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not_available
Former Member
Message 1 of 5

Why Does McAfee have settings?

     So I got a little time and decide that I'll do some work at home.  So I'm a busy little bee.... buzzzz.  Then the application I'm using crashes.  I get a message box saying there was a network error.  At this point I'm looking at my desktop wondering wtf - I had just lost about an hours work.  I notice something out of the ordinary in the system tray.  The mcafee icon is different.  I double click on the icon.  The SecurityCenter pops up and shows that an update is in progress (actually had just finished downloading).  Its at this point that I'm really getting angry.  I'm pretty sure that I had turned automatic updates off.  So I check.  AUTOMATIC UPDATE IS TURNED OFF!  Let me be clear.  AUTOMATIC UPDATE IS TURNED OFF AND THE APPLICATION UPDATED IT'S SELF!

WTF OVER

4 Replies
exbrit
MVP
MVP
Message 2 of 5

Re: Why Does McAfee have settings?

It shouldn't happen, however that said, I would assume that a major update to the entire suite might overrride that setting for security reasons.  (Better to have the update than not otherwise whatever vulnerability the old one had will continue).

That's a guess.  Technical Support might know better and I agree with you, that is very annoying.

karthiks
Former Member
Message 3 of 5

Re: Why Does McAfee have settings?

Hi,

Could you please update me the versions of McAfee

Open the McAfee

Click on About from the Top  right of the McAfee Page

Get me the below versions

McAfee Security Center:

McAfee Virus Scan:

DAT version:

not_available
Former Member
Message 4 of 5

Re: Why Does McAfee have settings?

Inquiry Response:

SecurityCenter:

  • Version 11.0
  • Build 11.0.678

Virus Scan:

  • Version 15.0
  • Build 15.0.302
  • DAT Version 6936.0000

Personal Firewall:

  • Version 12.0
  • Build 12.0.360

Background:

I've had my current laptop since early fall 2011.  It came with McAfee pre-installed and a 36 month subscription.  Early this December I started having issues after an update.  The traffic control constantly reset to "smart access". That kinda bothered me so I re-imaged the drive to several month prior and found a way to manually update the DAT files.  Since it was giving me problems and I needed (wanted - same thing since I'm paying for it) another laptop; I bought a new laptop.  I ordered the new laptop (with McAfee pre-installed and a 36 month subscription) two weeks before Christmas.  The problem with the traffic control setting arose on the new laptop after McAfee was updated.  I did a factory re-set on the new laptop and was just going to update the DAT files manually.  I didn't have an issue until the 31st when it updated against my wishes.  After McAfee updated; I re-imaged the drive. Made sure auto-update was off and created rules blocking all McAfee software from internet access.  I then restarted the laptop, connected to the internet, and waited.  After a long while, not surehow long, message boxes started to appear stating that programs had been granted access to the internet.  They were all McAfee.  I started monitoring network traffic.  The software was contacting McAfee site(s).  The only way I can keep the software from updating is to either pull the network plug or edit the hosts file (which I did).

Currently:

Since I have a working image of the drive I am going to update and see what happens.

Message was edited by: not_available on 1/2/13 7:25:43 AM CST

on 1/2/13 7:27:53 AM CST
exbrit
MVP
MVP
Message 5 of 5

Re: Why Does McAfee have settings?

I don't understand what is wrong here, except now you're stuck with a severely outdated version of the software.  You should at least be at 11.6 and preferably 12.1 by now.  However, if your software comes from a 3rd party, then it's their fault if it isn't being updated to a newer version.  Restoring images, System Restore etc,  will merely start the cycle over again in this case.

As far as the McAfee processes granting themselves permission, well that's normal and if you start blocking that the software will keep on malfunctioning, especially if you keep stopping it from updating, a process which is polled for at least every 4 hours and actually happens at least once a day.   Downloading updates from McAfee Support only updates VirusScan and no other components, and, once v12.x arrives, is no longer possible anyway. 

The software resetting back to Smart is curious I admit, unless you are trying to change this while logged in as a limited or standard account user, in which case those settings wont stick, but I suspect that other software may be affecting it in which case Support is the best place to go.

I suggest you open a case with Technical Support, it's free by phone or online chat.  If you've already done that, contact them again with the SR number and escalate the matter.  See the link under Useful Links at the top of this page.

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