It is quite easy to deactivate McAfee and all of its services. Remember, if McAfee is the only protection for your computer, disabling it will open your system wide open to any threat imaginable, whether from the Internet or from a USB flash drive of dubious origin.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Disable McAfee on Windows
Step 1. Open the Windows start menu
To do this, click on the Windows logo in the lower left corner of your screen or press the ⊞ Win key on your keyboard.
Step 2. Enter mcafee in the search bar
Your system will search for the application.
Step 3. Click McAfee® Security Center
You should find this button at the top of the Windows Start window with a mention Graphic interface affixed below the name of the application. This will open the McAfee window.
Step 4. Click the PC Security tab
You'll find it at the top of the McAfee window.
Step 5. Click Real-Time Threat Scan
You will find this tab in the left column of the McAfee window.
Step 6. Click Disable
You will find this button in the upper right corner of the real-time threat scans settings page.
Step 7. Select an inactivity time limit
In the selection box titled Real-time search reactivation delay, you have the option to choose a time limit during which the real-time threat scan will be inactive. Select this limit and then click Disable. This limit is set by default at 15 minutes.
- If you want to manually reactivate this service without setting a time limit, select Never in dialogue.
- You will only be able to exit this dialog after making a selection.
Step 8. Click the Firewall tab
This option is located below the tab titled Real-time threat research in the left column of the McAfee window.
Step 9. Click the Disable button
You will find it in the upper right corner of the page.
The firewall will already be disabled if you see that its settings page is empty. In this case, you can skip the following two steps
Step 10. Select an inactivity time limit
In the displayed selection box, select the length of time you want the firewall to remain inactive and click Disable. This will deactivate McAfee's firewall until the limit thus set expires.
Step 11. Exit the firewall settings window
To do this, click on the icon forming a X which is in the upper right corner of the firewall window.
Step 12. Click Automatic Updates
You will find this tab just below the one titled Firewall in the left column of the McAfee page.
Step 13. Click Disable
You will find this button in the upper right corner of the automatic updates settings page.
Step 14. Open the Scheduled Scans tab
Exit the Automatic Updates page and click on the tab titled Scheduled Threat Scans which you will find in the left column of the McAfee window, below the Automatic Updates tab.
Step 15. Click Disable
It is located in the upper right corner of the window. All services offered by McAfee will now be disabled.
Step 16. Remove McAfee from your computer
If everything does not work as described, you may be able to remove McAfee from your computer by uninstalling it completely.
Method 2 of 2: Disable McAfee on Mac
Step 1. Click on the icon representing McAfee
It represents the letter M white in color superimposed on a red shield and can be found at the top right end of your menu bar.
- If you don't see this icon, click the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner of your Mac screen, type Mcafee and click on the option titled Internet security.
Step 2. Click Full Protection Console
You'll find this option at the bottom of McAfee's drop-down menu.
Step 3. Click on the tab labeled Home
You will find it in the upper left corner of the window.
Step 4. Click on the gear icon
It is located in the upper right corner of the open window. This will open the drop-down menu of security options on your Mac.
Step 5. Click Realtime Searches
This button is at the top of the security options drop-down menu. This will open the real-time threat scanning settings window.
Step 6. Turn off real-time threat scanning
Follow these steps to do this:
- click on the lock icon;
- enter your administrator password and click OK;
- click on the switch titled Real-time threat research which is in the upper right corner of the window;
- close the real-time threat scan settings window.
Step 7. Click the gear icon again
Then click on the Firewall button below Real-time scanning from the drop-down menu of security options on your Mac.
Step 8. Disable McAfee's firewall
Proceed in the same way as for disabling real-time threat scanning.
Step 9. Click on the gear icon again
Then click on the Automatic Updates button below Firewall from the drop-down menu of security options on your Mac.
Step 10. Turn off automatic updates
Then proceed in the same way as for disabling real-time threat scanning and the firewall.
Step 11. Click the gear icon again
Then click on the Scheduled Scans button below Automatic updates from the drop-down menu of security options on your Mac.
Step 12. Unlock the Scheduled Searches page
To do this, click on the cogwheel icon and enter your administrator password in the dialog provided for this purpose then click on OK.
Step 13. Click the drop-down menu labeled Weekly
It is located at the far left of the Scheduled Scans page.
- If you don't see this option, click the tab titled Scheduled scans at the top of the page.
Step 14. Select Never
This will prevent McAfee from re-enabling your computer to scan for threats.
Step 15. Click on the gear icon again
Then click on McAfee Local Assistant located at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
Local Assistant keeps McAfee running in the browsers installed on your Mac
Step 16. Disable McAfee Local Assistant
To do this, click the switch located in the upper right corner of the Local Assistant options page.
To be able to operate the deactivation switch, you will need to enter your administrator password after clicking on the padlock icon at the bottom of the page
Step 17. Close the settings window
Your McAfee security suite is now completely disabled.
Step 18. Remove McAfee from your Mac
If you want to remove all traces of McAfee presence on your Mac, you will need to uninstall the application as follows:
- open
Finder;
- select the folder titled Applications in the left column of Finder, or click Go then on Applications in the drop-down menu;
- locate and double-click on the application Uninstalling McAfee® Security Center;
- click on To continue when prompted;
- enter your administrator password when prompted and click OK;
- click on to end when the McAfee uninstallation is complete.