I need to remove a virus

Ceri Paul 0 Reputation points
2026-09-04T19:24:25.97+00:00

McAfee is telling me i have a virus but i don't have a current Mcafee account. I need Microsoft defender to remove the virus

Microsoft Security | Microsoft Defender | Other

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  1. Marcin Policht 106.8K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-09-04T19:43:32.0166667+00:00

    What you are describing very likely does not mean that your computer has a virus or that you actually have an active McAfee antivirus installation. The fact that Microsoft Defender reports no threats, while the "McAfee" messages insist that you pay to renew before removing a virus, is a strong indication that these are fraudulent browser notifications or scareware advertisements pretending to be McAfee.

    First, do not click "Remove Virus," "Scan," "Renew," or any payment link in those pop-ups. Do not enter your credit-card information. If McAfee does not appear under Settings > Apps > Installed apps, there may not be a McAfee program installed on the computer at all.

    The most common cause is that a website was accidentally allowed to send notifications. In Microsoft Edge, open Edge and go to Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Notifications. Under "Allow," look for websites you do not recognize, particularly sites with names suggesting antivirus scans, security alerts, McAfee, Microsoft, or anything similar. Click the three dots next to the suspicious site and select Remove or Block. You can also turn off "Ask before sending" if you do not want websites requesting notification permission in the future.

    Then clear the browser's notification permissions and browsing data. In Edge, go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Clear browsing data, select "All time," and clear at least Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. Close and reopen Edge.

    You should also check Windows notifications. Go to Settings > System > Notifications and look through the list of applications allowed to send notifications. If you see Microsoft Edge generating the McAfee alerts, that further confirms that the messages are browser notifications rather than McAfee antivirus detections. You can temporarily turn off Edge notifications there, although removing the offending website's permission in Edge is the better solution.

    For the actual malware check, Microsoft Defender should be sufficient. Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options and run a Full scan. If you are still concerned after that, run Microsoft Defender Offline scan. It will restart the computer and scan Windows before the operating system fully loads, which is useful for detecting persistent malware.

    If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

    hth

    Marcin

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-04T19:24:40.9766667+00:00
    1. Uninstall McAfee or any other real-time antivirus first. Running more than one real-time security product at the same time can reduce performance, cause instability, and can trigger update or install errors such as 0x80070643.
      • Go to Start > Settings > Apps.
      • Find McAfee or any unwanted security app.
      • Select it, then choose Uninstall.
      • Restart if prompted. The PC may need to reboot after each uninstall.
    2. Make sure Microsoft Defender Antivirus is enabled.
      • Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection.
      • Under Virus & threat protection settings, select Manage settings.
      • Turn Real-time protection On.
      • For better protection, also turn on Cloud-delivered protection and Automatic sample submission.
    3. Run a Microsoft scan to clean the device.
      • Microsoft recommends downloading and running the Microsoft Safety Scanner to clean malware after uninstalling previous security software.
    4. If the malware keeps coming back, run Microsoft Defender Offline.
      • Save work first because the PC will restart.
      • Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection.
      • Under Current threats, select Scan options.
      • Select Windows Defender Offline scan and then Scan now.
    5. If Defender reports a threat as partially removed, run the Malicious Software Removal Tool.
      • Press Windows key + R.
      • Type %windir%\system32\mrt.exe and select OK.
      • If prompted, select Yes.
      • Follow the prompts to scan and clean the PC.
      • Restart the PC, then install the latest updates.

    Important: while uninstalling current security software, the PC can be temporarily unprotected. Make sure Microsoft Defender Antivirus is enabled and Windows Firewall is turned on.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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