How to uninstall McAfee on Windows 11
Overview
This guide explains three reliable ways to remove McAfee from Windows 11: the Settings GUI, the winget command-line tool, and the McAfee Consumer Product Removal (MCPR) cleanup utility. It also covers safety prep, verification steps, and common troubleshooting tips.
Safety and preparation
- Ensure you have administrator rights. For the CLI method, run Terminal as administrator.
- Create a system restore point (search "Create a restore point").
- Save your work and close McAfee (exit via the system tray if present).
- Note the exact McAfee product name (Total Protection, LiveSafe, WebAdvisor, etc.).
Method 1 — Remove via Settings (GUI)
1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Apps → Installed apps.
3. Search for "McAfee" and click the three-dot menu next to the product → Uninstall.
4. Follow the McAfee uninstaller prompts and choose to remove all components.
5. Restart the PC when prompted and repeat for any remaining McAfee entries.
Method 2 — Uninstall using winget (CLI)
1. Open an elevated terminal (Terminal (Admin)).
2. List McAfee packages: winget list --name McAfee
3. Identify the package Id (case-sensitive) and run: winget uninstall --id "McAfee.TotalProtection" (replace with the actual Id). You can add --source winget if needed.
4. Repeat for each McAfee entry (WebAdvisor, LiveSafe, etc.) until winget list --name McAfee returns nothing.
5. Restart: shutdown /r /t 30 /c "Restarting to complete McAfee removal"
Method 3 — Deep cleanup with MCPR
- Download the latest MCPR.exe from McAfee's support site or install via winget: winget install --id McAfee.MCPR -e
- Run MCPR.exe, accept the EULA, complete the CAPTCHA, and let it scan and remove leftovers.
- When it reports "Cleanup Successful," restart the PC.
Verify removal — checklist
- Settings → Apps → Installed apps: search for "McAfee" (should be none).
- winget list --name McAfee should return no results.
- Services: run services.msc and look for any McAfee services; none should remain.
- Task Manager: no McAfee processes or startup entries.
- Leftover folders: check C:\Program Files\McAfee, C:\Program Files (x86)\McAfee, C:\ProgramData\McAfee and delete if present (may require taking ownership).
- Task Scheduler: remove any McAfee scheduled tasks.
- Confirm Windows Security (Defender) is active: Settings → Privacy & security → Windows Security → Virus & threat protection.
Troubleshooting common failures
- Uninstaller hangs/freezes: boot into Safe Mode and run the uninstall or MCPR.
- winget doesn’t find packages: try broader searches (winget list | findstr /i mcafee) or use the GUI/MCPR.
- McAfee services keep running: delete orphaned services with sc delete
