How can I completely remove McAfee ELAM from my ASUS Snapdragon laptop?

Since ELAM is a boot-start security component, a partially failed antivirus removal can prevent Windows from starting even when the rest of the program is gone. If recovery restores the system, let Windows Update finish, create a restore point, and then remove McAfee using its normal uninstaller before trying MCPR. If it still causes boot problems, restoring the ASUS image again is preferable to manually deleting ELAM registry entries or driver files.

The safest practical fix is probably ASUS Cloud Recovery or the official ASUS recovery image, since this is an ARM laptop and it should restore the correct Snapdragon drivers and ASUS utilities. Back up your files first. A recovery reinstall will likely bring McAfee back, but you can uninstall it immediately after setup and then restart several times to confirm Windows boots normally. Windows Defender should take over automatically once McAfee is gone.

A completely clean Windows installation is possible, but it is more complicated on this machine than on a typical Intel laptop. You would need an ARM-compatible Windows installer, erase the existing partitions, and then install any missing ASUS drivers or utilities afterward. Network, chipset, graphics, and hotkey support may not all be available automatically, so download the relevant drivers in advance. For a school and everyday-use laptop, the ASUS recovery option is less risky.