antivirus_uninstall.ps1

antivirus_uninstall.ps1

Detects and uninstalls common third-party antivirus software from Windows systems.

Overview

Detects and uninstalls common third-party antivirus software from Windows systems including McAfee, Sophos, and Microsoft Security Essentials. This script is designed for scenarios where existing AV must be removed before deploying a new endpoint protection solution.

Purpose

Detects and uninstalls common third-party antivirus software from Windows systems including McAfee, Sophos, and Microsoft Security Essentials. This script is designed for scenarios where existing AV must be removed before deploying a new endpoint protection solution.

Prerequisites

• Windows PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell 7+
• Administrator privileges (required for software uninstallation)
• No modules required

Configuration

Required Inputs

All antivirus products to target are hardcoded in this script. No external inputs required. The script will attempt to uninstall:

• McAfee products (all variants)
• Sophos products (all variants)
• Microsoft Security Essentials

Settings

• Uses silent/quiet uninstall methods where possible
• Stops services before uninstallation
• Attempts multiple detection methods for thoroughness
• No reboot is forced (though some AV may require it)

Data Sources & Priority

1. System package manager (Get-Package) - Primary detection method
2. Windows Installer database (WMI Win32_Product) - Fallback for stubborn installations
3. File system paths - Verify specific AV installations

Behavior

1. Validates execution environment (must run as Administrator)
2. Detects McAfee software using Get-Package
3. Uninstalls all detected McAfee components
4. Detects Sophos software
5. Stops Sophos services
6. Uninstalls all detected Sophos components
7. Detects Microsoft Security Essentials
8. Uninstalls Microsoft Security Essentials if found
9. Reports final status

Security Notes

• No secrets logged or displayed
• Requires elevation (will fail if not admin)
• Some antivirus may require tamper protection to be disabled first
• A reboot may be required after uninstallation for complete removal

Exit Codes

• 0 - Success (all detected antivirus software uninstalled)
• 1 - Failure (error during uninstallation process)

Example Output

[ SETUP ]
--------------------------------------------------------------
Script started : 2025-11-02 08:30:15
Administrator  : Yes

[ MCAFEE DETECTION ]
--------------------------------------------------------------
Checking for McAfee software...
McAfee packages found : 7

[ MCAFEE UNINSTALLATION ]
--------------------------------------------------------------
Uninstalling McAfee Endpoint Security Platform...
Uninstalling McAfee Agent...
Uninstalling McAfee VirusScan Enterprise...
McAfee removal completed

[ SOPHOS DETECTION ]
--------------------------------------------------------------
Checking for Sophos software...
Sophos software found : No

[ MICROSOFT SECURITY ESSENTIALS DETECTION ]
--------------------------------------------------------------
Checking for Microsoft Security Essentials...
Installation path : Not found

[ FINAL STATUS ]
--------------------------------------------------------------
McAfee uninstalled                     : Yes
Sophos uninstalled                     : Not installed
Microsoft Security Essentials removed  : Not installed

[ SCRIPT COMPLETED ]
--------------------------------------------------------------
Script completed successfully
Exit code : 0

Version History

• v1.0.0 (2025-11-02) - Initial migration from SuperOps

Links

• View Script Source
• Scripts - Back to script index