Anyone having problems with McAafee Security Suite? (yet another vanity from Hack)

www.freerepublic.com ^ | 9-3-06 | Hacksaw

[Hacksaw]

I have McAfee security suite. It ran somewhat fine until the latest "upgrade". Now new windows take way to long to to open, and even the boot up process to where I can actually use the computer takes a lot longer. I tried uninstalling everything except the virus scan, and it still runs like a turtle.

From what I read, Mcafee is RAM resident and the newest release must be a huge RAM hog. It gave me the excuse to order the extra 512M of memory - Rambus RDRAM 800 MHz BTW - very expensive but I don't think that should be necessary. Going with cheaper memory would require a different chipset and I don't even want to f**k with that so I bought the Rambus.

I'll console myself with the fact that I won't have to turn everything off to run Doom 3 now.

Anyone else running into this problem with McAfee?

[youthgonewild]

I quit with the most recent version, as it asked me to delete all my adware and spyware removers. I'm sticking with AVG free antivirus and ZoneAlarm free firewall.

[Spktyr]

ZoneAlarm is also a POS.

[Spiff]

Get rid of it.

I use Grisoft AVG for anti virus, Blue Coat K9 Web Protection for internet filtering, and Microsoft Defender for anti spyware, adware, etc.

Didn't pay dime for any of them and they work great. For firewall protection, I rely on the standard Windows XP firewall along with my broadband router's firewall. I travel a lot and have to get on hotel networks and such, so I'm looking at using either Kerio Firewall or Checkpoint Zone Alarm for better protection when I'm on the road.

I've had to remove a lot of the commercial security suites from my own computers and those of my relatives who rely on me for computer support because they mess of the systems and make them operate very slowly. I just bought two notebook computers and had to remove the default installed commercial apps because they slowed things down too much. Same goes for a notebook my father-in-law purchased. He had one of the security suites and it basically rendered his notebook unusable.

The commercial security apps are expensive, require annual subscriptions but bog down your system while not offering hardly any better protection than the free stuff.

[GingisK]

I turned the "privacy service" off, now it tends to run faster.

The controls associated with its features are crappy. You can turn something off, but it turns itself on.

I intend to dump it in favor of something written by competent people.

[fishbabe]

HEAR HEAR!!!!!!!avg is great....Mcafee let 3,000 viruses on my friends computer and NEVER let her know about it..BOY,WAS SHE PISSED!!!!!!!

[Clara Lou]

I had Norton for years. It ran fine. I got tired of paying for it and went to AVG. To get rid of Norton before installing AVG, I did the Control Panel uninstall, and then I Googled instructions [from Norton] to remove the remnants of Norton. Then I installed AVG. It's wonderful and free.

[TomGuy]

I dumped McAfee a couple of years ago, because it got to be glutware. Even on a relatively fast Pentium, it caused the system to run sluggish.

I tried Trend Micro on a new system, Pentium IV, 3.06ghz, and it got to be glutware and slowed the system to a crawl.

Now, I just run the free home AVG with the free Zonealarm Firewall, and occasionally run the free Ad-Aware. My system is back at the speed it should have.

[Joann37]

Thanks for this info. I'll keep it until the next time I have computer problems (soon, no doubt)!

[Clara Lou]

I use Kerio's free firewall. I had Zone Alarm, and it protected well, but there were constant updates, and they seemed to be more bloated each time. I got tired of it.

[Hacksaw]

Thank you for the links. Along with my new memory coming in (which I was going to order anyway, McAfee provided me with the excuse) I should have a much faster PC.

As an aside, it's too bad I simply can't add memory to my own brain like a PC.

Also, I think we should get a 3rd set of teeth when we turn 40.

[Krodg]

The only thing in the Add/Remove Programs is McAffe uninstaller. The problem is, I have searched repeatedly and can't find the uninstaller.

[TomGuy]

How do I get rid of it?

When I used to have McAfee, I decided to try their firewall trial. Big mistake. I didn't like it, so uninstalled. Every few weeks, a McAfee ad would pop up, wanting me to try it again.

I couldn't get rid of it. I did file scans and deleted everything McAfee that I could find. I did registry scan and deleted anything McAfee. To no avail. The pop up presisted.

I finally got rid of it by reformatting -- I needed to anyway, because I began having problems with Real Player locking up and not allowing any video player to run.

I will never install anything McAfee on any system again. My cable co offered a free McAfee for cable Internet users -- I declined their offer.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Ditto that.

[TomGuy]

Anybody had experience with ZoneAlarm?

ZA is good, except that sometimes they put out bad releases. I had to back up from the latest to the previous version, because the latest conflicted with some other programs. ZA has had similar problems of creating conflicts in the past.

[onedoug]

I have McAfee, but my system's so damn slow on it's own anyway, that unless it
just stopped altogether, I don't think I'd realize it if something were wrong or not.

[Wheee The People]

I don't have any problem with McAffe....but then again, I don't use it.

[Gorzaloon]

Dude, get a life, quit wnining, get a real computer, get a Mac!

Yeah, I know, I should never respond to these cult trolls, but since I have one of my site admins open, and have the facts, why not?

Beg enough people and someday you will be running a system other people use, or have heard of, and your lonliness will be over.

Here are the stats from one site for this month, to Date:

109366 14050 Windows

93110 11718 Windows XP

11373 1731 Windows 2000

1929 244 Windows 98

1953 168 Windows ME

529 110 Windows NT

173 32 Unknown Windows

99 27 Windows 95

182 19 Windows Server 2003

18 1 Windows CE

2 11050 5100 OS unknown

3 1789 189 Macintosh

4 288 174 Unix

273 171 Linux

4 2 BSD

11 1 SunOS

5 20 2 WebTV

So, everyone, PLEASE HELP! PLEASE save obscure OS's, and Help The Lonely!!

Get a Mac!!!

You can bring it home. In your Studebaker.

[TomGuy]

Dude, get a life, quit wnining, get a real computer, get a Mac!

With fries.

The rest of us like to do real computer work. If you can't handle a real pc, you should stick to the toys.

[Hacksaw]

Since I don't have anything to do until 8:00 tonight, I uninstalled MCAAfee and put AVG on - night and day difference.

[proudofthesouth]

Don't call Dell. Aside from wanting to beat your head against the wall after dealing with them, they will just tell you to reformat your hard drive.