Microsoft Security Essentials - Uninstall Completely

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    Microsoft Security Essentials - Uninstall Completely

    Microsoft Security Essentials - Uninstall Completely

    How to Completely Uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials
    Published by
    Designer Media Ltd


    How to Completely Uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials


       Information
    This tutorial will guide you through removing Microsoft Security Essentials completely from your machine, either so you may reinstall it or make sure everything is cleaned up to move to a new anti-virus.

    This guide assumes you have no antivirus protection installed at the moment. If you do, disable it during this guide as it may interfere with this procedure.


       Warning
    Always Uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials the proper way through Control Panel - Uninstall A Program when possible. DO NOT FOLLOW THIS TUTORIAL IF YOU HAVE WINDOWS 8 or WINDOWS 10, IT WILL CORRUPT WINDOWS DEFENDER.

    Then continue to this method. If the uninstaller fails for whatever reason, then attempt this method.

       Information
    Microsoft security essentials is now called windows defender in windows 8 and windows 10. They are the same product now, providing anti-virus and anti-spyware protection. Windows Defender in windows 7 and Vista is just anti-spyware protection.



    1.) First, download the Microsoft Security Essentials removal tool fix it here:
    2.) Close all programs. Open the fix it file you just downloaded.

    3.) The utility opens, Choose I agree, then click next to uninstall like in the picture below.
    4.) The program will start to be removed. During the process you will see this image:
    5.) Choose Close to finish and then restart the PC.
    6.) You're finished!














  1. Posts : 10
    Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       #1

    Doesn't work for me. Fix It gives me the following message:
    "Service "Microsoft Antimalware Service could not be stopped. Verify you have sufficient privileges to stop system services.
    I am administrator. What other privileges do I need?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 25,847
    Windows 10 Pro. 64/ version 1709 Windows 7 Pro/64
       #2

    Try this.

    Right tick on MSE go to Properties and select Advance and put a check mark in Run as Admin.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 4,566
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Zalophus said:
    Doesn't work for me. Fix It gives me the following message:
    "Service "Microsoft Antimalware Service could not be stopped. Verify you have sufficient privileges to stop system services.
    I am administrator. What other privileges do I need?
    In this case, you can delete the service by using the
    Code:
    sc delete MsMpSvc
    command in an elevated command prompt. Then run the tool again.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 10
    Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       #4

    Thanks, but I get "[SC] OpenService FAILED 5: Access is Denied". Any other ideas?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
       #5

    andrew129260 said:
    Zalophus said:
    Doesn't work for me. Fix It gives me the following message:
    "Service "Microsoft Antimalware Service could not be stopped. Verify you have sufficient privileges to stop system services.
    I am administrator. What other privileges do I need?
    In this case, you can delete the service by using the
    Code:
    sc delete MsMpSvc
    command in an elevated command prompt. Then run the tool again.
    Zalophus said:
    Thanks, but I get "[SC] OpenService FAILED 5: Access is Denied". Any other ideas?
    And that is as it should be. Would you really want an antivirus product that could be stopped by such a simple means

    I'm guessing that you are using this tutorial because the normal* means of uninstalling MSE failed.

    *via Control Panel's Programs and Features interface.



    andrew129260,
    The tutorial instructs user to download a FixIt that is for MSE version 1. MSE is up to version 4 now.

    The link that you offer as your source of the FixIt tool is:
    And yet the title of that website is:
    How to manually uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0.1963 if you cannot uninstall it by using the Add or Remove Programs item
    Perhaps Microsoft changed the title of the webpage.

    Anyway, when you visit the web page, you should see a note like this:
    Note Use this Knowledge Base article only if you are running Microsoft Security Essentials version 1.0.1963 or an earlier version (1.0.1407.0, 1.0.1500.0, 1.0.1610.0, 1.0.1961.0). If you're running a version of Microsoft Security Essentials that begin with the number 2, visit:
    ~~~
    MSE version 4 (and earlier versions) make folders and registry keys using the name Microsoft Security Client. The KB articles for versions 1 and 2 offer a "Let me fix it myself" section that uses MSE's old name (Microsoft Security Essentials) for registry keys. I bore you with that to say this: I would not try to follow the steps in those KBs without understanding the changes between versions.

    The FixIt in your tutorial sometimes "works" on MSE version 4 because (just like so many other antivirus removal tools) the FixIt attempts a normal uninstall first. I watched it do that via Process Monitor. If that normal method fails, then the FixIt tries to rip MSE out by various hard coded methods. Those methods are version specific; hence, the different FixIt tool for MSE version 2. I do not know of a similar FixIt tool for versions 3 and 4 of MSE.


    Zalophus,
    If the normal uninstall process has failed for you, then something has damaged your MSE installation. The first thing that I would try would be to re-install MSE, restart and then try the normal uninstall method. But my guess is: MSE will not install and will not repair the current damaged installation... but try that and let us know how it goes.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 10
    Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       #6

    Have tried everything that I can find on the various sites and forums. Already have tried reinstall, and am blocked because it reads MSE already on my machine. Since I can't uninstall, and can't reinstall until I uninstall...well you get the idea. Time to turn it off, and try something else. Interesting enough, it works fine in Safe Mode. except Safe Mode, won't let me uninstall, because...?
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
       #7

    What version of MSE do you have?
    Microsoft Security Essentials - Uninstall Completely-mse.png

    You can attach screenshots via these steps:
    Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums

    Have you run a complete scan with MSE while in the safe mode?

    What error(s) do you get from MSE during a normal uninstall?
    Is MSE locking up during normal mode scans?
    If so, on which file?
    (We have seen a few threads about MSE locking up in the past few days.)

    Have you tried a normal mode clean boot...
    Troubleshoot Application Conflicts by Performing a Clean Startup
    ...and then uninstall MSE?

    Would you be willing to scan your computer with WDO?
    What is Windows Defender Offline? - Windows Help
    I would be curious to see if it finds anything.
    I use a USB flash drive (memory stick).

    Are you current on your patches/updates?
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 10
    Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       #8

    Thanks for replies. Found this:
    Uninstalling Microsoft Security Essentials - Microsoft Community

    and the "Advanced Method" did uninstall MSE, however when I start to reinstall, I get as far starting the actual installation and then "MSE ERROR CODE 0x8004FF91".

    I have looked at this thread that started in 2013 on this error code, tried all the suggest solutions and none work.

    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/p...aaa1e0?page=01

    Thoughts?
    Thanks
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
       #9

    Zalophus said:
    ...tried all the suggest solutions and none work.

    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/p...aaa1e0?page=01

    Thoughts?
    Thanks
    I hope that you did not try IObit Uninstaller as suggested on page 8 of that thread.

    Avoid every app by IObit.



    I did not see where you commented on these two parts of my last post:
    UsernameIssues said:
    ~~~
    Would you be willing to scan your computer with WDO?
    What is Windows Defender Offline? - Windows Help
    I would be curious to see if it finds anything.
    I use a USB flash drive (memory stick).

    Are you current on your patches/updates?
    It is fine if you don't want to scan with WDO, just say so. The scan might run all night.

    It is helpful to know if all other patches/updates are installed.
      My Computer


 
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