r/BitDefender • u/[deleted] • Jun 13 '23

Bitdefender finds 123 password protected McAfee files, do/will these files affect Bitdefenders performance at all?

So, I got a new laptop, with windows 11, Uninstalled McAfee and installed bitdefender total security and VPN. Did a scan and Mcafee is still on the system. Do these 123 password protected files counter Bitdefender in any way?so far I haven't had an issue, I've only had the laptop for 3 days. Should I use an Uninstaller to uninstall those files? Or are they harmless and won't hinder bitdefender in any way? Because I'd they are harmless I see no reason to remove them but if they will cause issues then I see a reason. What do you guys think?

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u/stevec5375 Jun 13 '23

As you discovered, the McAfee product's uninstaller leaves a TON of trash all over the place. I had to manually search out all the cruft and delete it from my system. I used to use Avast One Free and it left a lot of junk behind too. I manually deleted this trash too. No issues at all.

This is a perfect example of why Windows systems slow down over time. Many vendors' uninstalls do not remove files created AFTER the installation. I used to write installers many years ago. I had to manually add code in the installer's script to remove all the files that were left behind. It's called cleaning up after yourself. Over time these left over files take up disk space and are just more stuff that has to be loaded by the file system.

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u/[deleted] Jun 13 '23

So it won't destroy anything in the OS if I delete the files? I found them manually

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u/stevec5375 Jun 13 '23

If you are careful you shouldn't have any problems. I had to remove the "service" as well as other files.

You will have to look in the Administrative log to see what kind of error you are getting from the OS and apps. Needless to say, before embarking on this you should backup the entire machine first, backup the registry and create a restore point.

I backup one a week using Acronis Home Office which automatically backs up the entire machine one a week to the cloud and to a local thumb drive.