How do I uninstall McAfee from new ASUS Laptop?

[allbenatt]

My daughter was using the new ASUS laptop I got her for Christmas when a dialogue box popped up asking her to allow McAfee to install an update to security software she supposedly subscribed to. She swears she did not subscribe and she is very disappointed to find out that McAfee software has been installed on the laptop.

I can tell you I am very unhappy about having purchased as a gift a new laptop that had no indication whatsoever that McAfee was either installed at the factory or that it would self-install on the machine. ASUS and McAfee have abused my trust and soured the experience of giving this product as a gift.

I've read a few discussions in this forum about people having difficulty uninstalling McAfee software so I am looking for support before I even get started. My daughter is asleep right now and I don't have the password to her computer to get the details on exactly which software it is. But McAfee should know what is factory-installed on this machine:

ASUS X502C running Windows 8

Please provide detailed steps to completely uninstall all traces of McAfee software from the PC.

Thank you in advance for providing prompt and thorough technical support.

[allbenatt]

Further to my original question, I am not comfortable doing registry edits without guidance from one of your tech support people.

I read this thread and am not interested in going through what these users experienced:

https://community.mcafee.com/message/311641#311641

Also, I am not interested in simply unsubscribing my daughter from McAfee services. I want all traces of the software removed from the system. Years ago I had a nightmare experience removing Norton software from my system and I won't go through that again with McAfee.

I hope to hear from you soon.

[exbrit]

It's the manufacturer of the laptop that puts the software on there as they believe correctly that some protection is better than no protection at all.   Plus if it's McAfee Anti-Theft to which you are referring then Intel's Anti-Theft Chip is built in to the motherboard and needs software to control it and using that software affords protection against loss or theft but if you don't wish to use it, it can be disabled.

You don't mention what software is installed but I'm assuming Anti-Theft so have moved the thread to that section.

Anti-Theft Support is available 24/7/365 here:

See this page: Intel® Anti-Theft Service Provided by McAfee

Meanwhile an Anti-Theft support person patrols there forums periodically so hopefully they will contribute suggestions here.

If it's not Anti-Theft we are talking about then the regular software is easy to uninstall simply by going to Control Panel > Programs and Features and uninstalling it from there.

Then to make sure all remnants are gone use the MCPR cleanup tool and reboot.

DO NOT USE THIS METHOD FOR ANTI-THEFT, IT WONT WORK - contact support above.

.

Message was edited by: Ex_Brit on 26/12/13 11:11:17 EST AM

[exbrit]

By the way after the software is removed and/or deactivated if you have previously activated McAfee software call Customer Service to have any account deactivated at 1-866-622-3911 and you can make sure that the auto-renewal process is deactivated yourself on your account page:  https://home.mcafee.com/secure/protected/login.aspx?

.

Message was edited by: Ex_Brit on 26/12/13 11:46:18 EST AM

[allbenatt]

It was McAfee Internet Security. So this thread may now be in the wrong area of the forum

I followed your instructions and will let you know if any further issues exist.

Meantime, I know that you are blaming the installation of McAfee Internet Security on the manufacturer - ASUS. But I'm curious why McAfee would enter into software integration agreements with a PC manufacturer without the requirement that the consumer is made aware the software has been pre-installed. Had I known in advance, I would NOT have purchased the PC. This is not because I believe McAfee to have inferior or problematic software but I do believe it should be the consumer's educated choice when software is integrated that has such a wide-ranging impact on files and internet communication / data transfer.

When I found McAfee integrated into the system, I was angry at both ASUS and McAfee. Right or wrong, your fault or not, it hurts YOUR brand image.

I fully expect you to avoid answering the underlined question above. But it would help renew my respect for McAfee if you would answer it. Others in this community forum have asked more or less the same question and not once have I seen a comment or response from McAfee.

[exbrit]

Moved this to SecurityCenter and the uninstall instructions given for regular software above would apply.

If it's not Anti-Theft we are talking about then the regular software is easy to uninstall simply by going to Control Panel > Programs and Features and uninstalling it from there.
Then to make sure all remnants are gone use the MCPR cleanup tool and reboot.

There's no conspiracy here.  Asus probably has a contract with McAfee.  It could just as easily have been Norton, Kaspersky or someone else.   I don't see how it hurts a brand image as the majority of users would probably settle to keep the software anyway.   Why would I avoid answering questions?   I'm a volunteer here, not an employee.   I agree that buyers should be made aware of what is installed and that is the job of the person or organization selling the machine in the first place.  If they fail to tell their customers what they are getting you can hardly blame McAfee or whomever created the software.

When I bought my Alienware machine 4 years ago I knew exactly what was installed, both software and hardware-wise as it was all laid out in my order and the literature that came with it.     I can only assume that retailing standards have dropped since then.

[allbenatt]

Sorry. I misunderstood and thought you were an employee. Thanks for offering to answer questions.

I do have to disagree, however. For you to say that

"It could just as easily have been Norton, Kaspersky or someone else." is to suggest that if everyone is doing the wrong thing that makes it right.

Further, when you state,  "I don't see how it hurts a brand image as the majority of users would probably settle to keep the software anyway", that (1) you are justifying their decision to not tell consumers because most of them would decide to keep it in the end, and (2) pissing off the minority of consumers is good policy as long as a greater number of people are complacent about it.

All you have to do is to look at how many people on this very forum have been annoyed at McAfee and ASUS pre-installing software - particularly anti-theft software - and compare that with how few (if any) have stated that they are so pleased the software was pre-installed without their knowledge and you'll have the answer to whether or not it makes sense to piss off a few people despite many being complacent.

In fact, you are telling the same story as the customer service rep I spoke to a few minutes ago when I called to have my "account deactivated" as you recommended in this thread. The rep first said that the software is just a trial version that consumers can choose to install or not to install. I pointed out that we did not "choose" to install it - it was already there and asking for authorization to be updated using "the email address used when you installed the software".

So now he backpedals and says, "Oh, well... that's ASUS that did that. They pre-installed it. We had nothing to do with that."

"Then why did the dialogue box - that only had the McAfee logo on it; not the ASUS logo - ask us for the email address used when we installed the software? How does it expect us to know the ASUS email address used in installation? Don't you think it's asking us for our email address? And why do you think it's doing that unless it wants to use that to send us sales pitches to continue to subscribe to the service? And why do you think there is no 'X' to enable us to close the dialogue box and nearly forcing us to enter our email and click 'OK'?"

"Look we have nothing to do with that. That's ASUS."

"Do you mean to say you don't have a formal partnership that gives them the right to pre-install?"

"Oh, I'm sure we have a partnership with them but we have no idea how they use the software after that."

"So you really think your business development people are signing open-ended, no-terms-of-use contracts with PC manufacturers that allows them to do whatever they want with your software?"

....silence...

"Are we done here?", I ask.

"Yes."

"OK. Thanks for your total lack of candor. Bye."

[exbrit]

Well I don't know where you bought your machine from but every time I browse whether in person in stores or online, the "ingredients" are always laid out and I would say it's a case of buyer beware.   No computer is sold without any security software as far as I know, so wouldn't you have asked?   Either ASUS or the retailer put that software on there, it doesn't self-install.

I'm sorry but this is not McAfee's fault.   You asked how to remove the software and I've given you that information.

It takes only about 2 or 3 minutes to do at the most.

Message was edited by: Ex_Brit on 26/12/13 3:54:12 EST PM

[allbenatt]

I really want to thank you again for volunteering and for helping me to feel confident in uninstalling McAfee Internet Security. I mean that.

You should probably apply to be a customer service rep because you have a natural inclination to ignore relevant facts and, instead, to act as a blind apologist for the company. You stated a couple of obvious and indisputable facts while ignoring the details of the this particular case:

1.)

We Agree: that security software is available on most PCs sold in the US.

We Don't Agree: that security software is pre-installed and automatically activated on most PCs sold in the US.

2.)

We Agree: ASUS put the software on there. No question about this. The retailer did not do it.

We Don't agree: that they could have done it without McAfee's consent. You seem to think they could. I don't.

If you decide to apologize further for McAfee, please reply specifically to what I stated in #1 and #2 above.

[exbrit]

I'm a busy person as I see I'm the only volunteer signed in and I have to vet new members who are joining at the rate of 50/hour, so if you' don't mind could we just garee to differ on this?  This could so easily have been a Symantec/Norton or Kaspersky issue and you no doubt would be castigating them in the same manner.    Sure there are 2 sides to a sales agreement that puts software on a machine, but it's the seller who put it there and activated it (you said it was activated...something that is impossible to do unless they know your email address, name and password), so if they did then your complaint is misplaced here.

It would be stupid for any retailer/PC maker not to put security software of some sort on their machines because the average person is unaware of all the perils that lie in wait out there & the retailer could then be open to lawsuits or at best some pretty angry customers.  I don't care what they told you, it's a fact..

.

.

Message was edited by: Ex_Brit on 26/12/13 6:28:47 EST PM