MCAFEE VIRUSSCAN V8 CD-ROM

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Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• ASIN: B0000CG45D
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 3, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,451 in Software (See Bestsellers in Software)

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  Software > Utilities > Computer Security > Protection for PCs

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Are you exposed? Don't surf the Net, download files, or open email attachments without the latest defense against more than 67,000 known viruses and the 300 new ones discovered every month.

Trusted by over 2 million satisfied users worldwide, VirusScan protects your PC, files, and email address book from high-risk, productivity-killing viruses, worms, and trojans like Bugbear, Slammer, Code Red, Nimda, SirCam, and Nicehello.

Easy to use and always on guard, VirusScan automatically checks for virus updates and software updates (included free with your one-year coverage), so your protection is always up to the minute. And it's from McAfee Security, the most trusted name in online security.

Benefits:

• Email Scanning: VirusScan now automatically scans inbound (POP3) and outbound (SMTP) email and email attachments for most popular email clients, including Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Netscape Mail, Eudora, Pegasus, and others. Email scanning provides a first line of defense from inbound threats before they arrive in your email inbox, and from outbound virus proliferation. Email scanning ensures that your computer's inbox is virus-free.
• Instant Message Scanning: VirusScan now scans instant messages and attachments sent through instant messaging clients including AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, and Windows Messenger.
• ScriptStopper: Many of the fastest spreading viruses, like I Love You, use scripts to infect your PC. ScriptStopper detects new malicious threats and stops them from infecting your PC. ScriptStopper alerts you of the attempted activity and will stop actions that are initiated on your computer without your knowledge. ScriptStopper detects, alerts, and stops malicious script actions to keep your computer safe from scripts involved in virus activity providing an extra layer of security for your PC.
• WormStopper: The majority of new viruses spread through email. WormStopper stops new mass-mailing worms by detecting activity that may indicate a new, undetected worm is active on your PC. WormStopper detects the sending of email to more than 40 recipients, sending more than 5 emails in less than 30 seconds, and also checks for repetitive email content. WormStopper ensures that a new undetected mass-mailing worm cannot spread using your computer providing an additional security layer for your PC.
• Windows Explorer Integration: Now you can access VirusScan directly from the familiar Windows Explorer interface simply by selecting files and clicking on the VirusScan icon in the Windows Explorer window. Windows Explorer integration with VirusScan saves you time while protecting your computer.
• AutoClean: VirusScan automatically attempts to clean virus-infected files when a malicious threat is detected. AutoClean saves you time while protecting your computer.
• Detects Spyware, Adware, and Web Dialers: VirusScan detects potentially unwanted applications like spyware, adware, Web dialers, and more. VirusScan will detect these applications to protect your data and privacy.
• Submit Files to AVERT: VirusScan now includes the ability to submit suspicious files from VirusScan directly to the McAfee Antivirus Emergency Response Team (AVERT) for assessment saving you time.
• MS Outlook Scanning: VirusScan provides scanning of emails and email folders from within MS Outlook so you can initiate scans for Outlook email at any time.
• Silent Updating: VirusScan and McAfee Security Center provide silent updating of virus definitions (DATs) to ensure that your computer is always up-to-date.
• Proactive Security System: VirusScan includes McAfee Security Center to provide constantly up-to-date security information about your computer and the latest threats that may affect you. In the event of a virus outbreak or other security event, McAfee Security Center immediately warns users of the malicious threat to eliminate McAfee users being involved in the spread of a new, undetected threat.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Much better than Norton, August 31, 2004

By	Gadgester "No Time, No Money" (Mother Earth) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

First off, let me tell you what I believe: there's no single piece of perfect anti-virus software on the market today. Different users swear by different products. I have tried all the major anti-virus packages: McAfee, Panda, Trend Micro, NAV, AVG, etc. All have pros and cons. My strong feelings are: NAV 2004 is absolutely the worst (kills your system, screws up your e-mails, leaves undocumented files on your system...); AVG has a free edition which is good for basic anti-virus needs; Panda is buggy (disabled my IE); and you'll do well with either McAfee or Trend Micro.

I run MVS 2004 v8.0 on my Dell desktop which is exposed to lots of potential Internet security risks, and the software runs seamlessly, unlike the terrible experience I had with NAV 2004 Professional. It also scans faster than NAV, and has not crashed once so far. Updating virus definition could be simpler, and McAfee likes to push ads on you (just like Symantec), but at least my system is well protected. For this alone, I think MVS deserves four stars.

My recommendation: stay away from NAV 2004 - it's the worst program ever written; try Panda for 30 days to see if it works for you; get AVG free edition (at grisoft dot com) if you don't surf the web endlessly like me; get McAfee (...); get Trend Micro if all else fails.

In any case, do not let more than one anti-virus program run at the same time on your system. Also, download free spyware busters like Ad-Aware and Spybot Search & Destroy (from download dot com) regularly until Microsoft improves IE security.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Works ok, but has significant drawbacks., August 1, 2004

By	histbuff "histbuff" (United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

I did some research before I bought this and felt like it would be my best bet. Benchmark testing and my own experience with the corporate version at work confirm that this is significantly faster than Norton/Symantec, and less of a drain on the system. Norton also has a well deserved reputation of causing lockups and other problems in Windows. Lastly, McAfee does seem to take the role of finding new viruses very seriously.

Others have mentioned the annoying interface of this software, which is a thinly veiled attempt to sell you other software. I could look past this aspect if it weren't for some of the other issues, but it is pretty cheesy.

My only real issues with this software are:

1) The software is very tightly integrated into the Internet Explorer web browser. In order for it to run, I had to lower my security settings in the *Internet Zone*, even just to open the software when not connected to the web. Specifically, you have to enable ActiveX and JavaScript (again this isn't in the local intranet or trusted zones it is in the Internet Zone, so every site you visit will now have these permissions!). This even goes against Microsoft's recommended settings. This is the software equivalent of a burglar alarm making you keep your deadbolts unlocked. What were they thinking? Hopefully they will fix this in the future, but for now this is a deal killer for me.

2) Less important but still a nuisance is the way the software updates virus definitions. Instead of the software connecting directly to the home server to download updates behind the scenes like other packages do, this one always opens a browser window. This slows the process down, and requires you to customize IE security settings further unless you are running IE wide open (good luck protecting your PC if you are!). It also requires a two stage process with 2 different applications using different ports and going to different IP ranges, so configuring the firewall is much harder than it should be.

I ended up buying Panda Titanium anti virus, and am truly delighted with it. No weird integration into the web browser so I can keep security settings high, and it downloads 60-80 new virus definitions daily without the complicated McAfee process. Because the overhead is less the downloads are really short. Perhaps most important, it scans far faster than McAfee and requires fewer system resources. I scan my PC daily now because it is so painless. I still own the McAfee software, but wouldn't dream of re installing it instead of Panda.

One last note: Most IT guys I've spoken with have stopped using Internet Explorer for general web browsing at home (still use it for the near weekly windows critical security updates). IE has become a hackers magnet, with several major exploits occurring just in the last 6 months. Instead they use Firefox by Mozilla (free), or Opera (free and paid versions). I've switched to Firefox, and so far have had excellent luck.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars McAfee sent back, April 21, 2004

By	Kurtis (Rowlett, TX USA) - See all my reviews

I've been using AVG Anti Virus for several months. I was told that Mc Afee was better. So I decided to upgrade to the better product. This is the first product I've paid for that hit me with advertisements. Then every time I boot I have screens that let me know I don't have other Mc Afee products installed. The system check told me of I was not safe as I did not have some of the products installed. The last straw was when they sent my rebate back for no UPC code enclosed, a bold lie. This was the last straw. I'm now back to the free AVG Anti virus. They have updates almost daily way more than Mc Afee, my system runs faster, I don't look at "nag" screens, and I'm virus free. This time the free product is better. Keep your money and let you computer run better! They don't make it easy to get your money back.