How-To
Duration: 15m
6 steps
Cleanly uninstall an old antivirus (Windows)
Before installing a new antivirus suite: remove the old one cleanly – including the vendor-specific removal tool.
Running two antivirus products in parallel usually causes conflicts and performance issues. This guide shows how to remove the old one cleanly before installing a new suite.
Steps
- 1 Save licence data Note the license key and account login of the old suite – some vendors offer a refund on timely cancellation.
- 2 Uninstall via Windows Settings Settings → Apps → Installed Apps. Find your antivirus, "⋯" → "Uninstall". Walk through the wizard.
- 3 Run the vendor removal tool Leftovers are common. Download the official removal tool: Norton Remove and Reinstall Tool, McAfee MCPR, Bitdefender Uninstall Tool, ESET Uninstaller, Kaspersky kavremover. Run it.
- 4 Reboot the PC Restart – most removal tools require it anyway.
- 5 Enable Microsoft Defender Open Windows Security → "Virus & threat protection" → make sure Defender is active. Defender protects you until the new suite is installed.
- 6 Install the new suite Only now install the new antivirus – see for instance our "Install Bitdefender on Windows 11" guide.