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PatrickM
Contributor II
Message 1 of 11

Unable to open excel files on google drive (G-Drive)

About 10 business days ago, a McAfee technical support representative installed a new version of LiveSafe on my laptop (for reasons I'll skip here).   Afterwards, I was no longer able open Excel files on Google Drive.  I have not seen this specific problem reported elsewhere, which is surprising given I have a generic Dell XPS laptop running Windows 10.

Additional information follows:

  1. can open excel files on local drive
  2. can open excel files on dropbox
  3. cannot open excel files on Google Drive. 
  4. Prior to the aforementioned re-install of McAfee, I had been accessing these same files for the past 12 months.  It's a corporate drive and is secure. 
  5. When I move an excel file from G-Drive to my local disk,
  6. I am currently getting around the problem by:
    1. Moving the excel file from G-drive to my local drive
    2. Turning off the Anti-Virus module within LiveSafe. 
  7. The error message I receive when attempting to open the files reads, "Excel (or Word) cannot open the file  because the file format or file extension is not valid."
  8. After receiving the error message, McAfee directs me to the following page: https://service.mcafee.com/?articleId=TS102828&page=shell&shell=article-view 
  9. To REPEAT - My files are not corrupt nor a threat.  All I need to do is move them off of Google Drive and back on to my local drive.
  10. This same problem affects the following file types:
    1. PDF
    2. PPT
  11. This problem does not affect MS Word files

Remarkably, elsewhere on this forum (link below), another customer reported that they needed to turn off McAfee to download Execl files.  The problem is described slightly different than I've describe it above, but it's the same problem (same error message).  What makes me angry is that the customer came back after FOUR WEEKS and asked for an update.  The McAfee moderator (Bharanidharan ) never followed up on his inquiry.  

Link: https://forums.mcafee.com/t5/Total-Protection/Real-Time-Scanning-has-to-be-turned-off-in-order-to-do...

Previously Bharanidharan wrote, "This a known issue and our engineering team is working on a fix for this. We will update you as soon as we receive any information from them."

Please provide a fix to this near term, or I iwlll be uninstalling LiveSafe and looking for a refund.  My use case is extremely common (i.e. opening up excel files on Drive).  There's absolutely no excuse for this kind of bug existing for any length of time.  

 

10 Replies
Rajiv_s1
McAfee Retired
McAfee Retired
Message 2 of 11

Re: Unable to open excel files on google drive (G-Drive)

Hello @PatrickM ,

We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused. McAfee is aware of this issue and our engineering team is working on it.  For now as a work around we kindly suggest you to restart your computer once and then try opening these files. If issue still persists, reinstall the McAfee application using the below article and update us the outcome.
 
 
If you have any concerns in following the article, please feel free to reach our support using this support link.
 
Regards,
Rajiv S
danielrjudd
Contributor
Message 3 of 11

Re: Unable to open excel files on google drive (G-Drive)

Exact same issue a small business I'm supporting is experiencing.

Copy file locally: Works fine.

I have attempted to re-install McAfee LiveSafe and updated latest updates with no resolution. 

Running Release 16.0 R37

 

 

Kareev
Contributor
Message 4 of 11

Re: Unable to open excel files on google drive - Solution doesn't work

Re-installing McAfee resolves the issue for 1-3 days and then problem reappears.

Other funny phenomena also happened on the computer around the same time, which leads me to think that there may be malware installed which McAfee didn't fully identify. Would be glad to work with your engineering team about it

NoSnarky
Contributor
Message 5 of 11

Re: Unable to open excel files on google drive (G-Drive)

This same situation/error message started happening to me this week (11/26/21) as well. I cannot open Word or Excel docs from my mapped Google drive. I turn off the real0time scanning also, and then opening these files types works...usually. It looks like McAfee has this problem sporadically over the years and they need to fix this problem.
GaryTesta
Contributor
Message 6 of 11

Re: Unable to open excel files on google drive (G-Drive)

We experienced this problem first at home and then at work with two different machines the situation is really dire as we use Excel for almost everything we do!

This really needs to get fixed or we'll have to move to another virus scan program.

PJiranek
Contributor
Message 7 of 11

Re: Unable to open excel files on google drive (G-Drive)

I'm experienced totally the same - cannot open MS excel, MS access files from mapped google drive. First time it happened to me on 1st od Dec 2021 on 2 PCs of mine. McAfee support reinstalled McAfee on it - it helped for a while. After day or two the same problem appears and even on other PCs. 

Today (12/8/2021) I have contacted McAfee support and got these answers:

"Petr, this is a known issue and our engineering team is aware of this and is working to get it fixed.

McAfe had fixed the issue with new version release. However, it seems to have reoccurred.

You can turn off Real Time Scan to access files from Google Drive until then "

Really strange recomendation - isn't it?

RonaldH
Contributor
Message 8 of 11

Re: Unable to open excel files on google drive (G-Drive)

I am having the same issue that also started around the end of November.  Monitoring thread for real solution other than turn off real time scan or throw away mcafee and buy something else

NoSnarky
Contributor
Message 9 of 11

Re: Unable to open excel files on google drive (G-Drive)

I decided to abandon McAfee. Good luck all. 

GaryTesta
Contributor
Message 10 of 11

Still No Fix? Can't wait any longer - Unable to open MSFT Office files on google drive (G-Drive)

This has been going on for over 3months and this is a CRITICAL BUG in your software, we have you installed on 30 Laptops in our office, and as the CEO I'm appalled that you have NOT fixed this immediately.   I can't believe that a company that is supposed to be able to protect my company from malicious hackers is incapable of fixing a bug that is clearly a problem for so many users.

You have proven to me that either you don't care or your incapable of solving this problem.

Either way I've made the decision to purchase all of our AntiVirus software from another company and to deinstall your products and cancel all of our subscriptions with your company.

I'm taking the time to write this email so to let you know exactly why you are losing us as a customer and also to let other know that if they face this same issue that they have little to no hope of seeing it resolved.  We have been a loyal customer of your products for over 10yrs, but your total lack of customer support on this particular issue has destroyed that good will.

Good bye,

Gary Testa

President & CEO

Engineered Fluids, Inc.

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