After upgrade computer will not boot!

[APD357]

Last week I received a message from McAfee that it had upgraded my software and I needed to restart my computer to finish the installation.  Once I did this my computer will now no longer boot-up.  It makes it just into the initial screen and fails to get to the Windows Start-up screen.  I have attempted to start it in Safe Mode, but the start-up does not even go far enough to allow that.

I have spoken to McAfee several times.  They said I was upgraded to 2010 version.  I am running Windows 7 64 bit and there is a known compatibility issues.  Why they sent the update out with a known issue, I have not a clue.  McAfee said they are working on the fix, but since it is very complicated they have no idea how long it is going to take.

Does anyone have a suggestion on something I can try since it does not look like McAfee is going to figure this out anytime soon.

[MoxieMomma]

Hi, APD357:

https://community.mcafee.com/thread/26998?tstart=0

https://community.mcafee.com/message/145492#145492

https://community.mcafee.com/thread/26531?start=0&tstart=0

(many other threads on same topic -- these are just a few)

Yup, I was the first, but not the last.

AFAIK, no solution (as they have not yet even correctly diagnosed the problem).

It has been ~6 weeks since I got the "update from H#LL".

My solution (after having to restore my computer to the factory image from the recovery partition, thanks to McAfee's corruption of OS files): install another security program, which works just great.

Hope you get your problem resolved,

MM

[Peacekeeper]

Both of you do you have a wireless network card? If so what 1 and what driver version?

Talking to techs today they seem to have found some issues with 1 particular 1.

[MoxieMomma]

This is a desktop, but it does have a wireless card:

DWL1525 (802.11n) WLAN PCIe Card

I am not using the wireless card, since everything (eg printer) is connected locally via ethernet or USB, and I have neither a Win7 HomeGroup, nor a "network" set up with my laptop (Dell W7/x86, running another, non-McAfee security suite).

The mobo is a "Dell" branded mobo (according to Dell), for which a BIOS update became available last month, shortly after the McAfee update saga began.

FWIW, I was able to update the BIOS just fine with McAfee uninstalled.

But, it had no impact on the booting issues.

All drivers are UTD, according to what is being offered by Dell support.  And the ATI Radeon HD5770 GPU BIOS was successfully updated back in May.

CPU? Chipset drivers? BIOS? Wireless card drivers? Who knows....

There were many times I offered to send the info that might have helped to decide.

But, by the time anyone at McAfee showed the slightest inclination, interest or aptitude to do so, it was too late, since I could not wait indefinitely to restore my system to a working condition with a working security suite.

Oh, and, also as I feared (please refer to my original posts and my thread), Dell is now getting MANY calls about this.

So, as predicted, this was NOT a "one off" problem.

Sigh.

Too late now.

Since I don't have time, expertise or resources for a spare, duplicate machine, I really cannot afford to go back to McAfee, just to "see what happens".

That said, perhaps others will get their systems back up and running without having to endure the month-long torture I did.

Thanks,

MM

[APD357]

I do not have a wireless card in my computer.  Mine is a desktop and everything is wired into my computer.  Unlike a lot of the posts that I have read today, mine is different.  I can't get past POST.  So I am not able to boot into safe mode or anything.  The tech's at my work seem to think they can recover my files, and then I will have to do a total install.  I hope they are right.  McAfee has been no help at all and keep telling me they will call me in a couple of days if they can figure out what to do.

[MoxieMomma]

Hi, APD357:

I do not have a wireless card in my computer.  Mine is a desktop and  everything is wired into my computer.

>>>Are you sure? What are the specs on your system?  Mine is also a desktop, but it *does* have both an ethernet card AND a wireless card  - many/most of the newer Dell Studio XPS and other systems do.  I am not using it, but it is there, and it does have drivers installed.

Unlike a lot of the posts that I  have read today, mine is different.  I can't get past POST.

>>>Not sure what you mean by that... ??

So I am not  able to boot into safe mode or anything.

>>> That stinks.  Some folks got a BSOD with a stop code.  I only got that when trying to boot into safe mode with networking.  When I tried to boot normally, I got a totally black screen, with no BSOD or error message or stop code.

I *was* able to boot into basic safe mode, thankfully, which allowed me to uninstall McAfee, perform a ton of trouble shooting, and -- eventually -- restore the computer to the factory image.

  The tech's at my work seem to  think they can recover my files, and then I will have to do a total  install.  I hope they are right.

>>>> I was able to recover my data from my system (and my "stuff" was also separately backed up on both an external hard drive and with Carbonite).

Hopefully, you will get your data back, too.  They may be able to boot into safe mode or to slave your HDD to another system to recover your data.

I had to restore my computer to the factory image from the recovery partition.

IF you have such a recovery partition, you may be able to do this, too.

If you do and if it works, it will take much less time than a complete reformat of your hard drive and OS reinstallation.  You will still end up having to reinstall all your programs (ones that did not come pre-installed) and data, but it is a bit less involved than a complete reformat.

Remember: If McAfee came preinstalled on your computer from the factory, it will be there again when you do the restoration to the factory image. So, you'll need to uninstall it again (and run the cleanup tool at least once or twice), if you are going to install a different product.

(Your techs will want to run some hardware tests first, before deciding whether to restore from the recovery partition or to do a "nuke and pave".)

Be sure to update Windows and your drivers after reinstalling the OS.  If you opt to stay with McAfee, it will eventually try to update itself again, so you may be back where you started with all this, unless/until they fix the problem.

One can't run with an outdated security system, since it's not safe.

That's why I had no choice but to move to a different product.

Too bad -- the 2009 versions that came pre-installed had worked fine.  This "2010" update was an unmitigated disaster.

McAfee has been no help at all and  keep telling me they will call me in a couple of days if they can figure  out what to do.

>>>> Well, at least they acknowledge a problem.  It remains to be seen whether they can diagnose it and fix it.

I really do hope you get it resolved,

MM

[BalaSGS]

Hi APD357,

We have sent you an email, I request you to reply to the email with your convenience. We will do our best to help you out

Thanks!!