McAfee Security Scan Plus

This took me by surprise this morning.

Last night I upgraded from Adobe Flash Player 10 to version 11, which gave the option to also install McAfee Security Scan Plus. I opted to install McAfee and everything worked fine.

Upon loading my computer this morning, McAfee popped up with a cryptic message about updating so I let it continue.

Within a matter of time, AVG then popped up saying the following.

I have checked online and the McAfee Security Scan Plus is a safe program.

However, as the initial details state “Unknown” under Threat name, to play safe, I moved the file to the vault, and it was only after I did this that AVG stated it was the McAfee Security Scan Plus that had been deleted. It can easily be restored by reinstalling Adobe, but AVG tends to have a too frequent habit of detecting safe programs and safe sites as being dangerous.

Even after the above, McAfee reappeared, despite the deletion, offering to allow me a Scan. However, McAfee Web Protection is not found and there is the option to install it. This must have been in the program but AVG deleted this part of it. Again, this can easily be reinstalled.

It offers to install McAfee Site Advisor, an equivalent to Comodo’s Web Inspector.

! Threat detected

File name: C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\NSZBF45.TMP\SECURITYSCAN_INNER.EXE
Threat name: Unknown
Severity level: 4
Description: Not available

Move to Vault (Recommended)
Will safely quarantine the infected file to Virus Vault until further decision.

Allow
Will leave the file as it is now.


?

AVG 2012 Help

Identity Protection alert

This dialog informs you that a potential threat has been detected by the Identity Protection component. The dialog displays a name and full path to the suspicious file, name of the detected threat, its severity level and a short description.

AVG Identity Protection

! Threat removal completed

File name: C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\NSZBF45.TMP\SECURITYSCAN_INNER.EXE
Security level: 4
Summary: 8 processes terminated
8 files deleted
1 registry key deleted

AVG Details

Details of threat that was determined to be malware

SECURITYSCAN_INNER.EXE
Time of creation: 30/01/2013, 07:54:54
Full path: C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\NSZBF45.TMP\SECURITYSCAN_INNER.EXE
Details:
8 processses terminated
8 files deleted
1 registry key deleted
Process terminated:
McCHSvc.exe
Process ID: 5492
Full path: C:\Program Files\McAfee Security Scan\3.0.313\McCHSvc.exe
All registry keys deleted:
hkey_local_machine\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\uninstall\mcafee security scan

the problem seems to be that you install two security programs at the same time. ;D they tend to interfere each other.

Thanks for pointing this out. :smiley:

Nowadays, most if not all programs require users to choose one or more options to install or exclude from installation while installing a program, instead of a complete installation without prompts.

I don’t know how McAfee compares to AVG for security, but I’ll uninstall the remaining McAfee components, as AVG has only deleted some and my AVG subscription expires in the summer, so the two no longer clash.

I would not recommend installing security scans. They should not clash with existing security softqare, but I am not a professional. Past experiences I have had with them is that they advertise there products adn tryto get you to but them.

I would also recommend not to load advertised or added security things from the net.
As a basic rule.

And, dont use auto quarantine with any program.

If your suscription ends soon, you could try some of the free versions of other vendors. Some are not restricted in important aspects.
Avast (for antivirus) or comodo (antivirus, firewall, HIPS, sandbox) for example.
Then you can test, and make a choice.

When you are sure that you want to buy it, its early enough.

The McAfee free security scan came as an option with my upgrade to Adobe Flash Player 11.

Upon checking “Programs and Features” in Vista, there is no sign of McAfee, but now that I have Glary Utilities, if I see any remaining entries for McAfee, I can safely delete them. AVG removed the heart components of McAfee.

I have different software to cover anti-malware, spyware, adware and viruses, etc, but after Comodo Internet Security is debugged, and my AVG subscription expires, I’ll switch to CIS 6.