How to fix macafee virus from popping up over and over

Those repeating McAfee “virus” pop‑ups are almost always fake alerts from a website or an adware program, not a real McAfee app or a real infection. Use these steps to stop them and then check for malware.

1. Close the fake warning safely

• If the screen is taken over and you can’t close it normally:
  • Press Alt + F4 to close the current window, or
  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, select your browser (Edge/Chrome), and choose End task.
  • If nothing responds, hold the power button until the PC turns off, then turn it back on.

2. Remove fake notification sites in your browser These pop-ups usually come from sites you accidentally allowed to send notifications.

In Microsoft Edge (Windows 10):

1. Open Edge.
2. Select the three dots (…) in the top‑right > Settings.
3. Go to Cookies and site permissions > Notifications.
4. Look under Allow for strange or unknown sites (often not mcafee.com but random names or scam domains).
5. For each suspicious site, click the three dots next to it and choose Block or Remove.

If using Google Chrome:

1. Open Chrome > Settings.
2. Go to Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications.
3. Under Allowed to send notifications, remove any suspicious sites.
4. Uninstall any unwanted “security” or adware apps Sometimes a program was installed that keeps causing pop‑ups.
5. Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
6. Go to Apps > Apps & features (or Installed apps).
7. Carefully scroll the list and uninstall anything you don’t recognize or that you know you don’t want (for example, unknown “security”, “cleaner”, or “optimizer” tools).
8. Restart the PC after uninstalling.

If a program doesn’t uninstall cleanly, the guidance is to contact that software’s support for a proper removal tool.

4. Run a full malware scan with Windows Security Windows 10 already includes built‑in antivirus.
5. Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security.
6. Choose Virus & threat protection.
7. Select Scan options.
8. Choose Full scan and then Scan now.
9. Let it finish and follow any actions it recommends (Remove/Quarantine).

If the same threat keeps coming back or Windows says it was only partially removed:

• Run the Malicious Software Removal Tool:
  1. Press Windows key + R.
  2. Type %windir%\system32\mrt.exe and press Enter.
  3. Allow it to run, then follow the prompts to scan and clean the PC.
• If problems continue, run Microsoft Defender Offline:
  1. Go to Windows Security > Virus & threat protection.
  2. Select Scan options.
  3. Choose Windows Defender Offline scan > Scan now (the PC will restart and scan before Windows loads).

5. Turn on protection features

• Make sure Tamper Protection is turned on in Windows Security so malware cannot easily turn off your protection.
• Keep Windows Update turned on so you get the latest security fixes.

6. General safety tips to avoid these pop‑ups again

• Do not call any phone number shown in a pop‑up claiming to be from Microsoft, McAfee, or other companies.
• Do not click “Allow notifications” on random websites.
• Avoid sites offering illegal downloads or pirated content; they often host malicious ads.

If, after doing this, the pop‑ups still appear, repeat step 2 (notifications) and step 3 (uninstall apps), then run another Full scan and, if needed, Microsoft Defender Offline.

References:

• Troubleshoot problems with detecting and removing malware
• Protect my PC from viruses
• Antivirus and antimalware software: FAQ
• Microsoft resources and guidance for removal of malware and viruses
• Unexplained Windows or software behavior may be caused by deceptive software
• When you open a file on a Windows based computer, the file may start a different program
• Endpoint Protection client frequently asked questions
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