A while back I bought a Dell laptop to have a machine upon which to run XP, for various reasons. That machine is a pig, but that’s a story for another day. As all new Dell machines appear to, it came with “limited” versions of a number of McAfee software: VirusScan, Firewall, a few others. These McAfee apps are filled with “nag” screens that could not be more annoying. They make offers every day it seems. To say nothing of the constant flow of spam they send me.
I guess like spam at large, they wouldn’t be doing it unless it worked (by some definition of “work”) but in my case, this approach has caused me to become actively hostile to McAfee (if not Dell) and I finally just could not stand it any longer and I’m removing this “free” software, with malice, and I will be sure to avoid all McAfee products in the future.
Seems I’d be just about as irritated with Dell for agreeing to sponsor the software. They know exactly what this software does once installed on a system.
May I suggest free scanner, AVG from www.grisoft.com; the only time I get a popup is to remind me to update. Reliable and easy on the system, unlike McAfee which loves to hog system resources.
I found your blog by searching the words McAfee and nuisance. I also have a Dell with Windows XP and the free Mcafee virus software often prompts me to check updates 2 or more times PER HOUR! I think I will be removing it and getting the AVG. Funny thing is that until only about a year ago I don’t remember being prompted ALL THE TIME! I’ve had this Dell since 2004, I think. It’ll probably be the last Dell I buy.
My new Dell/McAfee, December, 2005,comes with all the problems mentioned and more. It took forever just to get DSL set up since at the first hint of being on-line McAfee would interrupt. What frustration! Been set up and running with all the "nags" etc. If McAfee didn’t come with the Dell deal for a time it’d be outta here. Never again!
T
Lousy follow-up:
After purchasing the virus scan and running it for about 5 months, I recieved a notification that my subscription was due to expire. After notifying McAfee that I had purchased a years’ subscription – less than 6 months prior and recieving no response, I took their pop-up anti-viral junk off my computer. Finally, about two months ago, they responded stating that the message I recieved was an auto-response and that I should ignore it. This was a month after I had removed their product and installed a new system. Two questions:
1.)How many people fell for this scam and paid again?
2.) If they can stop viruses from corrupting your system, why can’t they keep track of when your subscription expires?
Personally, I believe the answer is in the first question!
They have also given me the run-around about a refund. Their first case manager is "no longer with the company" and the second did not recieve the fax (reciept) that I sent her with-in ten minutes of talking on the phone. ALL of this has taken over 3 MONTHS. By the way, I’m satisfied so far with my new system.
My seven month DELL Inspiron B130 notebook has been an unmitigated disaster. My e-mails, sent and received, are littered with Unicode which is a language employing characters and symbols. Also, McAfee is
terrific with pop-up notices but not
much else. Becasue DELL misled me, I
pre-paid three (3) years for McAfee.
Recently tried to "defragment’ a back-
up disk and my request was refused by McAfee with no clue as to what I should do next. Microsoft has been
useless as well.
This individual joins the parade. Have
made a colossal mistake and am paying
for it, emotionally and financially,
every day.
Thomsina
Similar problem – paid for 3 years subscription with Dell PC but it’s run out after just 2 years and I’m getting pop ups asking me to renew.
Contacted Dell who refused to help (despite the fact I’d bought my system from them, not McAfee), and contacted McAfee, who have ignored all my mails.
Great.
I won’t buy a Dell again – good PC’s, terrible support.
I don’t even know if I’d give them the “good PC’s” part – my Dell laptop quit the other day and it’s only a few years old. It appears to be just the HDD, but whatever; it was never a very good machine and certainly isn’t worth getting repaired.