This wikiHow teaches you how to temporarily turn off McAfee Security Center on a Mac or Windows computer. McAfee will not be deleted when you disable it. Remember, if you only install McAfee as your only antivirus, your computer will be vulnerable to malware attacks (software that infiltrates or damages your computer system) if you disable it.
Step
Method 1 of 2: On Windows
Step 1. Go to Start
Do this by clicking on the Windows logo in the lower left corner. You can also do this by pressing Win.
Step 2. Type mcafee into Start
The computer will start searching for McAfee.
Step 3. Click McAfee® TotalProtection
This option is located at the top of the Start window, with the "Desktop app" subheading below its name. Click this button and the McAfee program will open.
Step 4. Click PC Security in the upper-left corner of the McAfee program window
Step 5. Select the Real-Time Scanning tab located on the left side of the window
Step 6. Click Turn Off
The button is at the top right of the Real-Time Scanning page.
Step 7. Set the desired timeout, then click Turn Off
The time limit for re-enabling Real-Time Scanning can be set in the " When do you want to resume Real-Time Scanning? " box. By default, the timeout is 15 minutes.
- If you want to turn off McAfee until you manually re-enable it, set the timeout to never.
- You can exit this window after disabling Real-Time Scanning.
Step 8. Click Firewall
This option is under the tab Real-Time Scan on the left of the window.
Step 9. Click Turn Off at the top right of the page
If the Firewall page is blank, it means that McAfee Firewall has been turned off, and you can skip the next two steps
Step 10. Select the time limit, then click Turn Off
McAfee Firewall will be disabled until the timeout expires.
Step 11. Close the Firewall window
Do this by clicking X in the upper-right corner of the Firewall window.
Step 12. Click Automatic updates
These options are below Firewall on the left of the page.
Step 13. Click Turn Off
It's in the upper-right corner of the Automatic Updates page.
Step 14. Exit the Automatic Updates page, then click Scheduled scans
Option Scheduled scans located below Automatic Updates.
Step 15. Click on Turn Off which is in the top right corner
Now all McAfee services have been disabled.
Step 16. Remove McAfee from the computer
If all the steps above don't work, you can uninstall the McAfee program to completely shut it down.
Method 2 of 2: On Mac
Step 1. Click the McAfee icon
It's a white "M" icon on a red shield in the top right of your Mac's menu bar.
If the icon isn't there, click the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner, type "McAfee", then click Internet Security.
Step 2. Click Total Protection Console… which is located at the bottom of the McAfee drop-down menu
Step 3. Click Home
This tab is in the upper-left side of the window.
Step 4. Click the gear icon which is at the top right corner of the Home tab
Step 5. Click Real-Time Scanning
This option is at the top of the gear drop-down menu. This will open the Real-Time Scanning window.
Step 6. Disable Real-Time Scanning
The method:
- Click lock icon.
- tik administrator password, then click OK.
- Click Real-Time Scan in the upper right corner.
- Close the Real-Time Scanning window.
Step 7. Click the gear icon again, and click the Firewall tab
Tab Firewall it's under the Real-Time Scanning option.
Step 8. Disable McAfee Firewall
Do this the same way when you disable Real-Time Scanning.
Step 9. Click the gear icon again, then click Automatic Updates
This option is located under options Firewall.
Step 10. Turn off automatic updates
Do this the same way when you disable Firewall and Real-Time Scanning.
Step 11. Click the gear icon again, then click Scheduled scans
This option is at the bottom of the " Mac Security " option.
Step 12. Unlock the Full and Custom Scan Settings page
Next, click the gear icon, type in the administrator password, and click OK.
Step 13. Click the Weekly drop-down box
The box is at the far left of the " Scheduled scans " page.
If this option does not exist, click the tab Scheduled scans at the top of the page.
Step 14. Click Never
By doing so, McAfee will not reactivate itself to scan the computer.
Step 15. Click the gear icon again, then click McAfee SiteAdvisor
This option is at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
SiteAdvisor's job is to bring up McAfee in the Mac's web browser
Step 16. Turn off SiteAdvisor
Do this by clicking the button in the top right corner of the SiteAdvisor page.
You may have to click the lock icon and type in your administrator password before you can click the button
Step 17. Close the settings window
The McAfee program on Mac computers is now completely disabled.
Step 18. Remove McAfee from Mac computer
If you want to get rid of the icons, notifications, and other things associated with these programs on your Mac, you'll need to remove them from your computer. How to do it:
-
open Finder
- Click folder Applications on the left side of the Finder, or click Go, then click Applications in the drop-down menu.
- Find and double click the app McAfee® Total Protection Uninstaller.
- Click Continue when requested.
- Type in the administrator password when prompted, and click OK.
- Click Finish after McAfee has finished deleting.
