Notebooks & Netbooks

[roadkill]

having trouble removing mcafee security suite and activating windows defender.

To date:

- defender was active, couldn't update so I did a refresh;

- after refresh, McAfee active so I uninstalled (using controll panell uninstall) and rebooted.

- open control panel->security->which anti-spyware etc active:

**still shows mcafee installed (not active)

** shows defender inactive - but button to turn on is greyed out and does not work.

Any help much appreciated.  Not happy at my time being wasted like this.

Thanks again.

[Vince53]

Roadkill, it took me three days to destroy the McAfee AV that came installed on my Acer laptop. A better plan it to go to http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Uninstallers/McAfee-Consumer-Product-Removal-Tool.shtml and try this.

If it doesn't work, come back and I'll tell you how to deletel it the hard way.

[evilking]

Hello Vince53

I'm having the same problem. the Mcafee tool didn't do anything. What did you to fix it?

Thanks

[n2gc]

One might want to make sure it's not starting when booting.

Go to search and type in MSCONFIG. When the window opens

go to Startup and see what boxes are checked. If you see McAfee

still on the startup list and the box checked, uncheck it and anything

else you don't want to start up, click apply, ok, then reboot.

Then try and remove it via the uninstall in programs.

If this doesn't work, again make sure it's not set to start and then

R.KILL as suggested to rid the unit. You can get R.Kill at

Bleeping Computer.com

[Vince53]

McAfee is the champion of AV programs when it comes to fighting deletion. It took me three days to get rid of it. You cannot delete McAfee while it is running, so you have to cripple it.

First, use Control Panel to turn on Windows Defender. MAYBE it will turn off McAfee, but McAfee will fight it.

Next, download the free Win Patrol Program and use it to check your Start-up folder. Delete or disable anything that says McAfee. Still in Win Patrol, select the "Recent" tab and if McAfee appears anywhere, select "Delete on next start-up."

Go into "Computer" and delete the McAfee folder; it will probably be in the Programs folder. If you cannot delete it, open the folder and delete everything you can. MAYBE, when you restart, you will have crippled the program and can then delete it.

[roadkill]

Hi Evilking

I was worried I might have picked up some malware so:

1. I did a factory reset (having backed up data first of course);

2. Used control panel -> uninstall a program -> selected mcafee (and this time remembered to tick the option which popped up 'delete program as well' - can't remember exact words).

The above seemed to get rid of the beast.

All the best and thanks to Vince53 also.

[miguel69]

yes mcafee is very hard to uninstall (helps keeping malware from getting rid of it) but they also make it very hard to find their uninstall tool, you won't find it on a direct search of their home page, you have to go first to the forums pages then do the search there. the tool stops all the background services (which keeps them from being removed as they are open and running normally) then deletes all the files .  I used it with good results when my subscription expired, then moved to MSE.