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Astounded
Former Member
Message 1 of 61

Should McAfee be compensating users after 5958 debacle?

Hi All,

Just add your name and a vote if you think McAfee should be shelling out some cash (not vouchers or subscription extensions) to customers who have been affected by the 5958 update. I spent 3 hours talking to Microsoft first (as it looked like their problem) and then a further 4 hours talking to McAfee. As McAfee charge £1 per minute for support in the UK I reckon they owe me £420, call it £500 for the inconvenience.

In the end I fixed the problem myself, but only because I had a second machine running Vista, a portable harddrive and I am a software engineer who is old enough to remember DOS commands.

McAfee - I look forward to hearing from you so that we can arrange the transfer of funds - this time, saying sorry is not enough.

Graham Bayley B.Eng(hons)

60 Replies
missteekie
Contributor
Message 2 of 61

Re: Should McAfee be compensating users after 5958 debacle?

Well - they should IMHO

I keep automatic updates on.   Closed down for the evening Wednesday, switch on yesterday:

Count down NT window ...

Reboot

No bottom task bar

No access to programmes via window key

No ability to copy and paste

Safe mode slow, ALL RESTORE GONE,  last known good configuration gone

No Internet

Unable to save any of the recent not backed up files.  Windows generally flaky.

PC World, trying to repair,  £70 tell me it's VUNDO.  Since being able to get online via another machine,  IT'S McAfee,  I don't expect cash, by £70 worth of free subscription.

But the bottom line is I've lost a lot of stuff I would prefer to have not lost.

Looks like I'm in for a reformat,  all work, programmes gone.

HELP

Message was edited by: missteekie on 23/04/10 05:41:38 CDT
Tragedy
Former Member
Message 3 of 61

Re: Should McAfee be compensating users after 5958 debacle?

Hear, hear! All in all, I must have spent around 75 minutes waiting to be connected to somebody who could help me out, repeatedly listening to Für Elise and being told that "all help desk employees were busy helping out other customers". Mind you, I called the Technical Support Desk (charging € 0,80 a minute here in The Netherlands) and they claim to put you through "to one of their finest help desk employees" within 90 seconds... ninety minutes is more likely. Finally, I just gave up, realizing that behind the scenes, McAfee must really have a great laugh charging money to customers who are waiting for help on something they messed up in the first place. It's larceny!

And no... my computer is still not working!

Saner6465
Former Member
Message 4 of 61

Re: Should McAfee be compensating users after 5958 debacle?

Yes, they should!!

I have similar problems like Missteeki:

No internet, no Taskbar at the bottom, printer gone, no ability to copy, move or paste. Was chatting with McAfee support yeaterday for 3 hours of which 1,5 hours were one and the same problem: I had to copy somthing and paste it in the windows32 file but I couldn't. It really took me 1,5 hours to explain that to the lady. At sometime I thougth she got it, but unfortunately, we were back to where we started. So I ended the chat but still had a major problem. McAfee support advised me to remove McAfee totally which I did. So I thought, I'll move everything that I still have to an external harddisk but no go! I couldn't copy, move or paste. So I contacted Dell, where I bought my PC. I could have known!! They said this is a problem created by McAfee and they shoud help you resolve it!

So here I am again, waiting until I connect with a McAfee Agent for this chat support, already 45 minutes in the meantime!

This is free of service so I'll hold on, but if I lose all my stuff because of this,then Yes, McAfee shoud compensate for this loss!

Kind regards from NL,

Sandra

daydreamer
Contributor
Message 5 of 61

Re: Should McAfee be compensating users after 5958 debacle?

Yes they should.

As I was unable to do any thing with my machine, I had to do a factory restore resulting in lost photos etc.

I have used Mcafee for 12 years but this will be the last,

I am now looking to replace Mcafee Internet  Security [3users] at the first opportunity. so whatever compensation they

offer me will be of little use, I have lost all faith in them.

missteekie
Contributor
Message 6 of 61

Re: Should McAfee be compensating users after 5958 debacle?

As most of us are, probably home users we buy machine with the integrated Factory restore.

WE HAVE NO DISC

With no ability whatsoever to get anything important off the machine, which I saw get worse on every reboot.  I wanted to over-install or repair install, for which you require a disc.   Once I could save what was important to me - thankfully most was already backed up.  I would have been happy to try and fix or bite the bullet for a reformat, should that become necessary.  Thinking it was my OS dying.  I had no alternative but to go for a  repair (PCWorld).  My hunch is to be totally clear of this a factory restore is on the cards.

My concern was to access any method to save files,  even if I didn't save the OS long term.

I'm still rather shocked that a DAT update caused the problem we experienced.

For some repairers or themselves would have reformatted.  My heart goes out to anyone who has LOST the type of data that can't be replaced, family photos.  I would have lost a lot of my hobby graphics, but they are stored in my 'noddy-box' and once I deminish into the lapland of dementia, I will not be able to use the computer anyway.

So what we all need is:  Our OS disc and insist that manufacturers give us one with our computers.   Something like Acronis or Norton Ghost which backups the system.  A separate hard drive.   Burn anything precious to disc, or make a hard copy .... ya know the type you put in the photograph album.

Good luck to everyone.

I hope by now that users have some idea via the media what is happening.  Even PC world early Thursday morning had no warning - now people are aware it will save reformatting, hopefully.

tromine
McAfee Employee
McAfee Employee
Message 7 of 61

Re: Should McAfee be compensating users after 5958 debacle?

As you can see from a prominent banner on the front door of McAfee.com, we in fact are going to be providing some refunds.  Details coming soon.  This from the informational banner:

"If you have already incurred costs to repair your PC as a result of this issue, we’re committed to reimbursing reasonable expenses. Steps to process your reimbursement request will be posted in the next few days. Please check back here in a few days.

Because we value our loyal customers, if your PC was rendered inoperable or severely impaired as a result of the faulty file released you are eligible for a two year extension of your existing McAfee subscription free of charge.

We’re committed to getting this issue resolved for all our customers worldwide as quickly as possible."

Product Manager, McAfee Consumer Software
tromine
McAfee Employee
McAfee Employee
Message 8 of 61

Re: Should McAfee be compensating users after 5958 debacle?

For those having difficulty finding McAfee's offer to reimburse reasonable expenses for any problems incurred by this recent DAT release, I've created a video.  It's attached to this posting.  Hang in there folks.  We'll keep working to help all of you get back up & running, at little or no cost.  We'll certainly be providing all our assistance for free.

Note:  www.mcafee.com is where I started the video.  If your browser redirects to home.mcafee.com, just click the McAfee symbol on the top left of the page to get to www.mcafee.com.

Product Manager, McAfee Consumer Software
Saner6465
Former Member
Message 9 of 61

Re: Should McAfee be compensating users after 5958 debacle?

Here's the link you're looking for Paul: http://us.mcafee.com/en-us/landingpages/np5959.asp?cid=77220

I sure hope the (reaonable) re-imbursement goes for all International customers too. Because this link cannot be found on the McAfee site for The Netherlands.

Because I couldn't get in touch with McAfee the second time (I waited for a chat for approximately 85 minutes and gave up!) I called another company to help me with the fact that I could'nt copy or replace my files to an external harddisk. I called last friday at 14:45 and an hour later the engineer sat behind my computer. Within 10 minutes the problem was solved. He copied svchost.exe (via DOS commands) from his working laptop and everything went back to normal!! It cost me EUR 60,= but was definitely worth it!

Regards,

Sandra

tromine
McAfee Employee
McAfee Employee
Message 10 of 61

Re: Should McAfee be compensating users after 5958 debacle?

Yes, McAfee will be offering these refunds to all our customers, worldwide.  The exact process is being worked out now.  Hold onto your itemized receipts, as we just need to see proof of some kind (to avoid bogus claims).  Thanks for your patience.  We should have the policy detailed and explained on all our sites in the next few hours.

Product Manager, McAfee Consumer Software
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