Why Is My Computer So Slow When Running McAfee?

McAfee is a popular antivirus software included in many computer packages. While antivirus software is extremely helpful to any computer user, the fact that this program is running in the background while you are trying to complete other tasks can sometimes cause your computer to slow down.

McAfee Virus Scan

Probably the most common reason McAfee might slow down your computer is because it is performing a virus scan while you are trying to work on something else. You can find out if this is the case by looking at the McAfee icon on the bottom-right corner of your screen (if using Windows). Right-click the icon to open the McAfee control center. All versions of McAfee are slightly different, but from the control center you should be able to cancel the current scan.

Scheduling a Scan

Most versions of McAfee are scheduled upon installation to run a virus scan every Friday evening. You can change the scheduled scan to work around the times you might be using your computer, or cancel the scheduled scan altogether and choose to run one when you have free time. Open the McAfee control center by right-clicking the "M" icon on the bottom-right corner of your screen. Look under a tab or section titled "Scan." From here, you can change how often the scan occurs, or you can disable automatic virus scanning altogether.

Scheduling Automatic Updates

McAfee's automatic updates feature might also slow down your computer. This feature works by automatically downloading and installing updates, which you may not need. These updates are helpful, but can become very frequent. To either provide a prompt before downloading or installing an update, or to disable these updates altogether, open the McAfee control center and select "Updates."

References

• McAfee Product Updates