Do not fall for McAfee’s misleading antivirus warnings in your laptop computer
I assessment lots of laptops and I’ve observed a lot of them include a “free trial” of McAfee antivirus preinstalled. I’ve clicked by means of so many warnings about how my PC shall be “in danger” except I pay up for prolonged safety, and people McAfee alerts are in a stark crimson shade that’s certainly designed to scare me. It’s an excessive amount of!
It’s not only a downside on funds laptops, both. I even see it on high-end PCs, just like the world’s first rollable laptop computer from Lenovo that I lately reviewed. That’s a $3,299 machine! But regardless of its lofty price ticket and sci-fi-esque {hardware}, it nonetheless subjected me to scary messages encouraging me to pay for McAfee antivirus. What a nasty expertise.
However don’t take my phrase for it. I’ll present you screenshots of those preinstalled McAfee antivirus messages on brand-new Home windows 11 PCs, what to look out for, and why you shouldn’t be tricked by them.
McAfee’s antivirus is ok, however its advertising and marketing strategies aren’t
On the entire, McAfee’s antivirus software program is ok. It’s removed from our favourite antivirus program, but it surely’ll positively do the job.
The issue is how McAfee sells it. On many new PCs, McAfee’s antivirus prompts are severely deceptive. They make the brand new PC expertise extra obnoxious, and so they not-so-subtly nudge less-knowledgeable PC customers into handing over their bank card numbers.
Chris Hoffman / Foundry
Whereas I’m establishing a brand new PC, I typically see “safety warning” pop-ups with messages like “Actual-time safety is about to run out.” I discover myself clicking lots of scary-sounding “Settle for danger” buttons to dismiss them. I’ve seen so many variations of those—and I think about McAfee’s advertising and marketing group has A/B examined to see which wordings lead to probably the most signups.
McAfee and its partnered PC producers like Lenovo appear okay with this strategy, however I feel it’s unethical. You may make up your personal thoughts on the morals of McAfee’s advertising and marketing marketing campaign.
Don’t fear! Your PC is protected with or with out McAfee
McAfee’s warnings are deceptively tough as a result of they indicate that McAfee’s software program is the solely safety in your PC, and that extending McAfee’s safety is the solely strategy to maintain your PC safe. It implies that in case you skip the extension, you’ll be left completely susceptible.
However right here’s the issue with that: Home windows already has built-in real-time antivirus safety. Sure, even when that urgent-looking “Final likelihood!” countdown clock with “Settle for danger” and “Keep protected” buttons counts all the way down to zero, your PC will stay protected.
Chris Hoffman / Foundry
You could find the built-in antivirus within the Home windows Safety app. Microsoft’s antivirus—beforehand referred to as Home windows Defender and now referred to as Microsoft Defender Antivirus—is completely free and it’ll mechanically allow itself in case you don’t have one other antivirus put in.
So, when McAfee says your PC’s “real-time safety is about to run out,” McAfee is telling a half-truth: McAfee’s real-time safety is about to run out. However when it does, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will fill within the hole and take over defending your PC from viruses and malware in actual time. When McAfee says you might want to lengthen your subscription to “keep protected,” you possibly can safely ignore it. You’ll stay protected both approach—simply by Microsoft’s antivirus and never McAfee’s.
And don’t be fooled by the pop-ups saying that McAfee is “Really helpful by Lenovo” or whoever your PC producer occurs to be. These PC makers are gaining monetary advantages from preinstalling and recommending this system.
It’s obnoxious, however even Apple is spamming customers
When you skip the primary immediate or two, McAfee switches gears and tries to entice you with FOMO and time stress: a limited-time deal that’s certainly too good to cross up. The beforehand talked about “Final likelihood!” supply is one instance. The “You may have 5 minutes!” supply is one other.
These determined messages are obnoxious than scary, and so they’re fairly simple to see by means of regardless of their urgent-looking crimson coloration full with a crosshair. Even so, I really feel disrespected when a “You may have 5 minutes!” message pops up whereas I’m busy with one thing else. McAfee clearly simply desires to extract money out of me and can annoy me to get it.
Chris Hoffman / Foundry
Whereas I’m positively a PC and never a Mac, once I see advertising and marketing techniques like this on $3,000+ PCs, I ponder if Mac customers have a degree: at the very least Apple’s macOS isn’t full of obnoxious junk like this. Not less than, that’s what I might’ve questioned a couple of years in the past. However in 2025, we reside in a world the place even Apple is sending push notification advertisements selling discounted tickets to “F1 the Film” to iPhones.
Throughout the tech trade, an increasing number of obnoxious advertisements are popping up and promotions are getting more and more intrusive. “Enshittification” appears to spare no trade. Sure, even the nice Apple has fallen, so there isn’t a lot level in interested by whether or not the grass is greener on one other platform when you possibly can clear issues up in a couple of clicks.
The answer? Simply uninstall McAfee
The saving grace of the obnoxious McAfee trial software program on new PCs is that it’s simple to uninstall. You’ll be able to uninstall McAfee proper from the checklist of put in apps in your PC—within the Settings app or the Management Panel—similar to you’ll another put in program.
After a couple of clicks, it’s gone and also you received’t see any extra nags. The built-in Home windows antivirus will activate itself and shield your PC, or you possibly can set up one other antivirus in case you favor a unique resolution.
Or you could possibly maintain McAfee and pay for it. Once more, it’s effective—it’s an actual antivirus program and never a rip-off. However I’d personally hate to assist gross sales techniques like this. It’s one factor to preinstall an antivirus trial, however fear-based campaigns cross a line… even when they’re worthwhile.
Additionally, make sure you flip off all these annoying advertisements in Home windows, too. It doesn’t take lengthy to arrange a PC in order that it respects your time and a spotlight.
If solely software program was extra user-friendly
The PC trade can construct wonderful {hardware}. I simply want they might additionally create software program that feels good to make use of out of the field once I arrange a $3,000+ laptop computer. McAfee’s scaremongering gross sales techniques are only one instance of a bigger development.
Certain, it’s okay as a result of we are able to uninstall McAfee, flip off a bunch of advert settings in Home windows, and configure the apps we use to be much less obnoxious. However it will be good if we might all have an excellent expertise with out worrying about tweaks and settings. Is that an excessive amount of to ask?
