PC help?

[BerberElla]

Quick question, how do you remove a program that doesn't show up in your regular "add/remove programs" section?

I'm trying to help my friend update her anti virus to a better one because hers was shite. I removed it (mcAfee) and am attempting to install a better one, however the new one I am trying to install is telling me that it can not continue until I have removed the program I already thought I had removed, the mcAfee one.

I've done a search to find the mcafee bugger and I have found it, tried to delete it, still nothing, it just doesn't show up in the uninstall section.

Solutions? better ones than mine which right now would be to take a baseball bat to her pc and that wouldn't make her happy.

 

[ColonelGadaafi]

Delete folder where the program is located, which is usually in the local disk hard-drive. Then you can delete the remaining traces with a cleaning program.

 

[nanook]

I removed it (mcAfee)

how did you do that? (and in case you somehow used the proper uninstall routine: did you reboot the computer after that?)

 

[nanook]

reinstalling mcAfee and uninstalling it again (with the intended method, the official uninstaller) should work.

 

[River]

Hmm do you mean that the \programe files\macafee file is deleted but the new one will still not install?
Control panel -> Classic view(if it is not already) -> administrative tools -> services -> order by status.
Look though the ones marked 'started', if you find any relating to mcaffee right click stop service.
Attempt to install.


(assumptions - OS windows xp, reboot has been performed atleast once post attempted uninstall)

If that still doesn't work i would go with nanook's suggestion (reinstall then uninstall) only i would boot to safe mode.

 

[nanook]

i just googled to find out exact names of mcaffee service and driver filenames but i found the following and will leave it at that

"The most simple and effective way to remove all your McAffee products is to download the McAffee removal tool, this will get rid of, in full..."

How to Uninstall McAfee Security Center: 4 steps - wikiHow

McAfee removal tool - Google Search

 

[JocktheMotie]

If it's AVG free you can just install it over McAfee if it's disabled. As long as McAfee has no executable files to run it shouldn't do anything, but it does probably muck up the registry.

 

[Samvega]

Sell the computer to remove the program and reinstall a Mac in its location.

 

[nanook]

couple your friend with an intp.

 

[BerberElla]

Sorry I took so long to reply, I was really hungover this morning lol.

Anyway thanks for your help, especially the link to the mcafee removal program, that worked a charm.

I had already tried reinstalling then removing and that hadn't worked.

I'm at home now, thankfully leaving my friend with a better working pc than it was before all thanks to you, and me .

I especially loved the last two suggestions, me and my friend were cracking up.

Thanks.