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gemini
Former Member
Message 1 of 8

McAfee Security Center Update went wrong - please help!

Hello,

first of all I´ve got to apologize for any errors in this message respectively my mediocre knowledge concerning the English terms of the various functions of Windows itself and McAfee Security Center. I´m a German user and consequently I´m only familiar with the German versions of the aforementioned programs.

I stumbled across these boards on November 2010 when I got my new Dell desktop PC (Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit) which includes a pre-installed version of McAfee Security Center as well as a corresponding 3 year suscription to this service. I was eager to prevent any malicious software from tampering with my system and so I looked for instructions for McAfee products before I even hooked it up. Fortunately I found this forum and got some valuable  bits of information concerning the correct use of the Security Center itself and some good recommandations of software that can be used along with Mc Afee Security Center (Malwarebytes Anti Malware free version, Spywareblaster). So far I´ve had a rock stable and virus-free systen and naturally I´m very thankful for these guides (iirc Ex_Brit is the one to be praised for them).

I really hope that the members of this forum will help me with my problem (here´s a detailed description):

As I´ve already mentioned I´ve got a Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit PC along with  a 3  year suscription to  McAfee Security Center from Dell. Until Sunday everything went like a charm but when I manually checked for updates to my McAfee products on the said day it downloaded some files, installed them and asked me to restart my PC. I accepted this proposal Windows shut down without any problems and it rebooted. I got to the Account select screen, chose my regular account (it´s just the same with my admin-account) entered the password and expected to reach my desktop in a couple of seconds...

The usual "Welcome" line appeared along with the rotating circle that indicates a loading process but even after one hour it didn´t disappear and I didn´t reach my desktop. My attempts of using alt + f4 or getting to the task manager were futile and I had to press the PC´s power button in order to shut it down.

I restarted in safe mode and everything was allright (I could reach my desktop and Windows worked without any problem, obviously the Security Center was disabled). A message of the Windows Help encouraged me to identify the problem and proposed several means to do so. I selected the system restoration and fortunately a restore point was erected only a few hours before this catastrophe took place. When I selected the option to get to know about the actual affects of returning to this restore point a summary listed the removal of McAfee Security center 11.0.578 and the re-installation of McAfee Security Center 10.5.240. I did not return my system to this restore point as the message pointing out the consequences of this action warned me about  a potential malfunction of reinstalled software.

I tried disabling/enabling certain McAfee services respectively the McAfee Security Center Autostart object via the "msconfig" command but I found no solution to my problem. If all the McAfee services and the Autostart object are disabled I can perform a normal windows start, reach my desktop and run every programm I want (obviously I don´t access the internet as my McAfee Security Center is disabled and Windows warns me about the lack of a firewall,  anti-virus software and anti-spy software - I´m writing these lines on a friend´s PC). Striking is that the services McAfee Personal Firewall, McAfee McShield, McAfee Firewall Core Service and McAfee Validation Trust Protectionstill get loaded althought I try to disable them via the aforementioned command. If I enable the McAfee services and the Autostart object  I always get the Windows 7 "Welcome" line and the rotating circle that don´t disappear and grant me access to the desktop -even after hours.

I´ve used this forum´s  search function and studied various McAfee guides and  spotted these solutions:

A. Use the system restoration and get back to McAfee Security Center 10.5.240 and hope that the update works this time.

What´s the possibility of restoring it and McAfee running (the restore service even mentions that it might not work)? Would you resort to this option?

B. Use the McAfee Virtual Technician.

Does this application requires access to the internet? I can´t  go online with all my protection disabled.

Does it work taking into consideration that I can only start Windows if all the McAfee services and the Autostart object are disabled?

C. Uninstall McAfee Security Center via Windows, use MCPR and Reinstall

I guess an uninstallation will fail as certain McAfee services still get loaded.

Supposing it works how can I reinstall McAfee (as I´ve already mentioned I can´t access the internet and when I tried to get the installation data from my McAfee account it turned out to be  a mere download manager so I can´t even use my friend´s PC to download the files and use an USB stick to transport them to my PC) ?

Moreover I´ve got to mention that my system isn´t infested with any virus or malware. I´ve got all the Windows Updates (including Service Pack 1), was always very cautious when I got online (Ionly used my regular account along with Windows 7 UAC when I got online, I dind´t use any peer-to-peer networks,  visited no file-sharing sites, no streaming sites except for youtube), got McAfee up to date and performed a complete system scan with McAfee and Malwarebytes Anti Malware (free) twice a week.

Please help me! I´m desperate! I´d be deeply indebted to you if you got my Security Center working.

Nachricht geändert durch gemini on 30.08.11 10:42:53 CDT
7 Replies
astor
Contributor II
Message 2 of 8

Re: McAfee Security Center Update went wrong - please help!

I had a similar problem.  I uninstalled as per solution C.  Also make sure there are no McAfee products still installed according to Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs.  After I re-installed McAfee Antivirus Plus it all worked fine.

Message was edited by: astor on 3/09/11 6:02:32 AM
newjack
Former Member
Message 3 of 8

Re: McAfee Security Center Update went wrong - please help!

Gemini, If you wait A bit I`m sure one of the Moderators with more knowledge then myself will be able to answer.My guess is that you will uninstall Mcafee,reboot then run MCPR tool at the top of this page under useful links.After that reboot again.Make sure you have entered a username and password through Dell / Mcafee account before uninstall.You will also have to uninstall Malwarebytes and reinstall after Mcafee.Malwarebytes is not compatible if installed before Mcafee

Message was edited by: newjack on 9/3/11 7:57:12 AM EDT

Message was edited by: newjack on 9/3/11 7:58:33 AM EDT
exbrit
MVP
MVP
Message 4 of 8

Re: McAfee Security Center Update went wrong - please help!

I echo what Newjack saidm uninstall, MCPR and then reboot (important) and then reinstall from the online account, but you have said that when you uninstall you can't access the internet afterwards and that shouldn't happen.

Did you try to repair the internet connection?  Right-click the icon by the clock (Notification area) and select 'Diagnose and Repair'.

You should really uninstall McAfee befoire doing a System Restore anyway as it usually gets messed up by doing that, or at least updated it immediately afterwards.

gemini
Former Member
Message 5 of 8

Re: McAfee Security Center Update went wrong - please help!

Hello.


many thanks for your quick and friendly replies. Your help is much appreciated.

Ex_Brit schrieb:

I echo what Newjack saidm uninstall, MCPR and then reboot (important) and then reinstall from the online account, but you have said that when you uninstall you can't access the internet afterwards and that shouldn't happen.

Did you try to repair the internet connection?  Right-click the icon by the clock (Notification area) and select 'Diagnose and Repair'.

You should really uninstall McAfee befoire doing a System Restore anyway as it usually gets messed up by doing that, or at least updated it immediately afterwards.

When I said that I couldn´t access the internet I just wanted to express my
concerns of accessing the internet while McAfee is disabled/uninstalled (and
consequently exposing my system to numerous threats). I´m very sorry for any
inconvenience that was caused by my poor wording.


When I contacted the McAfee support chat they asked my to do a system restore
and repeat the update. The system restore was successful but when I tried to
update my McAfee software and had to reboot my system the exact same problem
occured: I reach the screen that allows me to choose my Windows 7 user
account, I enter the correct password and the Windows Welcome line appears
but it doesn´t disappear and I can´t reach my desktop. The only way to avoid
this problem is by disabling the McAfeee services and the autostart object.

After contacting the McAfeee support chat again I uninstalled Malwarebytes
Antimalware (free version), downgraded my browser to IE 8 (by uninstalling IE 9),
uninstalled my current version of McAfee Security Center and installed the newest
version via my online account. I thought everything was ok as I had now McAfee
security Center V. 11.0.578 up and running. I reinstalled IE9. During the next
few days I was even able to download some definition updates for my McAfee
Security Center but when the update to V 11.0.586 required me to reboot my
system the aforementioned problem occured again.

Now I uninstalled the McAfee Software (Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs),
utilized the clean up program MCPR, rebooted, downgraded to IE 8, disabled the
protection of Spywareblaster (it´s true that it doesn´t provide active protection
and therefore shouldn´t interfere with McAfee in the first place but I just wanted to
eliminate every obstacle) and installed the McAfee Software once more via my
online account and fortunately I got McAfee security Center V 11.0.586 up and
running. When I looked for updates (right click on the McAfee logo and select check
for updates) it downloaded several files and asked me to reboot my system. I was really
afraid of following this instruction but this time I was able to reach my desktop.

I´m sure you´ll agree that I can´t uninstall and reinstall my McAfee software every time
an update that requires a reboot is supplied. That´s why I´m momentarily trying to
figure out what prevented me from overcoming the Windows Welcome line and
accessing my desktop in the past.


The only differences are:

- IE 8 (instead of IE 9)

- Spywareblaster protection disabled (instead of enabled)

- the fastest system start is selected in the McAfee settings
  so that the realtime scan gets started a few moments
  after getting to the desktop (instead of the medium/normal
  system start in the McAfee settings)


Do you think I should reinstall IE 9 and enable the Spywarebalster
protection?

Finally I want to emphasize once more my appreciation for your kind
help  and  thank you in advance for all of your efforts.

Nachricht geändert durch gemini on 20.09.11 04:17:02 CDT

Nachricht geändert durch gemini on 20.09.11 04:24:25 CDT

Nachricht geändert durch gemini on 20.09.11 04:25:27 CDT
exbrit
MVP
MVP
Message 6 of 8

Re: McAfee Security Center Update went wrong - please help!

It's a mystery why that happened as I haven't seen it on my Windows 7 rig.   But it appears you are OK now....I hope?   Do you by any chance use registry cleaners?  They can often removed important registry keys which can effect how McAfee and other software run and cause this kind of thing.

Also it's important that you keep Windows totally up to date in all aspects, even if you don't use parts of it, accept the updates anyway.   By now Windows 7 should be SP1.  If it isn't, there are some helpful hints HERE.

gemini
Former Member
Message 7 of 8

Re: McAfee Security Center Update went wrong - please help!

Ex_Brit schrieb:

It's a mystery why that happened as I haven't seen it on my Windows 7 rig.   But it appears you are OK now....I hope?   Do you by any chance use registry cleaners?  They can often removed important registry keys which can effect how McAfee and other software run and cause this kind of thing.

Also it's important that you keep Windows totally up to date in all aspects, even if you don't use parts of it, accept the updates anyway.   By now Windows 7 should be SP1.  If it isn't, there are some helpful hints HERE.

Infinite thanks for replying in such a short period of time.


So far there weren´t any other updates for my McAfee Security Center
that required me to reboot my system and consequently there weren´t
any problems either. I really hope the aforementioned issue won´t occur

again (*knocking on wood*).

I can assure you that I didn´t utilize any sort of registry cleaner. The only noteworthy

programs I  use are Malwarebytes´Antimalware and Spywareblaster (the free versions).


Naturally I´ve enabled automatic updates for my McAfee software as well as Windows 7

itself. In addition I check manually for updates at least once per day. Service Pack 1 is

installed since its release (April 2011 iirc). Unfortunately I wasn´t aware of the installation

guide you´ve mentioned and installed it like any other Windows Update (there weren´t any

error messages and so far there were absolutely no problems).

I´m just wondering if I should upgrade to IE 9 again (Windows Update always asks me to do so

when I check for updates). I´m just afraid of using an outdated browser that probably suffers

from several vulnerabilities.


Thanks again.

Nachricht geändert durch gemini on 20.09.11 07:21:23 CDT
exbrit
MVP
MVP
Message 8 of 8

Re: McAfee Security Center Update went wrong - please help!

Some users have reported various issues allegedly involving McAfee & IE9 but personally I haven't seen any problems and I have them installed on 4 operating systems.  Although I use Firefox mainly I do keep IE up to date for security reasons and the fact that various applications use it regardless of default browser settings, McAfee SecurityCenter for one.

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