McAfee Icon Missing from Desktop. Please Help

[theflyingmonkey]

Hello, I am using Windows XP Home Service Pack 3 with McAfee Internet Security.

So basically the main problem is that the icon on the desktop is missing and if I go to Start -> All Programs -> McAfee, it should have a shortcut called "McAfee Internet Security".  But it just says "empty".

So this is what happened from start to finish.  I turned on my computer, waited for the McAfee Splash Screen to show.  I right clicked the McAfee icon in the System Tray and clicked Check for Updates.  As the GUI list that it was on the Installing Updates Step, I noticed that the McAfee Desktop Icon was flashing like it some times does.  When the update was installed, was when I noticed something weird.  The McAfee Icon changed to the usual Icon in Windows when there is no picture on it or if it is a file that isn't associated with any kind of program.  After that it flashed and the icon was gone.  I thought it was just the Desktop didn't refresh the icon so I refreshed the Desktop and it is missing.

I checked my McAfee Internet Security to make sure that my Real-Time Scanning, Firewall, and stuff were on and they were.  This was when I went to check on the All Programs in the Start menu and noticed that in the McAfee folder, it was listed as Empty.  I didn't delete the icon myself or anything and my Access Protection has always been on since it was implemented.  After that I just went on the internet to check my two ISP email and my Yahoo email.  After this, I just refreshed the Desktop to see if the icon was there or not and it still isn't.  Lastly, I just checked my History and Logs for Incoming Event to see if the Internet Security was working like it always was and it did register 4 events from Mozilla when I did an add-on update check.

To see if this was a fix for the McAfee Icon problem people were talking about, I went on my Vista, which has the same version for everything in McAfee as my XP does.  So I did the update on my Vista and the Icon is still there and so is the Shortcut in the All Programs.  I even doubled checked that the Version of Security Center and everything was the same and it was the only thing that was updated today was the DAT file version.  Which is now 6573.

What could have caused this?  The only thing I can think of was that yesterday I had an Incoming Event in my Logs saying that a computer at the IP Address 216.115.97.236 attempted to connect to my TCP Port 2155 or Illusion Mailer Trojan was what was listed in the logs.  And it said that the computer at that IP Address has scanned my computer for this trojan, but was blocked by my Firewall.  Of course, this events time was at the time I was checking my Yahoo mail.  The only other weird thing was there was an incoming event from 98.139.43.115 accessing TCP Port 2142 during my time on Yahoo Mail.  I found out that this IP Address leads to something called YQL Console, when I inputted the IP Address into my browser.

So if anyone can help and explain why my Icon is missing and the why the shortcut is missing from the McAfee Folder in the All Programs list, I would appreicate it.

[theflyingmonkey]

I thought I would have gotten a reply by now, since everyone is complaining about how the icon doesn't disappear. Yet, my McAfee Desktop Icon is gone and so is the shortcut in the McAfee folder in the All Programs of the Start Menu.

[Wetmoref2]

You actually use the desktop icon?

Is your McAfee Shield in the taskbar? If so, have you tried double clicking it? Does the McAfee Program open?

[theflyingmonkey]

What does the fact of me using the desktop icon or not matter to you. I am not saying I can't open McAfee without it, but rather I am wondering why my icon disappeared without me deleting it or anything. Could this be due to McAfee or something else?

Besides, I would rather have another icon to access McAfee in case the icon in the system tray/task bar doesn't load quick enough upon starting the computer or if the icon is missing from there due to not clicking it or anything. If you aren't going to help then please don't mock others who are looking for help.

[exbrit]

As this is XP SP3 I suggest first installing IE8 if you haven't done so already as the SecurityCenter relies on it  (IE8 is the highest version that XP can take - and only download it from Microsoft, don't use any 3rd party links).  Then uninstall McAfee (if listed) via Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs, run the MCPR cleanup tool listed under Useful Links at the top of this page, reboot and reinstall from your online account, not from any CD you may have.

If you trouble doing any of that there may be an infection or perhaps a clashing software sitting on the machine which we would have to discuss further.

Message was edited by: Ex_Brit on 31/12/11 12:11:58 EST PM

[theflyingmonkey]

I just turned on my computer and I checked that I do have Internet Explorer 8. I also just tried updating McAfee and for some reason the desktop icon and shortcut in the McAfee Folder in the All Programs reappeared.

I also restarted my computer and the icon is still there now. So do you have any idea why the icon disappeared when I was performing the update for McAfee?

[exbrit]

Well that's a stroke of luck I must say.  Especially as everyone else is complaining that they can't get rid of the desktop icon (that issue is being worked on by McA), but afraid I haven't any idea why it should suddenly start working.   That's bizarre.

Give it a while and see if it continues to behave.

Lets hope it does,

Happy New Year.

[theflyingmonkey]

Well, I just tried today and yesterday by doing the same thing that caused it to disappear in the first place and the only thing I can say is that doing the update three times each day. With each time done after restarting the computer. The icon doesn't disappear like it magically did before. The icon is where it should be now and didn't disappear after performing an update.

So do you have any idea of why the icon and shortcut in the start menu's all programs disappeared after performing an update Ex_Brit?

[exbrit]

I have no idea, but Tech Support may be able toi help you there.  Are you using the beta product by any chance?   Or do you use Registry Cleaners?  They can do bizarre things like that.

[theflyingmonkey]

I don't think I amusing the beta and I don't use Registry Cleaners.  Is there anyway, you could ask Tech Support for me.  I have not gotten a very good experience with Tech Support as I found that their help didn't really help in most cases.