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BookBoy
Former Member
Message 1 of 7

Not protected - Detection Signature File - Reinstall VirusScan?

Ok, I'm new on here so be gentle if I don't provide all of the correct info.

SecurityCenter tells me that I am not protected and that "The detection signature file is between 8 and 29 days old"

Clicking "Fix" doesn't seem to have any impact --> I get the updating icon on my screen but then...

I then get a message stating "An error occurred while updating. Please reinstall McAfee VirusScan"

I have tried to address this using the Virtual Tech but, although it tells me that the problem is fixed, the problem remains the same

My info:

MS Windows XP
Home Edition
Version 2002
Service Pack 3
504 MB of RAM
File System: NTFS
Connected via wireless broadband
In UK

McAfee Products:

Security centre (9.3.137)
VirusScan (13.3.115)
Personal Firewall (10.3.106)
Site Advisor (2.6.6253)
Anti-Spam (10.3.109)
Parental Controls (11.3.103)

My subscription is until July 2010

Thanks in advance.
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6 Replies
exbrit
MVP
MVP
Message 2 of 7

RE: Not protected - Detection Signature File - Reinstall VirusScan?

BookBoy
Former Member
Message 3 of 7

RE: Not protected - Detection Signature File - Reinstall VirusScan?

Thank you.

The system clock and time zone are both accurate now but weren't at the time the problem started (I moved back to the UK from the Balkans a few months ago and had forgotten to change from GMT +1 until this morning).

Given that the time zone is fixed now and the problem persists, could it still be an issue?

Thanks again.

I have tried the solution that requires you to rename the DAT file to DATold and this seems to make matters worse as the Security Center warning changes from yellow to red, perhaps because the new virus definition file can't be downloaded?
exbrit
MVP
MVP
Message 4 of 7

RE: Not protected - Detection Signature File - Reinstall VirusScan?

Probably not. Try the fixes in the links I provided.
Riddlez
Contributor
Message 5 of 7

RE: Not protected - Detection Signature File - Reinstall VirusScan?



It may be a bad DAT push.

Here is a quote from Ex Brit (section SecurityCenter 9), probably worth trying:
'This would apply in 2 instances: 1. When DATs fail and 2. When people get the errors and red X's warning them that VirusScan needs reinstalling.

Boot to Safe Mode by tapping F8 while booting up.
Go to Program Files\McAfee\VirusScan\DAT and delete the contents of the folder, not the folder itself.

Reboot. Ignore warnings that Security Center may throw up.
If updater doesn't start automatically, right-click the taskbar icon and select Updates.

Let it do its thing and when finished the errors should be all be cured.

(I now have 5567). '

I had an issue removing one particular item in the folder, but forcibly removing that item caused major problems (fortunately I could restore an image). I actually could terminate mcshield.exe in the task manager. That doesn't seem very safe ! Malware could do something similar, right ?
And it's even mentioned in one of those two links. In my case, terminating Mcshield.exe broke McAfee, it claimed McAfee needed to be reinstalled !

Anyway, Ex Brit's solution worked.

Seriously, those FAQs/links should be updated, and McAfee shouldn't send out bad DATs so often. I think I've recieved a lot more than 10 bad DATs (downloading, but not installing) over the past 12 months.
BookBoy
Former Member
Message 6 of 7

RE: Not protected - Detection Signature File - Reinstall VirusScan?

Thanks Riddlez, the SafeMode method appears to have worked.

happy
exbrit
MVP
MVP
Message 7 of 7

RE: Not protected - Detection Signature File - Reinstall VirusScan?

Sorry I didn't think to post my own solution posted elsewhere!:)

Anyway, glad you are fixed up and will mark this as solved now.
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