How do I uninstall McAfee Security Scan Plus?

[Carlos2463214010rx]

How do I uninstall the McAfee Security Scan Plus software Adobe Acrobat DC installed without my permission on Windows 10?

The Uninstall option is grayed out in Windows Settings -> Apps & Features. McAfee keeps popping up telling me I have a "potential" security threat and won't tell me what it is and directs me to the McAfee website to purchase it. Seems like a marketing scam to me. I don't appreciate Adobe doing this. 

[calvinn90808704]

The key here is to use "TAB".  I was frustrated with not able to see the uninstall button in that tiny window for a long time.  Hit TAB and voila, uninstall and done. 

What's the deal with the tiny window?

I think that McAfee is intentionally doing this to people so they have to buy their app out of frustration.  I don't know what else they would do after you use their program to get you hooked.  

[Schmedly · Accepted solution]

I too had this problem and after reading several complex solutions that included multiple reoboots and manually editing the Windows registry, I stumbled across this simple solution:

1) In the search bar next to the Windows icon, type in 'mcafee' (yes, lower case).

2) A list of your apps should come up, but under a file tree different than the standard uninstall control panel.

3) Click on Mcafee Security Scan Plus, and the uninstall button should magically appear.

4) Click uninstall, and the program should now be removed.

5) Finally, go back to the search bar and again type 'mcafee' - a shortcut remains which can now be removed as well.

Hope this works for you too!

[Jaime257096158l7n]

Thank you very much. Your simple but hard to find solution worked for me. There are lots of programs offered on the web to solve this problem but I believed the medications would be worse than the disease. The unwanted McAfee program poured into my system while downloading Adobe Acrobat. I lost hours trying to get help from Adobe chats without success. I was a loyal Adobe Premiere customer until this incident. I will now move away from all Adobe products. I am now making my first tutorial to use the free version of Da Vinci Resolve  Editor from Blackmagic

[Leo259399972ezo]

Thank you, worked a treat, so simple right lol and only spent 20mins tops looking for this solution but read a few curly ones. Gotta love the blackhole of the internet. 

[Jesús Evelio26272613vjgy]

Thanks a lot. It worked fine for me.

[defaultx2rt2vc67wfn]

Thank you so much! It worked, though McAfee made several attemots to persuade me to stay. I too object to Adobe foistiung this on my without asking. 

Catherine

[Richard28308072wwuf]

No file tree appears when typing 'mcafee' in Search on Windows 11.

[Di2831172190el]

This was the perfect solution to remove McAfee.  Thank you.

[Leonardo29160373yqn0]

Super!!!!

[Doug29423931zzl7]

point 3)  RIGHT clight on Mcafee and select unistall ]windows 11]

[Elizabeth29843764rohe]

Fantastic - the Windows 11 fix was what I needed! Thank you 

[MarkyM@rk]

Thanks much, this work very simply.

[Happy to have this fixed]

Worked for me too.

I've been burned by Adobe before with auto install, just forgot. I hope Adobe is using the money it received for this wisely. It's a frustration for its customers.

[Tong Hong295730100enf]

Many thanks! Works like a charm!

TH Khor

[Stephen296059901k9h]

I am having the same issue and will be trying the ideas suggested herein.  But I'm using my Reply to add my voice in complaint to Adobe.  I'm a longtime user of Reader and I prefer it even to my company-furnished speciality PDF software - I use Reader in concert w/ those.  I've installed it many times, but only this most recent time on a new computer in 2023 did I get stuck by this MacAfee trap.  Perhaps I inadvertenly toggled on the MacAfee option during Reader download - I don't thinks so (and wouldn't do so on purpose) but can't rule out. However, I do find in Googling that sometimes I see the MacAfee option on the Reader download page, and sometimes not (?).  More importantly, MacAfee actively resists efforst to uninstall - so far I can't prevent period pop-up messages even after my uninstall.  Beyond that, MacAfee is also now email blasting me without an Unsubscribe option.  Not sure why reputable Adobe would partner with the unprofessional and reckless MacAfee; MacAfee's unwanted security software is the *only* malware on my computer - sigh.  Please, Adobe, make MacAfee furnish a 100% removal tool right there on your Reader download page.  Thank you.

[Glenn349980676qs6]

I've finally found the easiest way to uninstall this garbage McAfee Security Scan Plus, when the small screen popped out, press then you'll see the uninstall.

[Angela35668650uu09]

Hi thanks for this - but when the small popup appears, I can't get to the uninstall button...can't scroll down.  the only things accessible are to close out or to minimize.  can you explain "when the small screen popped out, press...."  -- press what?

this is so infuriating!!! 

[lldelk]

I rebooted my computer in safe mode and it allowed me to uninstall it in safe mode. 

[Angela35668650uu09]

this is all I can see on the popup. thank you for any info!

[michaels32500293]

The only way I could uninstall the program was to use Wise Uninstaller and use the Force Uninstall option.

[Marc36511149kyqw]

PDFGear is a great alternative to adobe scamming you into installing malware like mcafee. 

[Dennis369481368zk5]

uninstall a McAfee Security Plan

[SadFractal]

I just came from this post : https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/why-on-earth-is-mcafee-being-installed-when-i-att...

I really can't believe that Adon are shovelliong this sihte out with Reader.  It's been proven to be malware.

I'll be finding an alternative to Adobe Reader now and have completley lost my trust in Adobe.

I registered to simply make this comment - so annoyed right now.