong....constantly! :-)

 

Any other tips appreciated as I'm still finding my way around Vista but will now order the Norton. A note to anyone who uses the chat function on Norton, DO the survey they send later on as it takes literally 20 seconds and they give you a 25% discount on Norton stuff. Result.

 

Harry

Thanks to all for the advice.

 

I finally switched off all bits of Mcafee security, then did a 'normal' add/remove software then used the MCRP to clean out the last bits. No error messages and NIS 2008 loaded without a hitch. Oh, and I never registered the product.

 

Hope any others trying this have the same ease.