How to Temporarily Disable McAfee Virus Protection

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The McAfee anti-virus program protects your computer from malicious software that attempts to install itself without your knowledge. Unfortunately, it can get in the way of legitimate programs you are trying to install, so you may need to temporarily disable it from time to time. There is a different method of disabling the program depending on whether you are using the stand-alone McAfee virus scan software or you have the entire McAfee Security Center suite.

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Step 1

Find the red "M" icon for the McAfee anti-virus program in the expanded system tray and right-click it.

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Step 2

Look for an option in pop-up menu that says either "Exit" or "Disable" and click on it.

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Step 3

Click "Yes" when asked if you are sure you want to disable the McAfee anti-virus program. Double-click on the McAfee desktop icon or re-start the computer entirely to enable the program again.

Step 4

Locate the red "M" icon in the system tray at the bottom-right corner of the desktop. Double click on it to open the Security Center program.

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Step 5

Click on the "Advanced" tab and then choose the option labeled "Configure."

Step 6

Click on the "Files" button on the top toolbar. Click on the "Disable" button at the center of the screen.

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Step 7

Enter in a time for the program to automatically turn back on in the text field at the right or restart the computer to turn McAfee Security Center back on.

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