# Using McAfee securitycenter, is it worth it?



## PC person (Feb 2, 2006)

After posting messages here and not getting the solutions. I tried some pay computer help. The person whom gave it me suggested I get McAfee rather than AVG that I had, or any other free anti-virus/malware programs. Actually, she insisted I buy McAfee before we go any further which I did, I paid $30

She said the reason being that even though you have to pay for McAfee there is a big difference in quality, and it is updated every day. But, this isn't true. I can open the program in my sys tray and go on several times a day and click update and it WON'T have updates for me! Maybe it means that they do update it with new virus/malware definitions, but don't put out the updates for download every day. 

I am rather upset that it doesn't seem to make a difference other than the free ones. I did suspect maybe she was trying to make some money off of me, but I don't think that would be the case unless, she makes money from McAfee by "selling" thier software through her. If you have to PAY for updates the software should DEFINITELY be better than free software. 

Right now, I'm having techical problems with a programs Graphics- Starcraft n particular, with it working on my new computer. I've been trying to send screenshots and two other files to Blizzard who makes the game. The first three times I sent the screenshot (and two other files he asked me to) it didn't arrive at all to him. The last (most recent) time I sent them, he said for me to zip them with winzip, which I did. That may have been the problem the first time- they were too large and he was set to reject emails with attachments that large. 

He did receive them the third time, but said he couldn't open the zip file with the three files in it because of some corruption and suggested I do a virus scan. I did, and let it run overnight (the only ones I do most of the time are full system virus scans) and the only thing it turned up was a program called PWdump, which actually isn't even a virus, it's a program I downloaded to crack my own passwords I forgot, so the problem is ongoing. 

McAfee says the program will expire in a few days and I'll no longer be able to download updates. I don't think I will renew it. 

I'd also like it if a virus scanner would first take a look at what is on my hard drive, how much it has to scan and tell me how long the scan will take, rather than me just having to let it run for god knows how long (and being unable to use my computer during it) waiting for it to finish. If it knows how much it has to scan why can't it tell me how long it would take?


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## Baejung92 (Dec 21, 2008)

I'm using the free version of McAfee provided by Comcast, and it does in fact update twice or so every day... have you checked for the extra red arrow icon in the system tray that appears when McAfee auto-updates?

Also, the latest update implemented a percentage progress meter for scans. Though I agree that it's no use for determining how long the scan would take. I haven't had experience with any other AV yet (though I may be switching to Avast sometime), so I don't know if others have timer indicators.

Finally, this is a side note, but about your StarCraft problem. Are you trying to run the game with Xfire by any chance?


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## PC person (Feb 2, 2006)

Well, I don't know what happened to my last post in this thread. I posted it, then hit the back button on firefox a few times, then hit refresh on my browser to see it (since I know going back to before it was posted would show it as not there) and it's not here.

Edit: Actually I think I do, I was only looking at the preview thinking it had been posted.


Anyway, I found out that I had made a mistake- that I have automatic updates enabled, and for them to be installed automatically (I'm guessing it also downloads them) I do have the icon with the red X and have been informed that my McAfee securitycenter has now expired. 

I don't have Comcast. I have Charter, I don't think they provide McAfee free. And no, I'm not playing starcraft through X-fire.


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## PC person (Feb 2, 2006)

Well, I tried installing AVG. McAfee, like I said has expired now and I can't use it. I found some stuff recommending I uninstall McAfee, but I like some of the other stuff it gives me, like anti-spam, etc. Anyway, here's the error I get when I try to install AVG.

Local Machine: installation failed
Installation:
Error: Action Failed for the file avgldx86.sys: starting service....
Memory Allocation failed
Rollback:
Warning: Action failed for directory Toolbar: removing directory....
Error 0x80070091
Warning: Action failed for directory AVG8: removing directory....
Error 0x80070091
Warning: Action failed for directory AVG: removing directory
Error 0x80070091


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## PC person (Feb 2, 2006)

Thought I'd be able to edit my post, guess that only applies minutes after you've posted or something, oh well.

Anyway, I understand that you shouldn't have more than one anti-virus/anti-malware program, but since McAfee is now expired and it didn't find the virus, and wants me to pay to renew it I'm not so sure I should. If it's something I'm going to be paying for it had better work and work well, which it didn't.

Though, is it possible for it not to find the virus because the virus has been removed already, but it has already done it's damage. It's like shooting a soldier after he's thrown a grenade, and the grenade has exploded and killed some other soldiers will prevent him from doing it again, but won't undo the damage that has already been done.

I like some of the features of McAfee Securitycenter, such as the anti-spam and some other features I hadn't tried yet that I didn't know it had, but I have thus disabled the program using this guide.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_you_disable_Mcafee

I had tried disabling the program using startup cop, and disabled McAgent, but the McAfee icon still appeared in my SysTray.


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## deleted6052011 (Jul 16, 2009)

Download the McAfee removal tool http://download.mcafee.com/products/licensed/cust_support_patches/MCPR.exe to get rid of McAfee. Then see if AVG will install.


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## PC person (Feb 2, 2006)

afccarl666 said:


> Download the McAfee removal tool http://download.mcafee.com/products/licensed/cust_support_patches/MCPR.exe to get rid of McAfee. Then see if AVG will install.


I really don't know if I want to get rid of McAfee, it has some other programs I like to use with it, anti-spam, etc. I want to disable it at least.

Since then, I've tried 2 other free anti-virus programs. Avira anti-virus and avast. With Avira I couldn't update it. I would be at the update screen and it wouldn't make any progress in the slightest. 

With Avast I set it to do a thorough scan, let it run overnight, then when I returned *12 hours later* it was still running!


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

Please remember that you can never run more than one anti virus program at time. 

BG


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## deleted6052011 (Jul 16, 2009)

To be honest, I personally dont see the point in paying when there are so many decent free AV options out there.

If you like McAfee that much, though, then cant you uninstall it for the time being and reinstall it later if you decide to get a new licence?

The free version of AVG comes with anti-spyware, link scanners and email scanners etc.


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## PC person (Feb 2, 2006)

Basementgeek said:


> Please remember that you can never run more than one anti virus program at time.
> 
> BG


Well, you can, but I suppose they might have a head-on collision of sorts if they are running at the same time. You can have more than one on your computer at least

But, I haven't yet been able to find a decent one. Avir I couldn't update (making it pretty useless) Avast- I don't know what's going on with that, how the hell it can't be finished after 12 hours of scanning. One theory I have is that it stops scanning when it encounters a virus to tell you, so that's why it was still scanning when I came back. It had a message asking me what to do with what it found. Do they assume you want to sit there for hours looking at the screen?

I'll try AVG now. I suspects I should have said no when that tech said I must install McAfee.


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## tetonbob (Jan 10, 2005)

> how it can't be finished after 12 hours of scanning.


If you still have McAfee installed, that's how. One AV looks at a file, the other wants a peek, then the first one gets jealous and needs a new look, around and around in a circle, getting nowhere, causing slowdowns, hangs, issues.

You _can_ have more than one AV installed, but it's not a good idea, and we do NOT recommend it.

As stated in our pre-posting sticky topic...

http://www.techsupportforum.com/f50...-posting-for-malware-removal-help-305963.html



> If you have more than one *antivirus software* installed, leave only *ONE* and uninstall the others


While this may seem like greater protection, it can cause problems including slowdowns, system hangs or even crashes. This can happen if both AntiVirus applications attempt to access the same file at the same time. This may cause the applications to interfere with each other, or cause the system to lock up. It can also be a drain on system resources, making a machine run slower than it should.



> You can have more than one on your computer at least


Not really. Well, again, you can....but it's not a good idea. Today's AntiVirus all have services running, and running processes which are difficult to completely kill, which is good for protection purposes, but not good if you think one is not active while another is installed.

Bottom line is, don't do it, there's no advantage, and many disadvantages. For second opinions to a resident protection application, use one, or several, of the online scanners available.




> Do they assume you want to sit there for hours looking at the screen?


Depends on how you have it set up. Many AV allow you to have it fix what it finds with no interaction until the scan is complete.

Avira sometimes has troubles with the updating in it's free version, but it will eventually get through to the servers.


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## PC person (Feb 2, 2006)

I went ahead and installed AVG, and uninstalled every other anti-virus application, including McAfee. It told me the version I have of AVG- AVG internet security, will expire within one month. So I'm wondering what services will be left.

The services it currently has are (you probably have them too) 

1. Anti-virus
2. Anti-rootkit
3. Web shield
4. Anti Spyware
5. System Tools
6. Resident Shield
7. Anti-Spam
8. Email Scanner
9. Update Manager
10. Firewall
11. Indentity Protection
12. Link Scanner
13. License

Also, is there any way the Anti malware programs (I like how they now make one program for all types of malware, remember how they used to have meters for every type of electrical term- volts, amps, watts, then they finally made multimeters?) can protect THEMSELVES from viruses? When you download such a program, will it always get infected with a virus before you/when you install it? Provided there is a virus that does so.


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## deleted6052011 (Jul 16, 2009)

With the free version, you get:

Anti-Virus
Anti-Spyware
Email Scanner
Licence
Link Scanner
Resident Shield
Update Manager


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## PC person (Feb 2, 2006)

I did a full scan of my system with AVG securitycenter, then sent the 3 files to the tech at blizzard, specifically msinfo, dxdiag and the screenshot of one of the messed up screens, which I named swscrewup.

He says he still can't open them, that they are getting quarantined right away. I asked him to do a scan on his end and see what virus is infecting them. So if he finds out what the specific virus is I can look for a specific tool that will remove it.

Also, could it be that I am sending the same files that I did when the system was infected, so perhaps those files are infected- that I should get/make new versions. dxdiag and msinfo I got by going into dxdiag for example.


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## PC person (Feb 2, 2006)

I'm using AVG Internet Security right now. How do you find it in terms of it's ability to detect spyware, and other malicious software besides virus's? When I used spybot it would turn up a whole lot more than AVG does.


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