Because of the recent virus outbreaks that are going on around the Internet, many of the modern computers come fully equipped with a free and limited subscription (usually 1 year) of a popular security suite. Security suites like McAfee Internet Security include full protection against viruses, firewall to block hackers, and a navigation center where these tools can be launched called the McAfee Security Center.
McAfee has been known for its problems in installing the software and while users that have it preinstalled do not need to worry, not all are willing to keep it in their system for different reasons. Some uninstall and remove McAfee because they are not impressed with the product while others do not want to extend their subscription and find a better Internet Security solution.
There are several ways to completely uninstall McAfee Security Center and depending on the configuration, some of the methods have a chance of not working. The easiest methods often do not succeed and the extra steps in getting it fully uninstalled is well worth the effort especially if you plan on replacing it with another security suite.
The Easy Method – Control Panel
You should be able to uninstall and remove McAfee Security Center the same way you uninstall most of your other applications. If you are using Windows Vista, head to the “Programs and Features” control panel item or the familiar “Add/Remove Programs” item if you are using Windows XP. From there, look for “McAfee Security Center”, and click Uninstall.
The only drawback of this method is that not everything is fully taken out. Check the “mcafee.com” folder inside your “Program Files” folder of your root drive and clear out any leftover files that are there. If you are successful with this method, you do not need to try the other methods anymore.
The Reliable Method – McAfee Consumer Products Removal tool
This method takes a little bit more effort because you need to be connected to the Internet and you must download an application that helps uninstall a variety of different McAfee products including older versions of McAfee Security Center. The application isn’t very large and weighs less than a megabyte so this step should be a breeze. You can download the tool at http://download.mcafee.com/products/licensed/cust_support_patches/MCPR.exe. Be careful in handling this program because once you run it, all components are uninstalled without any confirmation.
The Beneficial Method – Perfect Uninstaller
You can also uninstall McAfee by using a good 3rd party uninstaller like Perfect Uninstaller. Once you purchased Perfect Uninstaller, you can easily uninstall McAfee by closing all instances of McAfee including the system tray icons and select the McAfee application in the Perfect Uninstaller program. The wizard should guide you in making a clean removal. The main benefit of getting this is that it can be used to fully uninstall other security suites and applications.
All of these methods should remove all traces of McAfee, but using Perfect Uninstaller is clearly the best solution. With Perfect Uninstaller, you can remove any future applications with very little steps.