The Mcshield.dll file is essential to the McAfee Framework service which is the backbone of McAfee's antivirus program. Once the file is gone, you'll need to uninstall McAfee and reinstall it from your original disc (we don't recommend re-installing... see below for details).

Uninstall McAfee

Option 1:

Unfortunately, sometimes this error won't let you access the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel. But, before we try the other remedies, let's try this first.

Click Start -> Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs. Find anything in the list having to do with McAfee and uninstall it.

If it works, great! Skip to the next section. If not, let's try some alternative methods for removing McAfee.

Option 2:

McAfee provides a manual uninstall program which you can find here. Download and run the VSCleanUp tool. However, sometimes not even Internet Explorer or Firefox will run if you have the Mcshield.dll error! What to do?

Option 3:

The final option is to check your hard drive in
C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\RepairCache

Look for a file with a .msi extension. Running it will let you uninstall McAfee. 

Install Antivirus

Had enough of McAfee? It's a pretty terrible program that often messes up Windows. We recommend AVG antivirus, a free program that works just as well as McAfee.

However, before installing a new antivirus program, you should ensure that the virus that caused this problem in the first place has been cleared from your PC. Follow the instructions in our Get Rid of Spyware guide. In this guide, there are current links to install our recommended anti-spyware and anti-virus program, including AVG.