Windows 11 Users Gain Three New Methods to Uninstall McAfee

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 from an admin prompt. - MCPR runs indefinitely: disable early launch anti-malware protection from Advanced Startup → Startup Settings and retry. - "Access Denied" when deleting folders: take ownership via folder Properties → Security → Advanced → Change owner. After removal Removing McAfee leaves Windows Security (Microsoft Defender) to reactivate automatically, but verify Defender is active and your system remains protected.

Update: 17 Jun 2026