McAfee and MSE?

[JonM33]

Win 7 is a totally new OS; it is not an upgrade of anything. It is similar to Vista; but the OS has been redone. It is nothing like XP. Thus many things than ran fine on XP, and even Vista, do not do so well on Win 7. That is basically what JC was saying in my quote above; he was giving the reasons due to changes in the OS that many security suites and third party firewalls cause problems with Win 7.

Personally, I am one of those that had problems with McAfee in XP. I have a least of reasons that I would not have it on any computer of mine. But that is my personal opinion. In general, I do not like security suites for several reasons.

Like Corrine, I prefer MSE or Avast for anti-virus protection. Both are designed for Win 7. I don't use the Windows Firewall, not because it does not do the job; but because I don't know how to configure it for outgoing connections. Unlike Corrine, I use Comodo - and I fully understand why she does not like it. I still use Zone Alarm on my XP computer; but ZA does not play nice with Win 7 - as I learned the hard way.

I am sure these 3rd party companies will figure out how to make their products run properly on Win 7; but they are not there yet. We have worked BSOD issues caused by nearly every security suite out there.

Slight confusion there. Windows 7 is NOT a totally new OS. It is very much based upon the kernel in Windows Vista but has an improved GUI and interface, leaned down and much faster. It is the reason that a lot of hardware can use Windows Vista drivers for Windows 7.

Microsoft couldn't make a brand new OS (kernel) because it would break compatibility with everything else.

 

[NoN]

I just noticed that much of the angst is directed specifically at McAfee and I may have missed that trend if it is true?
glennc

You might get some answers that way because McAfee is made to be paid for security and is definetly not free. I'm using it since 6 months now, no major issue. I have my own parameters added to fit my needs and native windows defender do side by side well, in real time protection with the McAfee. No probs (alerts or critical) in my event viewer.

Well, i've got 6 month left to decide myself which will be the next AV one i'll choose, and i've been running on Norton since 2001 til 2009...

Tried MSE but encountered the too long monthly full scan, and Mc Afee is more reliable for my system resources.

 

[glennc]

Definitely MSE.

Thanks there Kind Sir, Dineesh.

glennc

 

[glennc]

Check out this site and read ALL the test results. They are listed on the left column. Read what each test is doing and then compare results. One product maybe #1 in one test then drop in the next, so it will give you lots of reading, and then decide.

AV-Comparatives - Independent Tests of Anti-Virus Software - Comparatives & Reviews

Jim

Hello Phone Man,
Thanks for your time and the link. I will certainly read it at length. Take care.
glennc

 

[glennc]

Howdy Corrine,
You have a way of making my question more interesting. I can make it easier to understand in that I tried Zonelarm, Comodo and AVG Security Suites. 1st two (my personal favorites) were incompatible with W7 64bit for me. The third did not inspire the confidence I am used to as I said I prefer Comodo and Zonealarm. Next I will say that as purchased Security Suites go, McAfee would not have been my first choice. I had an opportunity to acquire it at a good price for a legal install and since my friend had been using it with no compatibility issues, that he mentioned I thought it would be a above good alternative. I have a lot of time on the subscription and it does not seem to cause problems. Except for the one noted that the Adminstrative Event Viewer showed an unexplained stoppage of realtime protection and a needed restart of that item.
I have been and I say this with a grin, bombarded with suggestions to go to MSE, by members who've help and knowledge have made an impression on me that it indeed may be a good product. Although not enough to run alone on my system.
I have and do run Malwarwebytes AntiMalware as standalone. I hope this gives you incite into the questions you've raised.
Thanks for the advice and your time
glennc

Hi, Glennc.

I do not see one issue with McAfee stopping/restarting a service as reason to abandon a licensed antivirus software suite you purchased, has time left on the subscription and is doing the needed job.

A lot can happen over the period of time remaining on your subscription so I suggest you stay aware of the possibilities available for the time when you need to decide whether to renew the license or select something else.

I'm afraid that at this site in particular, you are likely to receive as many suggestions as there are responders to your inquiry. In fact, from a strictly personal point of view, I would not allow any Comodo product near any of my computers. I also am not a fan of Zone Alarm, particularly since Checkpoint decided to make the extra buck with the added toolbar. I have MSE and the Windows Firewall (along with my favorite WinPatrol) on 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate and am very pleased with the results. My 32-bit Windows Vista Ultimate has ESET Smart Security and that is working very well also.

Howdy Corrine,
Boy there are a lot of opinions about protection. Naturally you are correct, IMO with your assessment of my present circumstances. That is really the only issue I've seen. I quess if it ain't apparently broke, don't fix it. I personally am unaware of WinPatrol and its function. Does it add security to the MSE and Windows firewall.
I skipped Vista, so have nothing but the bad press I've read about it. Never have used ESET.
So as I've said I believe I'll follow my and your advice for a while. I have enough issues and techniques to learn to worry greatly over my Security Suite, although I may live to regret it according to many. Thanks for your time and straight to the point response.
glennc

 

[glennc]

Hey CarlTR6,
I'm am wrongly pleased to hear I'm not the only one with issues with software. I am at the point where I want to do a System Image after every install of any software. The two times I've tried a Restore Point it did not work properly. The only thing I am sure of is a good System Image and CD or a Clean reinstall, unfortunately.
Better luck in the future. At least now I know many of the things to avoid. :sarc:
glennc

 

[glennc]

Win 7 is a totally new OS; it is not an upgrade of anything. It is similar to Vista; but the OS has been redone. It is nothing like XP. Thus many things than ran fine on XP, and even Vista, do not do so well on Win 7. That is basically what JC was saying in my quote above; he was giving the reasons due to changes in the OS that many security suites and third party firewalls cause problems with Win 7.

Personally, I am one of those that had problems with McAfee in XP. I have a least of reasons that I would not have it on any computer of mine. But that is my personal opinion. In general, I do not like security suites for several reasons.

Like Corrine, I prefer MSE or Avast for anti-virus protection. Both are designed for Win 7. I don't use the Windows Firewall, not because it does not do the job; but because I don't know how to configure it for outgoing connections. Unlike Corrine, I use Comodo - and I fully understand why she does not like it. I still use Zone Alarm on my XP computer; but ZA does not play nice with Win 7 - as I learned the hard way.

I am sure these 3rd party companies will figure out how to make their products run properly on Win 7; but they are not there yet. We have worked BSOD issues caused by nearly every security suite out there.

Slight confusion there. Windows 7 is NOT a totally new OS. It is very much based upon the kernel in Windows Vista but has an improved GUI and interface, leaned down and much faster. It is the reason that a lot of hardware can use Windows Vista drivers for Windows 7.

Microsoft couldn't make a brand new OS (kernel) because it would break compatibility with everything else.

Hello JonM33,
Thanks for the clarification. I really used the wrong term. Insert the correct term and the statement stands though. Due to the difference and my having no experience with Vista I guess, I have never reinstalled or did Backup with System Image repairs so many times. I've never trusted Windows Uninstaller. But at least I knew where to look and had a registry cleaner that worked perfectly without issue, to cure any messes I made. Not so with Windows 7. Even Free Revo Uninstaller and IObit Unistaller failed me. I am hoping that the free trial version of Revo Pro which seemed to immediately do exactly what it said it would in the 64 bit atmosphere, works. I will buy it if it does. I would like to not do System Images as the only reliable to me fix.
Appreciate your time,
glennc

 

[glennc]

I just noticed that much of the angst is directed specifically at McAfee and I may have missed that trend if it is true?
glennc

You might get some answers that way because McAfee is made to be paid for security and is definetly not free. I'm using it since 6 months now, no major issue. I have my own parameters added to fit my needs and native windows defender do side by side well, in real time protection with the McAfee. No probs (alerts or critical) in my event viewer.

Well, i've got 6 month left to decide myself which will be the next AV one i'll choose, and i've been running on Norton since 2001 til 2009...

Tried MSE but encountered the too long monthly full scan, and Mc Afee is more reliable for my system resources.

Hello again NoN,
This thread has definitely opened my eyes to differences of opinions of intelligent and helpful people. I decided since McAfee was paid for and I've got a year and some time left on the subsription, I'll just keep it. It seems for now to be functioning correctly, until it doesn't. Which in your experience hasn't happened. Encouraging.
Thanks again for your input. Take care.
glennc

 

[Petey7]

Just keep in mind that McAfee wants you to contact them two months in advance before canceling your subscription and will charge your credit card automatically. This happened to my dad and he had to bring up the name of a lawyer he knows before they would agree to refund the money. Experiences like these have generated my hate of McAfee.

EDIT: Article talking about the issue: http://michaelkelly.blogs.com/buyingdangerously/2006/10/bad_mcafee_on_a.html

 

[glennc]

Petey7,
Are you serious? That is the most despicable underhanded low life thing I've heard in a while. That is pitiful. Thank you for the heads up, I need to find out my exact expiration date and plan accordingly. Thanks immensely Petey7, my man.
glennc

 

[CarlTR6]

Win 7 is a totally new OS; it is not an upgrade of anything. It is similar to Vista; but the OS has been redone. It is nothing like XP. Thus many things than ran fine on XP, and even Vista, do not do so well on Win 7. That is basically what JC was saying in my quote above; he was giving the reasons due to changes in the OS that many security suites and third party firewalls cause problems with Win 7.

Personally, I am one of those that had problems with McAfee in XP. I have a least of reasons that I would not have it on any computer of mine. But that is my personal opinion. In general, I do not like security suites for several reasons.

Like Corrine, I prefer MSE or Avast for anti-virus protection. Both are designed for Win 7. I don't use the Windows Firewall, not because it does not do the job; but because I don't know how to configure it for outgoing connections. Unlike Corrine, I use Comodo - and I fully understand why she does not like it. I still use Zone Alarm on my XP computer; but ZA does not play nice with Win 7 - as I learned the hard way.

I am sure these 3rd party companies will figure out how to make their products run properly on Win 7; but they are not there yet. We have worked BSOD issues caused by nearly every security suite out there.

Slight confusion there. Windows 7 is NOT a totally new OS. It is very much based upon the kernel in Windows Vista but has an improved GUI and interface, leaned down and much faster. It is the reason that a lot of hardware can use Windows Vista drivers for Windows 7.

Microsoft couldn't make a brand new OS (kernel) because it would break compatibility with everything else.

You are partially right. The whole security aspect is changed as are some other things.

 

[Corrine]

Howdy Corrine,
You have a way of making my question more interesting. I can make it easier to understand in that I tried Zonelarm, Comodo and AVG Security Suites. 1st two (my personal favorites) were incompatible with W7 64bit for me. The third did not inspire the confidence I am used to as I said I prefer Comodo and Zonealarm. Next I will say that as purchased Security Suites go, McAfee would not have been my first choice. I had an opportunity to acquire it at a good price for a legal install and since my friend had been using it with no compatibility issues, that he mentioned I thought it would be a above good alternative. I have a lot of time on the subscription and it does not seem to cause problems. Except for the one noted that the Adminstrative Event Viewer showed an unexplained stoppage of realtime protection and a needed restart of that item.
I have been and I say this with a grin, bombarded with suggestions to go to MSE, by members who've help and knowledge have made an impression on me that it indeed may be a good product. Although not enough to run alone on my system.
I have and do run Malwarwebytes AntiMalware as standalone. I hope this gives you incite into the questions you've raised.
Thanks for the advice and your time
glennc

Hi, Glennc.

I do not see one issue with McAfee stopping/restarting a service as reason to abandon a licensed antivirus software suite you purchased, has time left on the subscription and is doing the needed job.

A lot can happen over the period of time remaining on your subscription so I suggest you stay aware of the possibilities available for the time when you need to decide whether to renew the license or select something else.

I'm afraid that at this site in particular, you are likely to receive as many suggestions as there are responders to your inquiry. In fact, from a strictly personal point of view, I would not allow any Comodo product near any of my computers. I also am not a fan of Zone Alarm, particularly since Checkpoint decided to make the extra buck with the added toolbar. I have MSE and the Windows Firewall (along with my favorite WinPatrol) on 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate and am very pleased with the results. My 32-bit Windows Vista Ultimate has ESET Smart Security and that is working very well also.

Howdy Corrine,
Boy there are a lot of opinions about protection. Naturally you are correct, IMO with your assessment of my present circumstances. That is really the only issue I've seen. I quess if it ain't apparently broke, don't fix it. I personally am unaware of WinPatrol and its function. Does it add security to the MSE and Windows firewall.
I skipped Vista, so have nothing but the bad press I've read about it. Never have used ESET.
So as I've said I believe I'll follow my and your advice for a while. I have enough issues and techniques to learn to worry greatly over my Security Suite, although I may live to regret it according to many. Thanks for your time and straight to the point response.
glennc

Since you are moving from Windows XP to Windows 7, you may find the
quick guide prepared by Andre DaCosta with side-by-side image comparisons to help new Windows 7 users become familiar with some of the changes and benefits of Windows 7. See Andre's article in For the 'former' Windows XP User - Welcome to Windows 7!

As to WinPatrol, it is the first software I install on any computer. Scotty the Windows Watchdog is always keeping an eye on things. You can read about some of the features here: WinPatrol Features (WinPatrol is free for personal use and there is also a PLUS version which has a one-time fee.)

 

[glennc]

Thanks Corrine,
I will look into Winpatrol. Have a good evening.
glennc

 

[Borg 386]

I can tell you from experience that MSE has caught things that McAfee didn't.

Our school had a virus problem that they had a hard time getting rid of. They were using...McAfee.

Almost every day for a while when I got home from school & plugged in my FD, MSE detected a trojan or virus.

When I ran a scan on the FD with McAfee, it showed "clean", even though there was something there.

The only reason it's on my system is it came with it along with 15 months of "protection".

MSE plays well with McAfee, on my system at least. But if I had to make a choice, MSE would be the one to choose.

 

[thathagat]

well.........with McAfee your pc cannot be infected....why?.... read on
1.McAfee will make it so slow that let alone malware you will find difficult to run normal programmes.
2.McAfee will hog all your RAM leaving no place for bots/virus/trojans to cram.
3.With McAfee installed infections find it embarrassing to infect...because there is nothing new to do

so......install the other M -MSE and give your pc a life....fast...secure and safe

disclaimer: the statement above is nothing but a light hearted buffoonery on my part

 

[Adrian]

Reality Check

Glenn, while I have read everyones comments and every one here is deeply concerned with virus protection, the actual reality is there is no magic av that will be 100% Hackers ascribe to Moore's law and get smarter. Whichever you choose it will not be a 100%

 

[glennc]

I can tell you from experience that MSE has caught things that McAfee didn't.

Our school had a virus problem that they had a hard time getting rid of. They were using...McAfee.

Almost every day for a while when I got home from school & plugged in my FD, MSE detected a trojan or virus.

When I ran a scan on the FD with McAfee, it showed "clean", even though there was something there.

The only reason it's on my system is it came with it along with 15 months of "protection".

MSE plays well with McAfee, on my system at least. But if I had to make a choice, MSE would be the one to choose.

Hello Borg 386,
Thanks for adding your experience to the discussion. I am in a similar position regarding McAfee. I have standalone scanner AntiMalware, and a resident program called Threatfire. I have not heard anyone mention it, but I and the friend who suggested it seem to be having success. It is specifically designed small and lightweight and to complement your existing protection, rather than be the sole protection. I have had it catch changes, and immediately afterwards McAfee signals the catch. I am pretty sure I'm safe. I appreciate you joining the discussion.
glennc

 

[glennc]

well.........with McAfee your pc cannot be infected....why?.... read on
1.McAfee will make it so slow that let alone malware you will find difficult to run normal programmes.
2.McAfee will hog all your RAM leaving no place for bots/virus/trojans to cram.
3.With McAfee installed infections find it embarrassing to infect...because there is nothing new to do

so......install the other M -MSE and give your pc a life....fast...secure and safe

disclaimer: the statement above is nothing but a light hearted buffoonery on my part

Howdy thathagat,
I was worried and was going to say my experience with McAfee does not mirror your list. Then I saw the disclaimer. Thanks for the levity and info.
glennc

 

[glennc]

Glenn, while I have read everyones comments and every one here is deeply concerned with virus protection, the actual reality is there is no magic av that will be 100% Hackers ascribe to Moore's law and get smarter. Whichever you choose it will not be a 100%

Good day Adrian,
Your statement makes perfect sense and I am in agreement. Its an arms war between sellers and reason for seller's products. That is why I have up to now made do with some excellent freeware and resident and standalone scans. Thanks for your incite.
glennc

 

[Borg 386]

well.........with McAfee your pc cannot be infected....why?.... read on
1.McAfee will make it so slow that let alone malware you will find difficult to run normal programmes.
2.McAfee will hog all your RAM leaving no place for bots/virus/trojans to cram.
3.With McAfee installed infections find it embarrassing to infect...because there is nothing new to do

so......install the other M -MSE and give your pc a life....fast...secure and safe

disclaimer: the statement above is nothing but a light hearted buffoonery on my part

I thought that was Norton also?:roflmao:
But yes, there is no way to be 100% safe and no AV catches everything, simply because of the fact that when a new virus is written & released, the AV companies have to have time to come up with the AV definitions.