McAfee says “You’re not protected” or will not update

Scammers copy McAfee's name and red shield on fake web pages, so it is worth a ten-second check before you change anything. A real McAfee message appears inside the McAfee app, or as a small notice near the clock that opens the app when you select it. It never shows a phone number, and it never asks you to call anyone or let someone connect to your computer.

If the warning sits inside your web browser, with tabs and an address bar along the top, or it shows a phone number or a countdown timer, it is not from McAfee. Close it and follow our guide to dealing with a fake virus warning instead.

A restart clears out programs that have got stuck and lets McAfee start fresh. It fixes this message more often than you might expect, especially after a Windows update.

Save anything you are working on. Select Start, then the power button, then Restart. Choose Restart rather than Shut down. On most computers, Shut down saves part of Windows for a faster start next time, so it does not give quite the same clean slate.

After the restart, wait two or three minutes for McAfee to load. Then open McAfee and see whether the message has gone.

Many new computers come with McAfee already installed as a free trial that lasts a limited time. When a trial or paid subscription ends, McAfee stops getting updates, and it says you are not protected. This is the most common reason for the message.

• Open McAfee and look for your subscription details. They are usually on the home screen or under your account or profile icon, shown as the days remaining or an expiry date.
• You can also check online. Type mcafee.com into your browser's address bar yourself, sign in, and look at the subscriptions in your account.

If the subscription has ended, you have a choice. You can renew through the McAfee app or McAfee's own website. Or, if you would rather not pay, you can remove McAfee so that Microsoft Defender, the free antivirus built into Windows, takes over. Our guides to removing McAfee completely and deciding whether you need paid antivirus can help.

McAfee regularly downloads details of new threats. If an update fails, for example because the computer was offline for a few days, McAfee may say it is out of date or that you are not protected. Running an update yourself usually catches it up.

1. Make sure the computer is connected to the internet.
2. Find the McAfee icon in the notification area, at the right end of the taskbar near the clock. If you cannot see it, select the small up arrow ^ to show hidden icons.
3. Right-click the McAfee icon and choose Check for updates.
4. If that option is not there, open the McAfee app and look for an update option. In newer versions it is often inside the account or settings menu.

An update can take several minutes. Leave the computer on until McAfee says it is up to date, then restart once more.

Real-Time Scanning is the part of McAfee that checks files as you open, download or copy them. If it has been switched off, perhaps by another program or while someone was fixing a different problem, McAfee will say you are not fully protected.

1. Open McAfee. If the home screen shows a message about real-time scanning with a Turn on button, select it.
2. If not, look for a section called My Protection, or a similar shield-shaped option, and choose Real-Time Scanning.
3. Select Turn on. If McAfee lists other protection features as off, such as its firewall, turn those on in the same way.

If Real-Time Scanning keeps switching itself off, it may be clashing with another security program. The next step deals with that.

Two antivirus programs on one computer tend to get in each other's way. Both try to check the same files at the same time, which can slow the computer down and stop one of them from working properly. Many people end up with two without realizing, for example when a trial came with the computer and they later added another.

1. Go to SettingsAppsInstalled apps. In Windows 10, go to SettingsAppsApps & features.
2. Scroll through the list for other security programs, such as Norton, Avast, AVG, Avira, Bitdefender, ESET or Trend Micro.
3. If you find one you no longer use, select the three dots ... next to it, choose Uninstall, and restart afterwards.

If you pay for the other program and prefer it, keep that one and remove McAfee instead. Microsoft Defender does not count here. It is part of Windows and steps aside by itself while McAfee is active, so leave it alone.

This step sounds unrelated, but it matters. McAfee checks your subscription and downloads updates over secure connections, and those connections fail if the computer's date or time is wrong. Missing Windows updates can cause similar trouble.

1. Go to SettingsTime & languageDate & time. Turn on Set time automatically, check that the time zone is right, and select Sync now.
2. Go to SettingsWindows Update and select Check for updates. Install what it finds, and restart if asked.

In Windows 10, Windows Update is under SettingsUpdate & Security. Windows 10 support ended in October 2025, and the extra year of security updates ended in October 2026, so Windows 10 computers no longer receive security fixes. McAfee may still run, but check McAfee's website to see whether your version still supports Windows 10.

If the message is still there, the McAfee installation itself may be damaged. Removing it and putting it back usually fixes that. Your subscription belongs to your McAfee account, not to the copy on your computer, so reinstalling does not lose what you paid for.

1. In SettingsAppsInstalled apps, select the three dots ... next to McAfee and choose Uninstall. Follow McAfee's uninstall window to the end.
2. Restart the computer.
3. If McAfee is still listed, or the uninstall stopped with an error, use McAfee's own removal tool. Our guide to removing McAfee completely explains how.
4. Type mcafee.com into your browser yourself, sign in, find the download option for your subscription, and follow the instructions to install it again.
5. Restart once more, then open McAfee and run an update.