User Control Down, Market fatware Up - Solution?

[wmcole]

There used to be a time when a user could:

1. Define which volumes, files and folders to include OR exclude from a scheduled scan.
2. Define exceptions for real-time scanning (like pagefiles, hybernation files...
3. Get actual detailed information about blocked /quarantined files, specific web sites that were blocked, and set exceptions and turn off / on the "[SPAM]" string addition to email subject lines.
4. Find detailed security reports / logs from scans or other protective actions ON THE LOCAL MACHINE THROUGH THE McAFEE UI.

I cannot find where any of that is available in current version of "Total Protection."  The configurability and details of protective actions, scan results etc. rapidly declined once Intel took over the product, OR they have just done an excellent job of hiding it all in a "secret" location known only to "power users".

At the same time, I am now pestered with multiple McAfee pop-ups daily with that contain no useful information but are more of a "McAfee Brag" window than anything else.

I don't need McAfee using resources to tell me they are "speeding up your app - Screen Blanker" or that I have to go online and login to my account to see the result of a scan that found no issues, or pop-ups warning of phone scams (this is a works station, not connected in any way to a phone, cell, VoIP or landline.)

What I want, and what McAfee gave me when I first started using it in the '90s was a configurable, low-resource using malware protection suite, that kept all my info ON THE LOCAL MACHINE.  I only needed to login to an online account for the purposes of upgrade or tech support.  Instead I now have bloatware that runs in excess of 20 threads, adds 5 mins to boot from a spinning disk, and seems to have taken away my ability to say which files / folders / volumes to scan or not on a schedule of my choosing and which to exclude from real-time scanning.  (Yes you can pick files for this, but only one at a time, and cannot multi-select or use wildcards to define a batch of files to scan / skip).

Does McAfee offer such a product anymore?  Am I missing some obscure menu that offers me these controls?  Or is it time to move on to another vendor's product?

[sivasubramanian]

@wmcole 

We request you to follow the below stated articles which should answer your questions

1. Define which volumes, files and folders to include OR exclude from a scheduled scan.
1. We request you to follow the outline of our article - https://service.mcafee.com/?articleId=TS102056&fromSearch=true&locale=en-US&page=shell&shell=article... which will help in this regard.
2. Define exceptions for real-time scanning (like pagefiles, hybernation files...
1. As per the design this feature is not available now. We will take this as the feedback
3. Get actual detailed information about blocked /quarantined files, specific web sites that were blocked, and set exceptions and turn off / on the "[SPAM]" string addition to email subject lines.
1. Quarantined files – Our article will give the insight about this - https://service.mcafee.com/?articleId=TS100843&fromSearch=true&locale=en-US&page=shell&shell=article...
2. Specific websites that were blocked and set exceptions  -  We have a article for this - https://service.mcafee.com/?articleId=TS101116&fromSearch=true&locale=en-US&page=shell&shell=article...
3. To turn OFF/On the SPAM – Kindly follow the steps as per our article for the same
4. String addition to email subject lines - Our article would help in creating custom filtering rules - How to create Custom Filtering Rules in Anti-Spam
4. Find detailed security reports / logs from scans or other protective actions ON THE LOCAL MACHINE THROUGH THE McAFEE UI.
1. Kindly go through the below articles which will furnish the details about security reports 
2. Common questions about McAfee Firewall
3. How to open a port in the McAfee Firewall         

I cannot find where any of that is available in current version of "Total Protection."  The configurability and details of protective actions, scan results etc. rapidly declined once Intel took over the product, OR they have just done an excellent job of hiding it all in a "secret" location known only to "power users".

• To know the McAfee version, click Settings or Gear symbol on the top right and tap About

At the same time, I am now pestered with multiple McAfee pop-ups daily with that contain no useful information but are more of a "McAfee Brag" window than anything else.

• To stop this, Open McAfee, click Settings or Gear symbol on the top right, Tap General settings and alerts à Informational Alerts and uncheck the option Show Informational alerts

I don't need McAfee using resources to tell me they are "speeding up your app - Screen Blanker" or that I have to go online and login to my account to see the result of a scan that found no issues, or pop-ups warning of phone scams (this is a works station, not connected in any way to a phone, cell, VoIP or landline.)

What I want, and what McAfee gave me when I first started using it in the '90s was a configurable, low-resource using malware protection suite, that kept all my info ON THE LOCAL MACHINE.  I only needed to login to an online account for the purposes of upgrade or tech support.  Instead I now have bloatware that runs in excess of 20 threads, adds 5 mins to boot from a spinning disk, and seems to have taken away my ability to say which files / folders / volumes to scan or not on a schedule of my choosing and which to exclude from real-time scanning.  (Yes you can pick files for this, but only one at a time, and cannot multi-select or use wildcards to define a batch of files to scan / skip).

We request to run a full scan to eradicate this and requesting you to setup the scheduled scan for periodical check of files.

For fast startup of PC kindly perform the below steps

• Open McAfee
• click Settings or Gear symbol on the top right, Tap General settings and alerts >> Informational Alerts >> Startup settings and Check the option "I want the fastest startup time.

Apart from the above, we recommend to run periodical tracker remover(quick clean) from McAfee that gives you several options for clearing temporary files, and unwanted information such as tracking cookies from your computer. It also includes tools that can improve the speed and performance of your computer.

Regards
Siva N

[VAbarb]

No solution works.  I have paid up subscription (so these are NOT renewal notifications). 

McAfee continues to display marketing pop-ups in windows 10 even when 'show informational alerts' is off (unchecked),  I still get marketing pop-ups "McAfee is speeding up your app" "Did you know" "Protect more devices" type notifications.  Seems like the ability to turn Informational alerts on or off is just a dummy screen - doesn't actually do anything. And NONE of the alert options are for the marketing / brag alerts.

This is the marketing department running the company.  Does McAfee marketing department actually use the product? 

I have tried turning informational alerts on, off, rebooting... nothing stops them.

McAfee Marketing - this does not make me want to purchase more products.  It feels like ransomware

[wmcole]

Worse yet, the notices you DO want to get don't provide any useful information.  For example, you used to be able to see exactly what action was taken when McAfee "protected you from x threats", but now it just brags that it did so and for "more info" points you to a generic FAQ web page.  You can't get a line on the exact offender etc.

McAfee no longer even provides access to a report / stats on all the actions UNLESS you got online and sign into an account that just slams you with more brag-ware / market-ware for very little specific info.  How is storing specific information on my workstation's security scan results making MORE safe from hacking?  I believe McAfee account info has been hacked (compromised info flagged by ID protection services other than McAfee) so putting even MORE personal info online DOES NOT MAKE ME SAFER.

Back when I first started using McAfee (early 90's?) very specific threat info was stored ON THE LOCAL MACHINE allowing you to take specific additional action against specific threats. I also could control at file, directory and volume level what I wanted scanned, when and how thoroughly.   That control was eliminated and now you can only make the choice of a "quick" or "full" scan.  If you want to set up a scheduled scan to scan a volume with certain file / directory exceptions - NO CAN DO.  You have to individually "explore" to the files/folders you DO want to scan, right-click to scan them.  HOW LAME IS THAT?!?!?!

 Since Intel took over the company, the interface has been dumbed down to such an extent as to take almost ALL user control away, keep the user connected to and sucking on the Intel/McAfee teat while subjecting you to users to an ever increasing number of irritating, unnecessary brag-ware/market-ware and useless pop-ups.