Why You Should Remove McAfee from Your New Laptop Immediately

As an IT technician with over 14 years of experience in the field, I frequently encounter a common issue with newly purchased laptops: users report that their systems are slow or unresponsive. More often than not, the culprit behind these performance problems is a third-party antivirus Software, particularly McAfee or Avast. In my professional opinion, McAfee stands out as one of the least effective and most detrimental antivirus solutions available today.

The Short Version: Ditch McAfee

If your new laptop came pre-installed with McAfee, I strongly recommend that you remove it without delay. This Software can severely degrade your laptop’s performance, making it feel sluggish and unresponsive. The unfortunate reality is that many laptops come with McAfee installed as part of a paid promotion, but the truth is, you don’t need it. Your laptop already includes Windows Defender—an effective antivirus solution that is more than sufficient for everyday users.

The Problem with Pre-Installed Antivirus

You might think that choosing whether or not to install your antivirus Software is straightforward, but McAfee’s business strategy complicates matters. This company has paid numerous major manufacturers—like Lenovo, Dell, Asus, and HP—to have its software pre-installed on their devices. Unfortunately, this means that many users are stuck with it, even if their systems aren’t capable of running it smoothly.

While I also have criticisms of Avast, at least its uninstallation process is relatively straightforward, even if it does leave behind remnants. In contrast, McAfee is notorious for being user-unfriendly when it comes to removal.

A Hidden Struggle

One major hurdle is that as a user, you often don’t have the necessary permissions to uninstall McAfee on your own. Attempting to do so can lead to a frustrating experience, as the software is designed to thwart your efforts. Even third-party uninstallers like IObit may not work due to McAfee’s built-in obstacles. Its uninstaller requires you to select specific products from a list that frustratingly shows no products available, leaving you with only the “Cancel” option.

Even after successfully triggering the uninstallation process, you might end up agreeing to additional terms of service that let McAfee monitor your data usage and install other programs without your consent. If you refuse, they simply halt the uninstallation.

The Bottom Line

In the end, it’s essential to remember the definition of malware: software designed to disrupt, damage, or gain