McAfee Virus Scan
McAfee VirusScan is an anti virus scanner from McAfee previously known as Network Associate. It is designed for home use, office use and corporate use. It is not a standalone package but is part of McAfee VirusScan Plus package.
What is new with McAfee Virus Scan
The package protects the system from spyware. It gets daily updates whenever there is internet connection. Popup reminders will keep on appearing which can not be disabled. Though it has improved upon security tools, firewalls, and system performance utilities, some people have reservation about the technical support.
User Experience
McAfee VirusScan setup download is a little hard. The download center has to be installed, which analyzes the system, and need to be indicated about the product to be downloaded. Then the center should be connected to the Internet to download the file, which are in pieces, the VirusScan/Personal Firewall/Site Advisor/Security Center.
It takes one hour on a wireless laptop, and 10 minutes on a LAN connection. No reboot is required in case of McAfee VirusScan.
It occupies 75 MB space which is half he space required by Norton Antivirus. But it also utilizes custom resources more. It can be installed in Windows 2000 and Window XP machines.
To remove the VirusScan, the Windows Control Panel Add/Remove Programs panel is to be to accessed to uninstall. Some times the uninstall process has to be terminated with the Windows Task Manager and the uninstall process is restarted. The system needs to be reboot after that to clear the residue that McAfee left behind. Several files within folds need to be deleted individually. What an average user finds cumbersome is to delete several McAfee-specific registry keys.
The left-hand navigation of McAfee has two tables of contents : basic features, and more-advanced tools. Because the utility pieces are separately stored and handled, McAfee tries to give it a look of unified product, but the end product is not as user friendly as Norton Anti virus.
Features like McAfee Personal Firewall, helps McAfee VirusScan to report network traffic information, and integrates McAfee's Hacker Watch global network to report port traffic worldwide. These tools are hidden within the Advanced table of contents.
McAfee VirusScan has system performance utilities, like McAfee's own file shredder and disk cache cleaner.
McAfee VirusScan catches about 92 percent of all malware is the second rated anti virus package. It was exclusively tested by CNET Labs. It identified and blocked five out of eight spyware samples but missed a generic Trojan, a Compare-prices.zip, a JustFindIt toolbar, and Marketplace. From spyware samples, McAfee VirusScan caught six and missed Compare prices.zip and Clickpix. It left traces of JustFindIt and Marketplace of the spyware.
Because of its excessive use of system resources, McAfee might slow older PCs.
Find out more at www.mcafee.com