New HP laptops usually arrive with a collection of pre-installed extras that most people never asked for: trial security software, promotional apps and multiple HP-branded utilities that duplicate each other's functions. Removing the ones you don't need is one of the fastest ways to reclaim disk space and reduce background clutter.
Key takeaway: Most HP pre-installed extras, including McAfee trials and duplicate HP utilities, can be safely uninstalled through Settings without affecting your laptop's actual hardware support.
Before you start: Keep HP Support Assistant or HP System Event Utility if you're not comfortable manually finding driver updates yourself – they're not harmful, just optional. Always keep some form of antivirus active before removing McAfee; Windows' built-in Microsoft Defender covers you automatically once McAfee is gone.
Removing McAfee trial software
- Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Search for "McAfee" in the search box at the top.
- Click the three dots next to each McAfee entry (such as McAfee Personal Security or McAfee WebAdvisor) and choose Uninstall, confirming any prompts.
- Restart your laptop once finished. Microsoft Defender, already built into Windows, will automatically take over as your antivirus with no setup required.
Removing or trimming HP's own utilities
- In the same Installed apps list, search "HP" to see everything HP has added.
- Common extras safe to remove if unused include HP JumpStart, HP Smart (unless you own an HP printer), HP Games, and any promotional or trial "HP Pavilion" tie-in apps.
- Keep HP Support Assistant if you want automatic driver and BIOS update alerts; remove it only if you're confident updating drivers manually via HP's website.
- Uninstall each unwanted entry the same way – three dots, then Uninstall.
Clearing out promotional Store apps
Many HP laptops also include trial versions of Microsoft 365, games, or other promotional apps from the Microsoft Store. To remove these, right-click each tile in the Start menu and select Uninstall directly, which is quicker than going through Settings for Store apps.
Tip: If you're unsure what an unfamiliar HP-branded entry does, search its exact name plus "HP" online before removing it – a small number of HP utilities do handle useful things like fingerprint readers or fan control.
A final check
After removing everything you don't need, restart your laptop, then open Task Manager's Startup apps tab to confirm nothing HP-related is still trying to launch. You should notice both a quicker boot and more free disk space, often several gigabytes, once the trial software is gone.
Dealing with stubborn or reinstalling apps
Occasionally an app you've uninstalled reappears after a Windows update, particularly some of the promotional Store tiles. If this happens, simply repeat the uninstall step – it's a known quirk rather than anything you've done wrong, and it doesn't tend to happen repeatedly. If HP Support Assistant itself won't uninstall cleanly through Settings, try opening it directly and checking its own settings menu for an option to disable notifications and background scanning instead, which achieves much the same practical benefit without a full removal.
Tip: Once you've finished, it's worth also checking Settings > Apps > Optional features for anything unfamiliar bundled alongside the main app list, as some manufacturer software installs itself here rather than showing up as a standard app.
With the trial software and duplicate utilities cleared away, a typical new HP laptop ends up both faster to start and noticeably less cluttered to navigate, all without touching any driver or hardware-support component that HP genuinely needs to keep your machine running properly.
Frequently asked questions
- Will removing McAfee leave my laptop unprotected?
- No. Microsoft Defender is built into Windows and activates automatically once no other antivirus is installed, giving you continuous protection at no extra cost.
- Is HP Support Assistant safe to keep?
- Yes, it's a genuine HP tool for driver and firmware updates. It's optional, not harmful, so keep it if you find it useful.
- Can removing HP bloatware break my laptop's hardware features?
- As long as you leave genuine driver and hardware-control utilities alone (fingerprint readers, audio tools) and only remove promotional or trial apps, your hardware will keep working normally.