how to remove mcafee and norton

If both are installed, remove them one at a time from Windows Settings.

1. Open Start > Settings > Apps.
2. Find McAfee and select Uninstall.
3. Restart the PC if prompted.
4. Go back to Settings > Apps.
5. Find Norton and select Uninstall.
6. Restart again after removal.

Important:

• Running more than one antivirus at the same time can reduce performance, cause instability, or trigger unexpected restarts.
• While removing security software, the PC can be temporarily unprotected. Make sure Microsoft Defender Antivirus is enabled and Windows Firewall is turned on after uninstalling them.
• Some security software does not uninstall completely. If McAfee or Norton still appears on screen after uninstalling, use the vendor’s official removal help or contact that vendor’s support.

If the uninstall fails:

1. Restart the PC and try uninstalling again.
2. In Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select the app and check Advanced options.
3. If available, select Repair first.
4. If the issue continues, select Reset.
5. Then try Uninstall again.

If the pop-ups are coming from suspicious software rather than the antivirus app itself:

1. Open Windows Security and run a scan.
2. After threats are cleaned, remove suspicious apps from Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
3. If the problem started recently, sort apps by install date and uninstall recent apps that were not intentionally installed.
4. Remove unwanted browser add-ons if the messages appear inside the browser.

If malware changed the PC and the problem cannot be cleaned, Reset this PC is an option. Back up files first, because recovery steps can require restoring data from backup.

• Protect my PC from viruses | Microsoft Support
• Unwanted software
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• Troubleshoot problems with detecting and removing malware | Microsoft Support