A Long Day at McAfee

Big old smile on my face, running Linux……dropped Windows and all these monkey-bit AV programs long long ago!!!!!!

Mcafee has recently been offering HORRIBLE protection. I have had what are CLEARLY viruses that Mcafee is too dumb to detect. If you want me to continue using your products, I need to see huge improvement. Mcafee used to be GREAT, but now, it has decreased TO THE POINT OF IRRELEVANCE. So, now, with all of your mistakes, there are more rough antivirus software being advertised, and other people are being infected with them as well. You have caused many computers to be DESTROYED. Today, my friend got the rough antivirus program “XP Antivirus 2010″ and they were stupid enough to pay them, and now they had to through out their computer and credit card. If it weren’t for Mcafee, this problem woudln’t exist. True to form, cybercrooks are taking advantage of the frustration the debacle caused, knowing that people will be searching for alternatives to McAfee’s antivirus protection. Rogue antivirus or “scareware” makers have started pushing links offering fake antivirus software to top of the search engine results. And people are falling for them, causing even more headaches. Make sure you, your friends, family and co-workers are protected from this type of scam. WOT will let you know the reputation of the link – before you click on it. Do someone a favor and install WOT on their computer this weekend. Affected users who want to know how to fix the problem the faulty update caused, our suggestion is to access McAfee’s website directly.

Barry that was a real world ooooooops! Darn, that was almost nasty. Once we became aware of the issue we Simply started each of the 24 potentially affected pc’s into Recovery Console, copied the affected system file from “cache” into the system32 folder and voila` problem solved. Or, was the problem really solved simply by not allowing WinXP SP3 installed on our computers? Thanx Barry, you guys just reinforced my paranoia about Xp SP3. Excellent R&D. Absolutely the most fun I’ve had in weeks. Sorry about all the other problems you are now facing. Hopefully most of your company customers see this as wakeup call to back off a tad on the “automation” of software. After all, we as humans are not infallible, hense what we create can also be less than perfect. What’s that old story? “Made in the image of …”

We weren’t affected – Mcafee has never been on our short list because of many past versions either being resource hogs or or just plain wonky. Thanks for continuing to prove us correct.

My computer crashed with this last Wednesday (21st). I was offline for 3 days while the computer was repaired – at considerable cost. I sat with the technician for some of the time and am in no doubt about the hours involved.

Thankfully, he restored my data. But today (27th) an automatic update from McAfee bombs me back to virtually factory settings. 6 DAYS AFTER THE INITIAL FAULT.

This comes after McAfee’s failure to detect a rogue XP Security Tool virus.

And McAfee’s offer of compensation? A 3 month extension to my subscription……

Who do you think you are kidding?

I think the busiest department in your organization right now is not the ’7000 employees’ but the small group that make up your the legal department which must be guiding you on the public respone you have initiated.
It’s ironic and also just that you must now trust the legal department to save your company just as many users/corporations trusted McAffee to save their enterprises from the dreaded virus.
In my view, even if you are able to get through this episode, the long term damage is most likely not recoverable. It’s one thing to make a mistake and then acknowledge that mistake, its quite another to acknowledge the mistake too late to make it meaningful or effective. I think that is the biggest lesson you will learn, albeit most likely too late, but is great stuff for the business schools.

Barry,

Our organization has been a enterprise McAfee customer for 15 years and being a good corporate citizen we were at the latest McAfee code levels and MS XP patch levels. Our organization was hit with the perfect storm, 8.7, XP SP3 8,000 PC’s in a hospital system and McAfee was nowhere to be found. To make matters worse, your claims of less then .05% of customers hit is unfounded, I’d like to see the data that quantifies that. I know of 25K plus machines in the Northeast hit, and those are just the folks I know. Lastly, and most disturbing, not coming clean with the truth and entirety of your mistake is jepordizing the credibility of the same IT folks that have supported your products for years. To say that almost no customers were affected only instills mistrust from senior leadership of IT credibility in those customers who were hit hard. This tact by McAfee is destroying your customer base and will ruin the livelyhood of many hard-working, exetremely credible, IT professionals. Maybe you should start asking your customers for the real numbers affected and publish information that helps us all through this McAfee created crisis.

McAfee, you have done some awful things in the past. I was appalled that my new computer, which was pre-installed with McAfee, and McAfee products used scareware tactics to get me to buy their product, prompting me “Within 60 days, your trial will expire, and your computer will be open to infection!”. Needless to say, I uninstalled McAfee’s security suite, and installed a much better, free, protection. Glad I didn’t have to see this company which uses discouraged marketing tactics screw up my computer.

Note to McAfee users:
UNINSTALL McAFEE.
Install BETTER, FREEWARE virus protection.

Here I sit, some 5 days after having this first stop my PC in it’s tracks. I Was promised last Fri to be called today at 7-nada, then 10-nada, then 12:45-nada. Unbelievable!!

Simple to fix, I did uninstall and get a new Antivirus from somewhere else.
Yes, Mistake heppen but too risky for my biz to go through it again. They should have tested their own system first before they pushed it.

Dear Editor
We run a small company (started by my wife and I when we were made redundant in December) and employ 5 people

We lost 3 of our pc’s to last week’s McAfee update bug

We did not know what had happened and the last thing you suspect is the system designed to protect you – bit like an employed bodyguard turning round and shooting you!!
Anyway we employed a company to sort it out and they had to reinstall the complete system in each machine

This cost us nearly £300 – we are having to buy the complete office suite and have lost all of our data bases – so potentially thousands.

All I am asking back from McAfee though is the cost of the repairs.

They have refused!!!!
The only support I get is remote
Here is the conversation

GoToAssist (09:28:29):
Thank you for contacting McAfee Consumer Support. How can I help you?

Customer (09:29:21):
we were effected by the update virus last week and paid over £300 to have 3 of our machines sorted out – is mcafee going to pay for this – we are a new company?

Benjamin (09:29:30):
John, I am more than glad to assist you. Your service request ID for this chat session is 493898306.

Customer (09:29:52):
how are you going to assist?
Customer (09:31:03):
hello……………………………

Benjamin (09:32:19):
As I understand your concern, you would like to know if McAfee will compensate your expense for having your computer repaired, am I correct?

Customer (09:33:02):
Yes we did not know what had caused the problem and employed a technician to sort it out

Benjamin (09:33:20):
I do understand your frustrations and on behalf of McAfee, please accept my deepest apologies for all the troubles you have gone through.

Customer (09:33:46):
and are you going to pay me back ?

Benjamin (09:34:44):
I regret to inform you that McAfee is not processing a refund for your repair expenses.

Customer (09:35:33):
why not it is like paying for a body guard who then shoots you!
Customer (09:36:25):
I will take this up with all the national papers. we are a new company and can\’t afford this please give me david dewalts email

Benjamin (09:36:57):
I understand how frustrating this issue is to you. In this case, I want to make sure that you get the best attention possible. Would you want my Supervisor to call you back to further discuss things and to help you resolve your issue immediately?

Customer (09:37:10):
yes please

Benjamin (09:38:37):
Please be advised that McAfee Customer Service is available from Monday to Friday, 8:00AM to 6:00PM, British Summer Time.
Benjamin (09:38:48):
Are you located in United Kingdom?

Customer (09:38:54):
yes
Customer (09:40:27):
can I have the email address of Mr Dewalt please Benjamin
Customer (09:40:58):
Who is the CEO in the UK Please

Benjamin (09:42:44):
I apologize we cannot provide that information as policy restricted us to do so.
Benjamin (09:42:59):
You may send your concern through our Postal Address below:
Benjamin (09:43:04):
McAfee Inc
227 Bath Road
Slough
Berkshire
SLI 5PP

Customer (09:43:17):
You are a public company and he is therefore a public figure

Benjamin (09:43:48):
I understand.
Benjamin (09:43:49):
Can you provide us your phone number and your most convenient time so that my supervisor will discuss this matter to you?

Customer (09:44:23):
023 92483991 as provided in the form i filled in!!!!!!!
Customer (09:44:33):
Now is convenient

Benjamin (09:45:47):
I understand. Please be assured that my supervisor will call you immediately.

Customer (09:45:53):
I am not going to rest until I get our money back

Needless to say no one has called back!!

Can you help get them to contact me??

John Waddington

Sales and Marketing Director
Nursery Fresh Ltd
www.nurseryfresh.com

I am terribly angry with Mcafee I still did not get any further help, the only thing I have received is a charge of my account for a never asked renovation of macafee services for one year.
I will cancel my contract forever the only thing I want know is first clear help, second an apology. And no sirs, this sort of mistakes do not happen if things are done well and controls are established.

Mistakes Happens–everyone has done it this time its us.We are with you McAfee.Good work.