Mcafee is a popular antivirus software that provides protection against various cyber threats. However, there may be instances when you need to manually uninstall McAfee Agent from your computer. Whether you are switching to a different antivirus program or troubleshooting issues with McAfee, this guide will walk you through the steps to remove the agent.

Before proceeding with the uninstallation, it is crucial to note that manually uninstalling the McAfee Agent can be complex and should be done with caution. It is recommended to create a system backup or restore point to ensure that you can revert any changes if necessary.

To begin the process, you can start by accessing the control panel on your Windows computer. Navigate to the “Programs” or “Programs and Features” section, where you will find a list of installed applications. Scroll through the list until you locate the McAfee Agent.

Once you have located the McAfee Agent, right-click on it and select “Uninstall” or “Remove” from the drop-down menu. Follow the on-screen prompts to proceed with the uninstallation process. Depending on your system configuration, you may be prompted to enter administrator credentials or confirm the action.

Step 1: Stop McAfee Agent Services

To manually uninstall McAfee Agent, you need to first stop the McAfee Agent services. Here are the steps to do it:

Step 1.1:

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.

Step 1.2:

Type “services.msc” in the Run dialog box and click OK.

Step 1.3:

In the Services window, scroll down and locate the McAfee Agent services:

McAfee Agent
McAfee Framework Service
McAfee McShield

Step 1.4:

Right-click on each of these services and select Stop from the context menu.

Step 1.5:

Once the services are stopped, you can proceed to the next step of the manual uninstallation process.

Step 2: Disable McAfee Agent Auto-Start

After you have successfully uninstalled the McAfee agent, you may also want to disable the auto-start feature to prevent it from running again in the future. Follow the steps below to disable McAfee agent auto-start:

On your computer, press the “Windows” key + “R” to open the Run dialog box.
Type “services.msc” in the Run dialog box and click “OK” or press “Enter”.
In the Services window, locate the “McAfee Agent” service.
Right-click on the “McAfee Agent” service and select “Properties”.
In the Properties window, click on the “General” tab.
Under the “Startup type” section, select “Disabled” from the drop-down menu.
Click “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes.
Close the Services window.

By disabling the auto-start feature, you can ensure that the McAfee agent does not start automatically when you restart your computer. This step is optional but recommended if you no longer want the McAfee agent to be running on your system.

Step 3: Remove McAfee Agent Registry Entries

Removing McAfee Agent registry entries is an important step in the manual uninstallation process. These entries store various settings and configurations related to the McAfee Agent program. Follow the steps below to remove McAfee Agent registry entries:

Open the Windows Registry Editor by pressing the Windows key + R, typing “regedit”, and pressing Enter.
Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREWOW6432NodeNetwork AssociatesTVD
Delete the TVD folder by right-clicking on it and selecting “Delete”.
Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARENetwork AssociatesTVD
Delete the TVD folder by right-clicking on it and selecting “Delete”.
Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREWow6432NodeMcAfeeAgent
Delete the Agent folder by right-clicking on it and selecting “Delete”.
Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMcAfeeAgent
Delete the Agent folder by right-clicking on it and selecting “Delete”.
Close the Windows Registry Editor.

By following these steps, you will successfully remove the McAfee Agent registry entries. This will ensure that all traces of the McAfee Agent program are removed from your system.

Step 4: Delete McAfee Agent Files and Folders

After you have uninstalled the McAfee Agent, it is important to delete any remaining files and folders to ensure a complete removal. Follow the steps below to remove all traces of the agent:

1. Open the File Explorer

Click on the File Explorer icon in your taskbar or press the Windows key + E on your keyboard to open the File Explorer.

2. Navigate to the installation folder

Go to the folder where the McAfee Agent is installed. The default location is usually C:Program FilesMcAfeeAgent.

3. Delete the McAfee Agent files and folders

Once you are in the installation folder, select all the files and folders related to the McAfee Agent and press the Delete key on your keyboard. You may need to confirm the deletion by clicking “Yes” in the confirmation dialog box.

Make sure to delete any subfolders and files within the installation folder to completely remove the McAfee Agent.

It is recommended to double-check the Recycle Bin after deleting the files to ensure they are permanently removed from your system.

By following these steps, you have successfully deleted the McAfee Agent files and folders from your computer.

Step 5: Uninstall McAfee Agent using Control Panel

In this step, we will guide you on how to uninstall McAfee Agent manually using the Control Panel. Follow the instructions below:

1. Open the Control Panel

Click on the “Start” button, then select “Control Panel” from the menu.

2. Locate and Access “Programs and Features”

Once the Control Panel window is open, find the section labeled “Programs” or “Programs and Features” and click on it.

3. Uninstall McAfee Agent

Within the “Programs and Features” or “Uninstall a program” section, locate McAfee Agent in the list of installed programs. Once found, click on it to select it.

After selecting McAfee Agent, you should see an option to uninstall or remove the program. Click on this option to initiate the uninstallation process.

4. Follow the Uninstallation Wizard

A pop-up window or wizard will appear, guiding you through the uninstallation process. Follow the prompts and provide any necessary confirmation or information as requested.

Once you have successfully completed the steps of the uninstallation wizard, McAfee Agent should be completely removed from your computer.

Note: If you encounter any issues or errors during the uninstallation process, refer to McAfee’s support documentation or contact their customer support for further assistance.

Step 6: Clean up leftover McAfee Agent Files and Folders

After uninstalling the McAfee Agent manually, it is important to clean up any leftover files and folders to ensure a complete removal of the software. Follow these steps to clean up the remnants of McAfee Agent:

1. Delete the McAfee Agent installation directory:

Navigate to the directory where McAfee Agent was installed, typically located at C:Program Files (x86)McAfeeAgent. Delete the entire folder.

2. Remove any remaining registry entries:

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type “regedit” and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREWOW6432NodeMcAfeeAgent

Right-click on the “Agent” folder and select Delete.

3. Clean up the temporary files:

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type “%temp%” and press Enter to open the Temp folder.

Delete any files or folders related to McAfee Agent.

4. Restart your computer:

After completing these steps, restart your computer to ensure all changes take effect.

By following these steps, you have successfully cleaned up leftover McAfee Agent files and folders after manually uninstalling the software.

Step 7: Remove McAfee Agent related entries from Windows Registry

In order to completely uninstall McAfee Agent manually, it is essential to remove any leftover entries from the Windows Registry. Follow the steps below to accomplish this:

Warning: Modifying the Windows Registry can have serious consequences for the stability and functionality of your computer. It is strongly recommended to create a backup of your registry before proceeding.

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type “regedit” and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Within the Registry Editor, navigate to the following location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMcAfeeAgent
Right-click on the “Agent” folder and select “Delete”.
Confirm the deletion when prompted.
Next, navigate to the following location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREWow6432NodeMcAfeeAgent
Repeat steps 4 and 5 to delete the “Agent” folder.

Once you have successfully deleted the McAfee Agent entries from the Registry, you can proceed to the next step to complete the manual uninstallation process.

Step 8: Delete McAfee Agent Services

After completing the previous steps to uninstall McAfee Agent, it’s important to delete the McAfee Agent services to ensure a complete removal. Follow the steps below to delete McAfee Agent services:

Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
Type “services.msc” into the dialog box and click OK.
In the Services window, scroll down and locate the McAfee Agent services. They may be listed as “McAfee Agent” or “MFEAgent”.
Right-click on each McAfee Agent service and select Properties.
In the Properties window, click the Stop button to stop the service.
Once the service is stopped, click the Startup type dropdown menu and select Disabled.
Click OK to save the changes.
Repeat these steps for all McAfee Agent services listed in the Services window.

By deleting the McAfee Agent services, you have successfully removed the remaining components of McAfee Agent from your system.

Step 9: Uninstall McAfee Agent using Command Prompt

If you prefer a more manual approach to uninstalling the McAfee Agent from your computer, you can use the Command Prompt. Here’s how:

1. Press the Start button on your keyboard and type “Command Prompt” into the search bar.

2. Right-click on Command Prompt in the search results and select “Run as administrator”.

3. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter: frminst.exe /forceuninstall

4. Wait for the McAfee Agent to be uninstalled. This may take a few minutes.

5. Once the uninstallation process is complete, you can close the Command Prompt window.

By following these steps, you can manually uninstall the McAfee Agent from your computer using the Command Prompt.

Step 10: Restart the Computer

Once you have completed the manual uninstallation process for the McAfee agent, it is important to restart your computer. This step ensures that any remaining traces of the agent are completely removed from your system, allowing you to start with a clean slate.

To restart your computer, follow these steps:

Save and close any open files or programs.
Click on the Start menu in the bottom left corner of your screen.
Select the “Restart” option from the menu.
Your computer will now begin the restart process.

After the computer restarts, it is recommended to perform a quick scan with your preferred antivirus software to ensure that there are no other potentially harmful files or programs present on your system.

Additional Considerations

If your computer does not restart automatically, you may need to manually power it off and then turn it back on.

It is also a good practice to check for any available updates for your operating system and install them before using your computer again.

Related Articles
How to Remove McAfee Agent
How to Reinstall McAfee Agent

Step 11: Remove McAfee Agent from the Startup

Manually uninstalling McAfee Agent requires removing it from the startup programs list. Follow the steps below to complete this process:

Open the Task Manager: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc or right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager.
Navigate to the Startup tab: Click on the Startup tab at the top of the Task Manager window.
Locate McAfee Agent: Look for any entries related to McAfee Agent in the list of startup programs.
Select the McAfee Agent entry: Click on the entry to select it.
Click on the Disable button: At the bottom-right corner of the Task Manager window, click on the Disable button to remove McAfee Agent from the startup.
Repeat steps 3-5: Repeat steps 3-5 for any other McAfee Agent entries listed in the startup programs.
Close the Task Manager: Once you have disabled all McAfee Agent entries, close the Task Manager window.

By removing McAfee Agent from the startup, you are preventing it from automatically launching when you start your computer. This step is crucial to ensure that McAfee Agent is completely uninstalled from your system.

Step 12: Delete McAfee Agent Firewall Rules

As part of the manual uninstallation process for McAfee Agent, you will need to delete any firewall rules associated with the software. These rules are typically set up to allow McAfee Agent to communicate with other devices on your network.

Follow these steps to delete McAfee Agent firewall rules:

Open the Windows Firewall settings on your computer.
Navigate to the “Outbound Rules” section.
Look for any rules that are associated with McAfee Agent. These rules are usually named something like “McAfee Agent Outbound”.
Select the McAfee Agent rule(s) and click on the “Delete” button.
Confirm the deletion of the rule(s) when prompted.
Repeat this process for any other McAfee Agent rules that you find in the “Outbound Rules” section.

By deleting these firewall rules, you are effectively removing any restrictions that McAfee Agent had for outbound communication.

Once you have completed this step, you can proceed with the remaining steps of the manual uninstallation process to fully remove McAfee Agent from your computer.

Step 13: Remove McAfee Agent Scheduled Tasks

To manually uninstall McAfee Agent, it is important to remove any scheduled tasks associated with the program. Follow the steps below to remove McAfee Agent scheduled tasks:

1. Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.

2. Type “taskschd.msc” in the Run dialog box and click OK to open the Task Scheduler.

3. In the Task Scheduler window, locate and expand the McAfee folder in the left-hand pane.

4. Select and delete any tasks related to McAfee Agent.

5. Confirm the deletion when prompted.

6. Repeat this process for any additional McAfee Agent tasks that may be present.

7. Once all McAfee Agent scheduled tasks have been removed, close the Task Scheduler window.

By removing these scheduled tasks, you are ensuring that McAfee Agent will no longer run automatically on your system.

Step 14: Uninstall McAfee Agent using McAfee Removal Tool

If you have followed the previous steps and are still experiencing issues with manually uninstalling the McAfee Agent, you can try using the McAfee Removal Tool. This tool is specifically designed to completely remove all traces of McAfee products from your system, including the McAfee Agent.

Download the McAfee Removal Tool from the official McAfee website.
Save the downloaded file to your desktop or any other convenient location.
Double-click on the downloaded file to run the McAfee Removal Tool.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation process.
Once the McAfee Removal Tool has finished removing all McAfee components, restart your computer.
After your computer has restarted, check if the McAfee Agent has been successfully uninstalled.

If you still encounter any issues or remnants of the McAfee Agent on your system, it is recommended to contact McAfee support for further assistance.

Step 15: Remove McAfee Agent Log Files

After you have successfully uninstalled the McAfee Agent from your system, it is recommended to remove any remaining log files related to the agent. These log files contain information about the installation and operation of the agent, and removing them can help free up disk space and ensure a clean uninstallation.

To remove the McAfee Agent log files, follow these steps:

Open the File Explorer on your computer.
Navigate to the folder where the McAfee Agent log files are located. The default location is usually C:ProgramDataMcAfeeAgentlogs.
Select all the log files in the folder by pressing Ctrl+A on your keyboard.
Right-click on the selected log files and choose “Delete” from the context menu.
Confirm the deletion when prompted.

By performing these steps, you can remove the McAfee Agent log files from your system, ensuring a thorough uninstallation of the agent.

Step 16: Empty the Recycle Bin

Emptying the Recycle Bin is an important step in the manual uninstallation process of McAfee Agent. This ensures that any leftover files or folders related to the agent are permanently deleted from your system.

To empty the Recycle Bin, follow the steps below:

Locate the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop or in the taskbar notification area.
Right-click on the Recycle Bin icon and select “Empty Recycle Bin” from the context menu.
A confirmation dialog will appear asking if you want to permanently delete all the items in the Recycle Bin. Click “Yes” to proceed.

Once you have emptied the Recycle Bin, the manually uninstalled McAfee Agent will no longer have any remnants left on your computer.

Note:

Emptying the Recycle Bin permanently deletes the files and folders it contains. Make sure you have checked the Recycle Bin thoroughly before emptying it to avoid accidental deletion of any important files.

Also, keep in mind that emptying the Recycle Bin is irreversible. Once you empty it, the deleted files cannot be recovered unless you have a backup.

Conclusion:

By emptying the Recycle Bin, you have completed the manual uninstallation process of the McAfee Agent. This ensures that all the related files and folders are removed from your system.

Step 17: Verify Complete Uninstallation of McAfee Agent

After manually uninstalling the McAfee Agent, it is important to verify that the uninstallation process was successful and that all traces of the agent have been removed. Follow the steps below to verify the complete uninstallation of McAfee Agent:

Restart your computer to ensure that any remaining processes or services associated with McAfee Agent have been terminated.
Go to the installation directory where McAfee Agent was previously located. By default, it is typically found in the “C:Program Files” or “C:Program Files (x86)” folder.
Check if the McAfee Agent folder still exists. If it does, delete the folder to ensure complete removal of the agent.
Open the Windows Registry Editor by pressing the Windows key + R, typing “regedit” in the Run dialog, and clicking “OK”.
Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMcAfeeAgent.
If the “Agent” key still exists, right-click on it and select “Delete” to remove it from the registry.
Close the Registry Editor.
Open the Windows Services Manager by pressing the Windows key + R, typing “services.msc” in the Run dialog, and clicking “OK”.
Scroll through the list of services and make sure that no McAfee Agent-related services are still present. If any are found, right-click on them and select “Stop” to stop the service, and then right-click again and select “Delete” to remove the service.
Close the Services Manager.

By completing these steps, you can be confident that the McAfee Agent has been manually uninstalled from your computer.

Вопрос-ответ:

What is McAfee Agent?

McAfee Agent is a software component that provides communication between McAfee products and ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO). It is installed on client systems and helps in managing the deployment and monitoring of McAfee security products.

Why do I need to uninstall McAfee Agent?

You may need to uninstall McAfee Agent if you no longer use any McAfee products or if you want to replace it with another security software. Uninstalling McAfee Agent will remove its presence from your system and stop any communication with ePolicy Orchestrator.

How do I manually uninstall McAfee Agent?

To manually uninstall McAfee Agent, you can use the McAfee Agent Uninstall Command tool or use the Windows Control Panel. Detailed step-by-step instructions can be found in the article.

What are the steps to uninstall McAfee Agent using the Control Panel?

To uninstall McAfee Agent using the Control Panel, you need to open the Control Panel, navigate to the “Programs” or “Programs and Features” section, find the McAfee Agent in the list of installed programs, right-click on it and choose “Uninstall” or “Remove”. You may need to follow the on-screen prompts to complete the uninstallation process.

Can I reinstall McAfee Agent after uninstalling it?

Yes, you can reinstall McAfee Agent after uninstalling it. You can download the latest version of McAfee Agent from the McAfee website and follow the installation instructions. Keep in mind that reinstalling McAfee Agent will require a valid license or subscription.

Can I manually uninstall McAfee Agent?

Yes, you can manually uninstall McAfee Agent by following the steps provided in the article.