# Getting rid of McAfee? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 29, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686 "2020-05-29T17:15:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/1 "2020-05-29T17:15:20Z")
My new laptop came with the McAfee virus pre-installed. Even as Administrator, I was unable to delete. Once or twice a day, it pops up, usually when I am in the middle of something, nagging me to buy it. Needless to say I have no intention of rewarding this behavior. How can I get this monkey off my back. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/2 "2020-05-29T17:29:31Z")
Try the McAfee Endpoint Product Removal Tool (should be a free download from McAfee) ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2020, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/3 "2020-05-29T18:51:14Z")
I searched the McAfee site and could find no such tool. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2020, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/4 "2020-05-29T18:56:30Z")
> **[SOVLED: McAfee Removal Tool / Uninstaller – Up & Running Technologies,...](https://www.urtech.ca/2019/04/sovled-mcafee-removal-tool-uninstaller/)** [https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=KB90895](https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=KB90895) There is also a “consumer product removal tool” (“mcpr”) mentioned ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2020, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/5 "2020-05-29T23:42:44Z")
Almost all antivirus apps and suites are difficult to eradicate. Fortunately, with some searching, most of them have removal tools. Failing that, call up whoever you bought the laptop from and ask them to provide either a removal tool or the means to re-image the laptop without McAfee. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2020, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/6 "2020-05-30T07:32:12Z")
Revo Uninstaller also seems to do a pretty good job on removing some of these. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2020, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/7 "2020-05-30T09:11:30Z")
Of course, there’s always the very funny and notorious video by John McAfee himself: [How To Uninstall McAfee Antivirus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKgf5PaBzyg) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2020, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/8 "2020-05-30T20:01:32Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > Of course, there’s always the very funny and notorious video by John McAfee himself: > > [How To Uninstall McAfee Antivirus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKgf5PaBzyg) > > 😃 That is hilarious. I downloaded and ran the suggested removal tool. The directories are still there, but maybe they won’t operate. If I go 24 hours without a peep, maybe I will believe it is done. ---
**Author:** ![Pancake\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@Pancake\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pancake_Robot)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2020, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/9 "2020-05-30T23:03:51Z")
Wipe the drive and install a stand-alone copy of Windows (or Linux). ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2020, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/10 "2020-05-30T23:15:19Z")
> [@Pancake\_Robot](#): > > Wipe the drive and install a stand-alone copy of Windows (or Linux). Isn’t that just another way of saying “Let’s nuke it from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure”? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/11 "2020-05-31T18:51:47Z")
It’s been nearly 24 hours and not a peep. TSD scores again! ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/12 "2020-05-31T23:25:03Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Isn’t that just another way of saying “Let’s nuke it from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure”? I’m seeing that “advice” more often these days. “Install Linux” has become the new “Get a Mac.” ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2020, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/13 "2020-05-31T23:40:17Z")
I had the same problem. And not only did it nag me, it decided that Discord was malware, and killed my copy of Discord. Rather to my surprise, deleting the whole MacAfee directory (and deleting and reinstalling Discord) seems to have resolved it. I didn’t need to use an uninstall tool or anything. (I might have needed to view hidden files. I forget) ---
**Author:** ![Pancake\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@Pancake\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pancake_Robot)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/14 "2020-06-01T13:50:29Z")
> [@Pancake\_Robot](#): > > Wipe the drive and install a stand-alone copy of Windows (or Linux). > [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Isn’t that just another way of saying “Let’s nuke it from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure”? In a way, yes. Nuking it has the added benefit of removing any other pre-installed bloatware that comes with a new machine without going to the trouble to uninstall and delete registry entries for 20 different programs you’ll never use. I find the end result to be more satisfying, knowing I have a clean copy of the OS, despite the possibility of spending a few more minutes on the task. Anecdotally, clean installs of Win seem to last longer before getting buggy and requiring reinstallation. My MIL (70yrs old and in a long term care facility) has an old Dell Windows laptop that constantly crashed on her so I installed Ubuntu. Now she has zero problems using it for basic email and internet browsing. There’s a short learning curve but even she was able to figure out the new icons and program names. Linux = “get a Mac” is only halfway correct. It just works like a Mac, but you don’t pay $$$$ for it and it’s great for older machines with scant resources. FWIW I’m still in the Windows universe but I’m planning to get a new Win laptop and convert this old one to Linux to see if it will do what I need it to do. I’m far from a Linux fanboy. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/15 "2020-06-01T14:04:12Z")
[Tron](https://www.reddit.com/r/TronScript/) includes bloatware and virus removal scripts for Windows. Linux is Linux; I would probably recommend installing Linux or even FreeBSD on a non-Apple PC instead of Mac OS (assuming you prefer Mac OS to MS Win) unless you know exactly what you are doing (ie how to construct a “hackintosh”). But it does not necessarily attempt to ape either Windows or Mac OS. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/16 "2020-06-01T17:38:19Z")
> [@Pancake\_Robot](#): > > Linux = “get a Mac” is only halfway correct. It just works like a Mac, but you don’t pay $$$$ for it and it’s great for older machines with scant resources. I apologize if my remark sounded a little jeering. Linux is perfectly fine and I’m strongly considering installing it on my old Windows 7 laptop. I wouldn’t go that route simply to get rid of a stubborn antivirus installation, but that’s a personal decision. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/17 "2020-06-01T19:13:44Z")
48 hours and nary a peep from McAfee. If someone can tell me how to get my favorite text editor (which I have been using for 35 years) to run under Linux, I would gladly change. But it doesn’t, even under a windows simulation program I tried. And Macs and I are on different wavelengths. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/18 "2020-06-01T22:18:50Z")
I assume that if you go into the Task Manager or Resource Manager you could check the list of processes and confirm that nothing McAfee is still running, but I could not tell you the process name off the top of my head. As for editors, there is always the [free software](http://hessling-editor.sourceforge.net/index.html) version by the [rexx.org](http://rexx.org) guy, but I have not put it through its paces myself. It has a Windows version too, of course, if you ever wish to try it. Do not expect any version of Linux to be a Windows clone, although _some_ Windows software will run under Linux via a compatibility layer (respectively Wine or WSL), and vice versa. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/19 "2020-06-01T22:39:57Z")
McAfee is a nasty piece of work…I have no opinion on the software though. ---
**Author:** ![Pancake\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@Pancake\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pancake_Robot)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2020, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686/20 "2020-06-02T13:51:09Z")
> [@erysichthon](#): > > I apologize if my remark sounded a little jeering. Linux is perfectly fine and I’m strongly considering installing it on my old Windows 7 laptop. I wouldn’t go that route simply to get rid of a stubborn antivirus installation, but that’s a personal decision. No worries. I didn’t take it that way and I agree that more people are looking at Linux as a way to get away from Windows now that Ubuntu is fully supported and easy to install these days. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-mcafee/854686.md?page=2)