I overview a variety of laptops and I’ve observed lots of them include a “free trial” of McAfee antivirus preinstalled. I’ve clicked by so many warnings about how my PC might be “at risk” except I pay up for prolonged safety, and people McAfee alerts are in a stark pink coloration that’s certainly designed to scare me. It’s an excessive amount of!
It’s not only a downside on budget laptops, both. I even see it on high-end PCs, just like the world’s first rollable laptop from Lenovo that I not too long ago reviewed. That’s a $3,299 machine! Yet 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 foul expertise.
But don’t take my phrase for it. I’ll present you screenshots of those preinstalled McAfee antivirus messages on brand-new Windows 11 PCs, what to look out for, and why you shouldn’t be tricked by them.
McAfee’s antivirus is okay, however its advertising and marketing methods aren’t
On the entire, McAfee’s antivirus software is fine. It’s removed from our favorite antivirus program, nevertheless it’ll positively do the job.
The downside is how McAfee sells it. On many new PCs, McAfee’s antivirus prompts are critically deceptive. They make the brand new PC expertise extra obnoxious, they usually not-so-subtly nudge less-knowledgeable PC customers into handing over their bank card numbers.
Chris Hoffman / Foundry
While I’m organising a brand new PC, I typically see “security warning” pop-ups with messages like “Real-time protection is about to expire.” I discover myself clicking a variety of scary-sounding “Accept risk” buttons to dismiss them. I’ve seen so many variations of those—and I think about McAfee’s advertising and marketing workforce has A/B examined to see which wordings end in essentially the most signups.
McAfee and its partnered PC producers like Lenovo appear okay with this method, however I feel it’s unethical. You could 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 difficult as a result of they suggest that McAfee’s software program is the solely safety in your PC, and that extending McAfee’s safety is the solely solution to preserve your PC safe. It implies that in case you skip the extension, you’ll be left completely weak.
But right here’s the issue with that: Windows already has built-in real-time antivirus protection. Yes, even when that urgent-looking “Last chance!” countdown clock with “Accept risk” and “Stay protected” buttons counts right down to zero, your PC will stay protected.
Chris Hoffman / Foundry
You can discover the built-in antivirus within the Windows Security app. Microsoft’s antivirus—beforehand known as Windows Defender and now called Microsoft Defender Antivirus—is completely free and it’ll robotically allow itself in case you don’t have one other antivirus put in.
So, when McAfee says your PC’s “real-time protection is about to expire,” McAfee is telling a half-truth: McAfee’s real-time safety is about to run out. But 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 could lengthen your subscription to “stay protected,” you’ll be able to 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 “Recommended by Lenovo” or whoever your PC producer occurs to be. Those PC makers are gaining monetary advantages from preinstalling and recommending this system.
It’s obnoxious, however even Apple is spamming customers
Once 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 go up. The beforehand talked about “Last chance!” provide is one instance. The “You have 5 minutes!” provide is one other.
These determined messages are obnoxious than scary, they usually’re fairly simple to see by regardless of their urgent-looking pink coloration full with a crosshair. Even so, I really feel disrespected when a “You 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
While I’m definitely a PC and not a Mac, once I see advertising and marketing techniques like this on $3,000+ PCs, I ponder if Mac customers have a degree: a minimum of Apple’s macOS isn’t full of obnoxious junk like this. At least, that’s what I’d’ve questioned a couple of years in the past. But in 2025, we dwell in a world the place even Apple is sending push notification ads selling discounted tickets to “F1 the Movie” to iPhones.
Across the tech trade, increasingly more obnoxious advertisements are popping up and promotions are getting more and more intrusive. “Enshittification” appears to spare no trade. Yes, even the good Apple has fallen, so there isn’t a lot level in fascinated by whether or not the grass is greener on one other platform when you’ll be able to clear issues up in a couple of clicks.
The resolution? Just uninstall McAfee
The saving grace of the obnoxious McAfee trial software program on new PCs is that it’s simple to uninstall. You can uninstall McAfee proper from the record of put in apps in your PC—within the Settings app or the Control Panel—identical to you’d another put in program.
After a couple of clicks, it’s gone and also you received’t see any extra nags. The built-in Windows antivirus will activate itself and defend your PC, or you’ll be able to install another antivirus in case you desire a special resolution.
Or you would preserve McAfee and pay for it. Again, it’s wonderful—it’s an actual antivirus program and never a rip-off. But 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.
Also, you’ll want to turn off all those annoying ads in 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 superb {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 pattern.
Sure, it’s okay as a result of we will uninstall McAfee, flip off a bunch of advert settings in Windows, and configure the apps we use to be much less obnoxious. But it could be good if we may all have an excellent expertise with out worrying about tweaks and settings. Is that an excessive amount of to ask?