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I was trying to get rid if remains from McAfee and after everything failed I came across this: https://m.majorgeeks.com/files/details/unlocker.html

So. I tried the software. I unlocked the services and set up their folders for deletion after reboot.

And, it worked. But I probably unlocked more than was necessary and the Windows was suddenly blocking my administrator right, refusing updates. I was denied from accessing basic stuff like sevices.msc and the system even rejected to do online fix because it was supposedly not “trustworthy anymore”. I was accused of modifying system files or something. Sfc /scannow also found out some system corruption which it wasn’t able to fix.

Back to the question. Did I most likely just messed up or is it possible that unlocking services can brick your PC?

Dom
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    I have Unlocker 1.92 and have used it for years Windows 7 and up (now Windows 11). It does not mess anything up or brick computers. Something else must have been wrong to cause this. Possibly something to do with McAfee (which I do not use) – John Aug 13 '23 at 00:46
  • It came pre-installed (McAfee) I didn’t even launch it. – Dom Aug 13 '23 at 00:53
  • I downloaded the tool and installed it myself, and it works fine that way. – John Aug 13 '23 at 00:54
  • The problem was. That even with Unlocker I still haven’t been able to delete the folder. And when I clicked ok on that folder, it appeared empty as if anything hasn’t been locked. I had to choose whole C: drive then press ok and there were tons of services so it might be possible I gave access also to those. But I don’t think I deleted them. It would have deleted the whole C: otherwise no? – Dom Aug 13 '23 at 00:57
  • I only use Unlocker to delete files (not folders). It is safer that way. – John Aug 13 '23 at 00:58
  • But I could not delete the files. I could only shuffle them for deletion after restart. And they were not deleted. Only after I unlocked them in the C: folder. They didn’t appear in their nearest folders for some reason. – Dom Aug 13 '23 at 01:00
  • Hmm. But if you are saying I have been using it for a long time it is most likely I made some mistakes. I would still like to wait for other users though. So that I can be sure. – Dom Aug 13 '23 at 01:02
  • It doesn’t offer option to keep files in bin right? – Dom Aug 13 '23 at 01:03
  • No. If Windows cannot delete the file, Unlocker deletes it (no locking handle) and does not put it in the recycle bin - just deletes is. That is the way I have always used it. – John Aug 13 '23 at 01:05
  • You need to be careful what you delete. Unlocker just facilitates delete. Otherwise it is your responsibility to be careful what you delete. – John Aug 13 '23 at 01:15
  • There are specific tools to remove each antimalware product. See https://www.mcafee.com/support/?articleId=TS101331&page=shell&shell=article-view and https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-to-completely-remove-mcafee/7cad3636-d0b6-4d60-8070-3ce242fb3e11 for McAfee. Since the previous attempt to remove it piecemeal failed and seems to have damaged Windows, the best bet at this point might be to reinstall Windows. – DrMoishe Pippik Aug 13 '23 at 02:56
  • I restored the Windows when it happened. – Dom Aug 13 '23 at 10:19
  • And I already tried that uninstaller software and it didn’t work. – Dom Aug 13 '23 at 10:21
  • The question is about whether it is safe to use Unlocker on unlocking system files or not. – Dom Aug 13 '23 at 10:22

1 Answers1

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Using Unlocker by itself on Windows files is fine, as long as you don't monkey with sensitive files.

Deleting Windows files without a total and advanced understanding of what you're doing is absolutely to be avoided, as the consequences are simply unpredictable.

You should rather seek to remove components via the Windows tools, such as by uninstalling from Programs and Features, stopping services via the Services applet, using uninstallers, or searching for a removal program/script on the internet.

Specifically for McAfee, you would have found by search the article How to remove McAfee products from a Windows PC.
This article would have pointed you to the McAfee Consumer Product Removal tool (MCPR).

For most products, if you wish to avoid leftovers, use an uninstaller product that will do for you the search for them in a safe manner. My favorite is Revo Uninstaller Free.

harrymc
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