Subscription expired Mcafee and uninstall Mcafee

[Adilah24]

Sorry, I have permission to ask in February I bought a laptop with the product name Victus by HP Gaming Laptop 15-fa2716TX and coincidentally when I bought it there was already Mcafee antivirus software then 3 months later there was a notification that the default Mcafee from the laptop had expired and I had to renew for a subscription, incidentally I did not renew for a subscription but I uninstalled it. Is it safe for my laptop if I uninstall the MCAFEE antivirus software? And can I recover it again if I have uninstalled it? Thank you.

[Garp_senchau · Accepted solution]

@Adilah24, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

Yes, it is completely safe to uninstall McAfee as long as you have another form of protection in place.

Your Victus by HP laptop runs Windows 11, which includes Windows Security (formerly Windows Defender) — a built-in antivirus that activates automatically once McAfee is removed.

So, if:

You uninstalled McAfee

You didn’t install anything else

Then Windows Security automatically takes over ✅

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Regards,

[Adilah24]

@Garp_Senchau, Thank you for the explanation. Do I have to install another antivirus software besides windows defender? Do you have any recommendations for software and how to install the software safely?

[Adilah24]

@Garp_senchau. Thank you for the explanation. Do I have to install another antivirus software besides windows defender? Do you have any recommendations for software and how to install the software safely?

[Garp_senchau]

Hey @Adilah24,

You're most welcome!

It's not necessary to install another antivirus software besides Windows Defender, as it provides solid real-time protection and is well-integrated with Windows 11. For most users, it’s more than sufficient to keep your system secure when combined with safe browsing habits.

However, if you prefer additional features like advanced firewalls, VPNs, or identity protection, you can install a third-party antivirus of your choice. 

Just make sure to download them only from their official websites to avoid any security risks or fake versions.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day. 

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Regards,