Removing McAfee from Menubar

You can navigate to /Library/LaunchDaemons/ by copying and pasting that text into the Finder's Go menu > Go to Folder... field, and click the Go button. From there you can drag the files with McAfee in their names to the Trash.

For its Launch Agents, navigate to that folder in the same manner, but this time copy and paste /Library/LaunchAgents into that field.

You might as well look for those files in ~/Library/LaunchAgents also. Notice that pathname is different—the tilde (~) character, so be sure to copy and paste or type correctly. I don't know if McAfee hides anything in it, so examine that folder in the same manner.

• Important: Since those processes are active, you will not be able to delete those the files that invoke them unless you boot "Safe Mode" first: Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac. Those processes do not load in Safe Mode. Start your Mac in Safe Mode, and drag those files to the Trash while in that mode. Then, you can restart your Mac in the usual manner (not Safe Mode).

Antivirus software: Apple, CleanMyMac, and McAfee

"CleanMyMac" is an entirely different subject altogether, and MrHoffman is 100% correct about that. It will require an eradication procedure all its own. It may require completely erasing and reconfiguring that Mac. Let's hope that isn't required. Since it comprises the subject of your Discussion, begin by solving (or attempting to solve) the extant "McAfee" problem first.

Assuming you’ve followed the McAfee removal instructions (below), then unfortunately, sometimes removing these add-on cleaners and add-on security tools can involve backups, wiping, reinstalling macOS, and restoring backups.

Instructions: https://service.mcafee.com/webcenter/portal/cp/home/articleview?articleId=TS101226

This URL might be (is?) a shorter version of the URL earlier.

Summary:

Uninstall McAfee security software from your Mac

1. To make sure that the McAfee browser plug-in is removed correctly, close your browsers (Safari and Chrome) during removal.
2. In the Dock, find and open the Applications folder.
3. Double-click the McAfee Internet Security Uninstaller.
4. Click Continue.
5. Type your administrator password and click OK.
6. Click Finish.

That sequence might also need a reboot, and if the reboot doesn’t clear this then I’d try a reboot through Safe Mode. If that fails, back up, wipe, reinstall macOS, and recover your documents and preferences, and reload apps manually.

Related reading: Effective defenses against malware and other threats

Thank you, I may need Apple's help here

You might need McAfee's help but I wouldn't wish that upon anyone.

Here's another suggestion:

Using EtreCheck - Apple Community

Download that program from the link in that User Tip or from the Mac App Store—your choice. The free version will suffice for this purpose.

Run that program and post its report in a reply to this Discussion. It may identify leftover components of McAfee. Posting that report will help others tell you where to look for them so it can be thoroughly eradicated from your Mac.

EtreCheck itself can simply be dragged to the Trash when you're finished with it, or just left in place. It requires no uninstallation procedure, and does exactly nothing unless you run it.

To expand on MrHoffman's comments and my subsequent reply regarding "CleanMyMac":

As a category, non-Apple "cleaning" products are scams. Merely uninstalling them, even when performed in strict accordance with their instructions (which often don't work) is usually an insufficient remedy due to the effects of having used them.

Very briefly stated, the recovery procedure from having used such things is as follows, and in the following order:

1. Back up the Mac using Time Machine or an equivalent backup strategy
2. Remove the scam "cleaning" products according to their instructions, and evaluate
3. Reinstall macOS using macOS Recovery, and evaluate
4. Reinstall all other potentially affected apps, and evaluate
5. Erase the Mac completely, followed by reinstalling macOS, followed by reinstalling essential apps from their original sources, followed by migrating User content from the Time Machine backup.

Since the results of Steps 2-4 are almost always unsatisfactory, I omit them as unnecessarily time-consuming. Step 5 is the nuclear option.

Did you follow McAfees own instructions to uninstall their garbage software? https://service.mcafee.com/webcenter/portal/oracle/webcenter/page/scopedMD/s55728c97_466d_4ddb_952d_05484ea932c6/Page29.jspx?wc.contextURL=%2Fspaces%2Fcp&articleId=TS101226&_afrLoop=169353646326827&leftWidth=0%25&showFooter=false&showHeader=false&rightWidth=0%25&centerWidth=100%25#!%40%40%3FshowFooter%3Dfalse%26_afrLoop%3D169353646326827%26articleId%3DTS101226%26leftWidth%3D0%2525%26showHeader%3Dfalse%26wc.contextURL%3D%252Fspaces%252Fcp%26rightWidth%3D0%2525%26centerWidth%3D100%2525%26_adf.ctrl-state%3D84zg754qs_9

The remocal,tool,got nowhere, as McAfee is still all through this Mac.

Best to assume this Mac is corrupted. Get a backup. Wipe it. Reload macOS. Migrate your files and settings snd not apps. Reload the apps you need.this This Mac has had both anti-malware—which is a product class that ties into macOS just like malware—and an add-on cleaner, and both sorts of products have caused issues for folks. Resolving the issues manually is tedious and error-prone, and a reinstall is much faster.

Macs with add-on cleaners, add-on anti-malware, add-on VPN clients, various malware, and other such are all backed up, wiped, and rebuilt, when they arrive here. Extricating and cleaning up manually is (much) more work.

I’d consider the two issues inter-linked; either the add-on anti-malware can clobber the add-on cleaner, and the add-on cleaner can clobber the add-on anti-malware, and both classes of products can and variously have clobbered macOS and whatnot, and with the result being clobbered systems, and which means a backup or two, wipe, install, restore documents and settings and manually re-load apps.

I don’t really see the point of trying to fix either one separately. Nuke and pave. Backup, wipe, install, restore.

ps: an example of what some anti-malware packages have become known for:

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qjdkq7/avast-antivirus-sells-user-browsing-data-investigation

I totally agree. I think it's worth trying everything short of that. It shouldn't be that difficult to remove McAfee but the nuclear option is still on the table.

Having said that I did run across a similarly ill-conceived product in the past that required a nuke and pave. It wasn't McAfee though.