McAfee virus removal

Question

McAfee logo pops up claiming I have several viruses. I do not have McAfee on my PC but am unable to close the critical error alert. How can I get rid of it?

Answer 1

Hi Kathleen Riley,

Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum. I understand that you are seeing a McAfee virus alert pop‑up that cannot be closed even though McAfee is not installed on your PC.

Please make sure you already tried the Q&A Assist steps. In addition, please try the following.

To better narrow down the issue, could you please confirm:

1. Does the pop‑up appear inside a web browser or directly on the Windows desktop?
2. Which web browser do you usually use when this message appears (for example, Microsoft Edge or another browser)?

In the meantime, you can try these steps:

1, Close all open browsers, then reopen only Microsoft Edge and check if the pop‑up appears again without visiting any websites.

2, In Microsoft Edge, open Settings, go to Cookies and site permissions, then Notifications, and remove any unfamiliar or suspicious websites from the allowed list.

3, Open Edge Extensions and remove any extensions that you do not recognize or did not intentionally install.

4, Open Windows Security, select Virus and threat protection, then run a full scan using Microsoft Defender.

5, Restart the PC and check whether the alert still appears after signing back in.

6, If the pop‑up only appears after visiting a specific website, avoid opening that site and clear the browser’s cached data.

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Answer 2

Hi! Let me help you with this issue.

Please take a screenshot of the pop-up alert that you are getting and paste it here. This will help me check what type of software has been installed on your machine.
Thanks!

Answer 3

The pop-ups you are experiencing that claim to be from McAfee are likely fake notifications designed to trick you into believing your computer is infected. Since you do not have McAfee installed, these alerts are probably coming from a malicious website that you might have inadvertently allowed to send notifications.

To resolve this issue, you can follow these steps:

1. Check Browser Notifications:

• If you are using Microsoft Edge, open the browser and go to Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Notifications. Look for any suspicious sites in the "Allow" section and remove them.
• If you are using Google Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications. Look for any unfamiliar sites in the "Allowed to send notifications" list and remove them.

2. Disable Notifications from Websites:

• In both browsers, you can toggle off the option that allows sites to ask for permission to send notifications. This will prevent any website from prompting you in the future.

3. Check for Malicious Browser Extensions:

• Sometimes, these alerts can be caused by malicious browser extensions. Check your installed extensions in both Edge and Chrome and remove any that you do not recognize or remember installing.

4. Run a Malware Scan:

• Use Windows Defender or another reputable antivirus program to scan your computer for any potential threats and remove them.

Following these steps should help eliminate the fake McAfee alerts and prevent them from reappearing.

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References:

• How can I remove McAfee Norton Pop Ups on Windows 11?
• What should I do if Windows Defender or Endpoint Protection detects malicious software on my computer?