McAfee

[Peter Stahl]

Is the McAfee AntiVirus protection that came with my PC worth buying after the free 30 days are up? If not what is a better option. I have Windows 8.1 on my PC without the touch screen. I use it in the Desktop mode so it function like what I was used to with Windows Vista.

[David G Baker]

At one time I used McAfee and used it until I got a few computer problems so I removed it and bought Norton and used it until the computer problems started again. I dumped Norton and bought Zone Alarm and used it and really liked it until I had a hard drive crash. I installed a new hard drive and contacted Zone Alarm to re install it on my new drive. They told me that I had passed the re load date so no deal. The price of a new load almost as much as the new purchase price, this made me angry because I had over one year left on the subscription so I dumped Zone Alarm and tried AVAST. Avast worked fine until I had another problem so I dumped that. I tried Charters protection and found that it wasn't any better than all of the others I had used. Finally I went to Microsoft and downloaded their Security Essentials, installed it on all three of my computers and it has been working fine for close to a year.
Which ever way you choose to go make sure that you have removed all of any other protection programs, to do this go to the software sight and use their program removal option if they have one.

[Bruce Page]

I switched from McAfee to AVG a few years ago. McAfee bogged down my PC almost to a standstill.

[David G Baker]

Bruce I had similar problems with Norton, McAfee, etc. I also eventually had a problem with AVG but I don't know if it was the program. My problem was one of the hostage sites that nailed me when I was using AVG and I made a mistake and ended up having to re format my hard drive. I have since learned to turn my computer off the minute I see the hostage image and was able to get rid of it.

[Dave Sheldrake]

Norton, Invasive string scanning piece of junk
McAfee, worse still with lower detection rate,

Best anti virus...common sense, that link saying seebritneynaked.exe is probably not a picture of a pop star.

Kaspersky Prime has a very good reputation and isn't anywhere near as invasive.

cheers

Dave

[Mike Henderson]

I switched from McAfee to AVG a few years ago. McAfee bogged down my PC almost to a standstill.

Me, too. Exactly the same.

Mike

[Wade Lippman]

Bruce I had similar problems with Norton, McAfee, etc. I also eventually had a problem with AVG but I don't know if it was the program. My problem was one of the hostage sites that nailed me when I was using AVG and I made a mistake and ended up having to re format my hard drive. I have since learned to turn my computer off the minute I see the hostage image and was able to get rid of it.

If your protection was working, you would not be having that problem.
I've been happy with Microsoft Security Essentials, or Windows Defender as it is called for W8.

[David Masters]

+1 on AVG. It's free and it seems less invasive than McAfee and Symantec. That said, it's only one tool to use to protect your system. Malwarebytes has a tool I use as well on my Windows based computers. But as Dave said, the best line of defense is common sense. The second it to regularly check and install the security updates for your OS and browser. The third is to remove Java from your computer if you don't require it to run an application. For a while there seemed to be a Java exploit in the wild every other day.

Dave

[Art Mann]

My opinion of McAfee is that it is almost as bad as having a virus. It slowed my computer way down and caused all sorts of problems installing perfectly legitimate purchased software. The worst part of it is it is almost as hard to get rid of as a virus. I have been using free AVG for several years and I have been mostly satisfied.

[paul cottingham]

When I still owned my IT company, we used to have a special name for people who used McAfee and AVG.

"Customers."

Neither of them worked worth a darn, in fact, I found the McAfee executable infected more than once.
Use Avast or Microsoft security essentials. Or switch to Linux. :-)

[Dan Hintz]

I'll throw in my usual suggestion of Avast!

[Ralph Okonieski]

I dumped Norton and McAfee (different computers) and switched to Vipre. It had good online reviews, was cheaper than Norton/McAfee. The biggest complaints were the user interface looked dated. I am pleased with it. It was an easy install.

[Dave Sheldrake]

Avast is good kit :)

cheers

Dave

[dawn villaescusa]

+1 for AVG (Avast is also good but prefer AVG). I use it in addition to Microsoft Essentials (running Windows 8x)

[Peter Stahl]

McAfee expired yesterday & uninstalled it today. I looked through the registry and didn't see any sign of it. Windows Defender did a full scan and is active. I'll look into downloading Avast or AVG. Thanks for all the replies so far, keep em coming. :)

[Alan Gan]

I use Avast, sometime back I was doing some tests with dummy virus files, ones that had the signatures but render harmless. Tested AVG, Avast and McAfee, Avast was the only one that stopped the threat before it hit. There is a paid version of Avast but the free edition works well for me with common sense. Just make sure you set up Avast properly. On my laptop I just run Ubuntu as the OS and have no issues with virus's so far...

[Dave Sheldrake]

Sig / String scanning is old technology Alan, it will miss Polymorphics and any compressed stuff.

cheers

Dave

[Curt Harms]

Here is an article about Symantec but I suspect it applies to most antivirus packages.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/05/06/symantec_antivirus_is_dead_and_not_a_moneymaker/


Dye said that modern antivirus software only stops around 45 per cent of attack on computer systems and lets the rest through. That's a bit embarrassing for the firm's Norton team, who are still advertising the software as "secure and reliable," rather than "works less than half the time."

Before the Norton staff start reaching for pitchforks and flaming torches, however, Dye did take the time to say that the security suite for individual devices is still worth buying, as it blocks spam, manages passwords, and spots dodgy links in third-party websites. But given that endpoint software accounts for around 40 per cent of Symantec's revenues, it's still a worrying admission.



I suspect the best malware protection still sits between the keyboard & chair. IOW be careful where you go and what you click on.

[Ole Anderson]

I use Norton simply because it is free from Comcast. In general I have been happy, the only thing I have noticed gets through is the Trojan.ransom virus. Last time it threatened to send Interpol and British Intelligence to my home if I didn't pony up $100 within 48 hours. Actually kind of funny if you read their poorly worded threat combined with their official looking logos, but very effective in locking your computer. Solution? Turn your computer off as soon as you see it pop up and don't spend time trying to figure out how to get around the locked screen. Just restart in safe mode and do a restore to a good known point in time.

[Larry Browning]

+1 for Avast. In recent years it gets better scores than AVG. However AVG is also very good. Both have free options, but also have reasonably priced pay options as well.
On a side note, I too have Win8.1 on a desktop. I found a little program called StartIsBack that is a full implementation of the Windows 7 start menu. That one little $3 program turned me from a windows 8 hater into a Windows 8 lover. There several Win8 features not related to those stupid tiles that are really nice.

[Peter Stahl]

+1 for Avast. In recent years it gets better scores than AVG. However AVG is also very good. Both have free options, but also have reasonably priced pay options as well.
On a side note, I too have Win8.1 on a desktop. I found a little program called StartIsBack that is a full implementation of the Windows 7 start menu. That one little $3 program turned me from a windows 8 hater into a Windows 8 lover. There several Win8 features not related to those stupid tiles that are really nice.

Larry, I got Start8 from Stardock and it seems to work we'll. Thanks for the reply.

[Jim Becker]

If you are running Windows (7, 8 or 8.1), the Microsoft offer is free and very effective...and a lot less bloated than the McAfee product and others.