Rating: 
Summary: DON'T BUY THIS
Review: I'm on my second day of trying to get this installed. It's the WORST experience I've ever had with software. It caused my computer to crash several times. First time I installed the Home Edition didn't appear. I had to uninstall/reinstall. Then the Firewall didn't appear. Had to do same thing. Then...on and on.
Rating: 
Summary: Does a good job
Review: I've been using McAfee VirusScan 7.02 for about two months now, and it has performed fine. No freeze ups or crashes at all. This latest version is basically the same as version 6, with a few minor under-the-hood improvements. Visually it looks almost exactly the same. McAfee VirusScan is a resource hog, and will noticably slow down older, slower computers (ie anything slower than 600Mhz). So keep that in mind.Before installing version 7.02, you need to manually uninstall any previous versions of McAfee VirusScan on your computer. That is important. Afterwards, reboot your PC, delete any TEMP files, run a scan disk, run a disk defrag, reboot your computer again, close down any unnecessary programs, and then insert the McAfee CD-ROM to begin. If you're not satified with the reviews for version 7.02, you can always wait until this summer when version 8.0 is released.
Rating:
Summary: Buy McAfee and get pestered with their own promo pop-ups
Review: Life with McAfee is hell. Eleven months after you buy the product, the software starts to generate pop-ups which advertise their promotions. These pop-ups are impossible to disable. Think of the worst spam you've ever had. This is worse. Don't touch this prodct.
Rating:
Summary: Essential protection
Review: McAfee is easy to install and contrary to what other reviewers wrote, if you have *purchased* it (not just downloaded a trial version), the updates are included. I configure mine to update automatically, and always have the latest virus definitions for maximum protection. McAfee can be configured to scan incoming email and outgoing email, or to scan your system in the background or on a specified schedule. If you use Outlook or Eudora for email, it is only a matter of time before a virus attempts to invade your computer. I would give it five stars except that recently a virus was able to get through and it deleted some important files. No virus has yet been able to get through Norton, which I have running on a different computer. I think I like the McAfee program better overall, though, and will continue to use it. Notice that currently with special offers you can get the program free. That is hard to beat.
Rating: 
Summary: Great program IF it installs properly, & support costs $$$!
Review: McAfee's one of the premier virus scanners around. However, like with the proverbial 600-pound gorilla Microsoft, McAfee can cop a major attitude with customers. When I upgraded my XP machine from VirusScan 6.0 to 7.0, I had to go through several install-reboot-unistall-reboot-reinstall-reboot cycles before the installation finally "took." Until I hit the jackpot, the program wouldn't initiate properly, would hang, would crash after popping up unintelligible error messages, or wouldn't "remember" settings from a previous session. Worst of all, if you aren't lucky enough to have a successful installation, you have to PAY FOR CUSTOMER SUPPORT TO GET THE PROGRAM YOU PAID FOR TO WORK PROPERLY. (You can use the online help service for free -- but this will be helpful only if your issue is a FAQ.) Imagine if you purchased a new car that wouldn't start properly and you had to pay the dealer to tell you how to fix it. A 60 Minutes camera crew would be at the dealership's doors!
Rating:
Summary: Awful company - avoid McAfee like the plague
Review: Pros: -It can detect most viruses and updates are available almost every day - ... . Cons: - It won't always be able to delete/disinfect virus files that it detects - Starting around a month before your update subscription ends, McAfee "Buy New Subscription" pop-ups appear, you click on the x to close and they disappear...... for 60 seconds. Then they reappear, you click on the x ..... a minute later it comes back. There are only two ways to stop these popups - go online with your credit card number to McAfee.com to resubscribe to their update service or uninstall the McAfee program. Customer service and tech support both refused to tell me how to disable these continuously reappearing and incredibly annoying pop-ups. - Tech support is virtually non-existant, unless you call in to their $2.95/minute or $39.99/issue support lines. E-mails get canned, non-responsive answers. The FAQ section of their website has no responses to real questions and the "24/7" tech support chat system is always busy or non-functional - its unavailable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. - Having registered a previous version of a McAfee product may prevent you from getting updates on subsequent versions that the user legitimately acquires. I bought both Viruscan Professional 8.0 and Personal Firewall Plus, after getting VS Home 7.0 (both were free after rebates - the only reason I purchased them) and when the auto update tries to give me the current update of my new programs when I go online, it tells me "You are not authorized to receive this service." An e-mail to customer support got me back a confirmation that I am properly registered for the two new programs and I should have no problems. I guess continuing to receive the "You are not authorized to receive this service" response when I try to update the virus database isn't a problem for McAfee. However, it is a damn big problem for me. -Who knows what sort of spy-ware McAfee installs on your computer with its standard installation? A quick check with Windows Explorer reveals that their uninstallation procedure does not uninstall 100% of the components of the McAfee software you have installed, that is for sure. Avoid this horribly run company and its products. Even though it's not costing me any more than tax and postage after the rebates to re-subscribe, I think that's still the opposite of a bargain and I regret my decision to stay with McAfee. In retrospect, I should have gone with either Norton or one of the several freeware antivirus programs.
Rating: 
Summary: A good product.
Review: The software seems pretty good to me and I haven't had any of the problems that other reviewers seem to be experiencing. It has a firewall in it which is comforting since this keeps hackers and viruses out BEFORE they get in.
Another cool option is when someone is trying to scan your computer McAfee shows you a road map to their computer and even tells you where they are located in the world.
Rating:
Summary: Never, never buy McAfee
Review: The support is the worst you could ever concieveably imagine. The product is average, but it is the support that really makes this a one star. Imagine how much effort gets put into creating software if they're this lousy at communication.
Rating:
Summary: DANGEROUS PRODUCT
Review: This product is dangerous. It is designed to give information. The McAfee company is also deceptive both in it's advertisements for the sales of this product and on it's support site. Examples: McAfee Instant Updater. Claimed by McAfee to have been "debugged" from the previous version 6. NOT SO! If the user chooses to configure the Updater to automatically update, then any answer given to user on new, available DATs will most likely be false. AND once the Updater has been configured in this way, it will ALWAYS malfuntion, even if the user reconfigures to manually update at a later date. What is the big deal? How can you tell if new DATS are there when the Instant Updater cannot now tell you the "truth"??? The vast majority of the time, it will tell the user that you are "updated" when in fact you are NOT. AND McAfee has claimed this problem was fixed, so how is the new and/or loyal user to know it was NOT? Hint: dig very deeply into ALL of the text files for the info McAfee provides you. To fix: You must now configure to manually update. The Instant Updater will appear to check for you anyhow, but you cannot trust it's function anymore. Click to manually check for new DATS manually. It is not difficult, but it must be done daily. Example of information loss: The Firewall looks to be mostly splash and more of a help to marketers on the Net. Why? The program deliberately unblocks essential programs to release information packets, including data from emails, to Internet marketers. The most notable and worrisome is the ICMP blocking option. McAfee claims it is blocked by default. NOT TRUE!!! It must be continuously manually checked and set to block. It must be checked throughout the entire online session. It "unblocks" itself when the user chooses to merely look at network activity on the cute splash screen. And it releases more packets of information. The user cannot choose to look at the logged warnings--the ICMP blocks will be lifted again--something that should not happen. The user cannot visit sites such as IMDB and other large Internet business without again, configured blocks such as the ICMP miraculously "unblocking" themselves again. When the user chooses to "save log" of the warnings and alerts, which INCLUDE the binary codes sent out, and any reconfiguration that has been done--again; McAfee unblocks specific safety nets to release even THIS information not only to itself, but to others, including Internet marketing information companies. The blocks lift again when users type in passwords to specific large and commercial sites. It lifts again when the site's emails are opened. Example: when a "SYN" port attack occurs, McAfee will block, BUT will also display a vibrant warning with the encouragement to trace---you do this, your vital blocks will be dropped again. They should not be lifting for these reasons!! And there is no warning at all to the user. Except for the fun little log listing that when the user clicks to look at . . . lifts the blocks again! The ONLY reason for the ping blocking programs to be lifted is when the user utilizes the "trace" system. Of course, the user must be aware that their ICMP is not going to go back up. This is not a virus problem, people. And it's not a buggy program. McAfee is not a stupid company. Tech support and site problems: VERY bad and deliberately so. Designed for optimum encouragement to buy. Example: "MyDoom" virus. Users had to go to the McAfee site to download DATS and STINGER. Of course, this was correct because of the specifics of the virus. HOWEVER, when the user tried to click on the "DATs" link, he was brought directly to a new, huge and brightly colored page advertising McAfee's latest Antivirus Package. At an incredible cost. This happened over and over several times, during which time, non-stop pop-ups appeared screaming warnings about the user's pc system being in danger without additional protection by affiliated companies. The "re-up" subscription was doubled in price from the time of purchase. Company rights? Sure. The timing? Superb. When users tried to access for help online, they were blocked, knocked offline, given obviously auto-generated "chats" for a short period of time before being "accidently" disconnected. Emails were not answered for weeks, and then not without threats of action. Callers who tried to call company numbers to express very real worries and concerns were put on hold indefinately and hung up on. This company is a disgrace. They are overt thieves. Their programs are NOT sloppily written. Any user should not let themselves be told by McAfee or even a buddy that they really do not understand software and that they are at fault. This dinosaur of a programmer knows a program design when she sees one. If you want to be lulled by a cheaper priced-company who uses the useless and out-dated word "user-friendly" as a encouragement to buy . . . If you want to be forced to pick up the phone and pay almost $3.oo a minute to tech support . . If you want to loose private information from your very own well-configured Firewall, with McAfee's sanctions, and then be bullied and frightened into believing that YOU are at fault for not being knowlegable . . .
Then by all means, this is absolutely the product for you. It is the ultimate in American marketing skills. My advice? Go with Norton. They've been around for decades doing professional work with far more applause from professionals and give truly legitimate awards. Always check out who gives any company their "Award-Winning" reviews. Watch how fast I'm booted.
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