McAfee

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 30 Jul 2017 10:40 am

Lately (past 3-4 days)I keep getting a popup advising that McAfee has updated and needs restarting computer? I don't use McAfee,,,I use malwarebytes,,,,
I "restart" my computer every morning,,,still get these pop ups? How can I get rid of them?
BTW windows 10 OS

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 30 Jul 2017 11:01 am

McAfee is an "antivirus" program. Malwarebytes is for "malware/spyware". Two different programs.

I use Malwarebytes and the Windows 10 built in Windows Defender for antivirus. If that is what you normally use the McAfee should be uninstalled with a program such as Revo Uninstaller. (I have a paid version of Revo Uninstaller Pro). You can download a trial version of the Revo Uninstaller Pro that is good for a short period. I like the Revo uninstaller Pro as it also searches the registry and file folders for left over items after an install (Many times and uninstall does not uninstall everything).

https://www.revouninstaller.com/

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 30 Jul 2017 12:44 pm

Thanks Jack,,,none the less,,,it indicates that "McAfee" has been updated and that a restart is required,,,I restarted several times and I still keep getting the pop up????

I don't really care if it wants reside on my computer,,,just stop the pop up!!!

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 30 Jul 2017 2:46 pm

Several things to look at -

Does any version of "McAfee" reside on your system? That prompt is coming from something that's there.

Look in your start menu - is there a McAfee item there?

Look in your C: drive inside \Program Files and \Program Files (x86) and see if McAfee's in there anwhere.

Right-click on the Start menu icon on your task bar, go to the top of the list, "Apps and Features", click it, then go to the top right and open "Programs and Features". Do you see McAfee anywhere in that list?

Also open Task Manager (Crtl-Alt-Del), click on the "Startup" tab, and look for anything "McAfee" that's set to run when your PC starts.

Notice I'm not saying what you should do, if you find McAfee in any of these places. I'm only giving you places to look for it, and you can decide what you want to do if you find it anywhere.

That nag's gonna' keep on keepin' on long as whatever's running keeps running, even in the background.

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 30 Jul 2017 8:04 pm

If McAfee AV is installed, it may also be uninstallable. If it is installed, you might find an entry in the Programs and Features list, which has an uninstall option for each program in the list. Search for McAfee anything and if it is there, click on it to highlight it, making an Uninstall link available at the top of the list.

You probably need to input your administrator password to uninstall the program.

If you don't remember installing McAfee, it probably came bundled with a Flash update, or some other program.

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 31 Jul 2017 5:20 am

One of the reasons McAfee is frowned on is because it can be difficult to get rid of.

There is a specialized tool available on the net that supposedly will get completely rid of it. I don't have the link, but it should be findable with Google.

Try standard methods to uninstall McAfee. If they fail, start looking for the specialized tool.

Yep, you have to be very careful installing stuff like Flash or you will get McAfee as an "added bonus", you should pardon the expression. I think Intel bought McAfee a few years ago, so you might even need to watch out when installing Intel applications.

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 31 Jul 2017 10:19 am

So,,,McAfee being antivirus and malwarebytes being antispyware,,,,do I need McAfee,,,,or???? Looks like in apps and features I have something called "McAfee LiveSafe"? Does anyone else have that on a standard load of win10?

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 31 Jul 2017 10:47 am

There is no McAfee that comes with Windows 10. Any McAfee had to have been added on. Windows 10 comes with the Microsoft "Windows Defender" antivirus program built in. You need BOTH an antivirus and a malware/spyware program.

The Live Safe is part of McAfee antivirus. As others have commented you probably got that with some other download. I just got a new Dell laptop and it came with McAfee antivirus/Live Safe. When I uninstalled McAfee it also uninstalled the Live Safe. I uninstalled McAfee as I use the Windows Defender and Malwarebytes. I plan on using the new Laptop with my recording studio software and the Windows Defender is less intrusive and does not interfere with recording studio software.

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 31 Jul 2017 5:32 pm

Jack,,,,quote,,"there is no McAfee that comes with windows 10",,,then,,,"I just got a new Dell laptop that came with McAfee already installed" ????

I've got a new HP lap top that came with McAfee installed,,,I guess?? I've not installed anything that I know of???

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 31 Jul 2017 6:40 pm

Sonny Jenkins wrote:Jack,,,,quote,,"there is no McAfee that comes with windows 10",,,then,,,"I just got a new Dell laptop that came with McAfee already installed" ????

I've got a new HP lap top that came with McAfee installed,,,I guess?? I've not installed anything that I know of???

Sonny:

It's entirely possible you got McAfee with the HP as part of your package.

That's HP's choice as an incentive to get you to buy, but it has nothing to do with Windows 10. You should be able to tell by close examination of your invoice and/or the link from which you made the purchase. It should detail what was included.

Or you could have got it due to not paying attention when downloading something after you got it--such as a Flash update. If you are the type who just clicks "OK" or "continue" without much examination, you are prone to that.

It's not impossible to get rid of McAfee and there's no real reason to use it since you have Defender as part of Windows 10 and can use Malwarebytes for spyware/malware.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 1 Aug 2017 2:09 am

To reiterate, McAfee is not part of the Windows Operating System. On my new Dell laptop and probably your HP it was added by the PC manufacturer. I have a suspicion its something that the software vendor, McAfee in this case, even pays the PC manufacturer to install(hoping to get future sales).

I uninstalled McAfee from my Dell using Revo Uninstaller Pro. What is possibly left will not interfere with PC operations. My new Dell passes the Resplendence Latency Mon program with flying colors (able to run audio without problems).

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 1 Aug 2017 4:27 am

Jack Stoner wrote:I uninstalled McAfee from my Dell using Revo Uninstaller Pro. What is possibly left will not interfere with PC operations.

I purposely avoided going into a rant about how invasive the "heavy-hitter" anti-virus apps can be in my earlier post. I went through all of them years ago - Norton, McAfee, etc - and finally decided they weren't worth the effort, and free alternatives are available. But ridding a PC of one of those things can be a major project, one which can involve registry editing to eliminate all the remnants after an uninstall attempt. They're NASTY.

Randy Schneider · Post by **Randy Schneider** » 1 Aug 2017 4:33 am

McAfee does provide a consumer product removal tool.

https://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?id=TS101331

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 1 Aug 2017 4:36 am

Randy Schneider wrote:McAfee does provide a consumer product removal tool.

That's appropriate, given that their uninstalls leave so much to be desired.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 1 Aug 2017 6:17 am

And does it actually remove 100% of the crap it installs?

Randy Schneider · Post by **Randy Schneider** » 1 Aug 2017 6:59 am

Richard Sinkler wrote:And does it actually remove 100% of the crap it installs?

That's a good question...

I will say this -- I did use a version of the tool some years ago (in the XP days) to clean up a friend's machine when a McAfee update messed up the network stack and broke the internet connection. The removal tool did clean things up, and McAfee was reinstalled clean.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 1 Aug 2017 8:14 am

Revo Uninstaller Pro, if you use the "deep" registry cleaning (I forget the exact name) will take a while but will find 99% of program fragments left in the registry. I normally use medium. Whether registry "cleaning" is really an issue anymore?? I've fixed several user PC's that had registry cleaners (PC speed ups, etc) run that screwed things up. Another thing with Revo Uninstaller Pro, it does a registry backup and creates a restore point before it runs the uninstaller program.

As I noted the new Dell laptop is "clean" as far as Latency Mon (and that program seems to be picky). I have "Win Patrol" installed and it allows checking startup, processes, services, etc and there are no McAfee entries anywhere. I have Cakewalk Sonar installed and some test recordings went without problems (no clicks/droputs, etc). My MOTU 896Mk3 Hybrid, which is a USB 2.0/Firewire interface unit is connected via a USB 3.0 port (there are only USB 3.0 ports on the new laptop).