McAfee AntiSpyWare 2005

Comment: This has made spyware even MORE of a problem on my computer. total bummer, man!

Comment: As another reviewer has mentioned this product seems to just add to your problems, during the setup it does say that it will get rid of unwanted pop ups and adds. Once I installed the program I found out that it could not remove some cookies that were found in the ad-ware and I had some error messages something about copy write prottection which I thought was complete crap, so not only does this thing not remove properly but it doesn't even detect the latest vireses or adds. Not only that because I later found out that my computer crashed again when it was working fine before I installed this pathetic program, I suggest you get the latest version of Norton anti-spyware 2005 or PC-cillin instead.

Comment: Till recently, McAfee was only focussing on Anti Virus software. With the recent surge in attacks on home machines through malicious emails, popup ads and self downloading adware and spyware, the web surfers are in a fix. And whenever we face serious security issues, companies like McAfee and Norton find another market to sell their products to!
I bought McAfee to try it out on my home desktop and in this review I will try my best to give you a balanced opinion while trying to save you the money that you could use on yourself.

SOFTWARE TESTED...............PRICE............OVERALL PERFORMANCE =================================================================
Webroot SpySweeper............FREE............Poor
Ad Aware............................FREE............Fair
Spybot...............................FREE............Good
Microsoft Antispyware...........FREE............THE BEST
Zero Spyware.......................(...).............Excellent
McAfee Antispyware..............(...)............Excellent

The above chart shows the softwares that I have tested against adware and spyware on my system.


McAfee AntiSpyware (MAS) is good as it really cleaned my machine and I do not see any more popups or suspicious programs running in my task manager. However, the freeware from Spybot gave me the same results too!
Further, Microsoft's newly released AntiSpyware (Beta version) cleaned even the most persistent spywares that even McAfee could not.
So the real question is: is MAS really worth the price when freewares give you almost same results?
My take is NO. Microsoft has finally come out with a usable, effective and free AntiSpyeare that can beat any malicious spyware.
If you don't like Microsoft or don't trust it, Spybot has much better support on the net (forums etc) and gives you a great interface and cleaning power at no cost. If you find it useful, you can continue to use it. If you don't, you can always come back and buy ZSW.

In short, Spybot (...) and MS Antispyware (...) both are much better at kicking harmful and dangerous softwares out of your windows machine. You don't really need to buy anything else.

Comment: I own full versions of at least 6 different ANTI-SPY programs.
Mcafee seems to be middle-of-the-road.


software maintenance is a pain.

today, I tried to update ONLY my mcafee antispyware.
It requires a mcafee website login.
Cumbersome, but okay. I'll do it.

[Perhaps someday Mcafee will grasp the concept of "AUTOMATED UPDATES", but until then].

Next, the wretched "security panel" wants an update too.
Despite the same mcafee website login name and password,
I can't take care of BOTH updates during one login.

I had to:
open browser>go to Mcafee website>login>get antispyware update then install it.

Then I had to do everything ALL OVER AGAIN for the mcafee
"security panel" update


Too Painful .

SIDENOTE about program:
It appears that Mcafee wants to control your whole desktop environment via their Security Panel.
Nevermind what "Joe Q Public" wants on THEIR pc.

I'll bet that as of 2005, every mcafee "suite" AND
every mcafee single-product [INDIVIDUAL program/product] installs that WRETCHED,
"Mcafee Security Center".

Every consumer end-user should CHARGE/INVOICE mcafee for mcafee's installation of any extra program[s] onto their pc.

A Charge-per-meg of my hard drive space seems fair :^)

All I have is the mcafee antispyware.

I DO NOT WANT THEIR blankity-blank
"mcafee security control panel".

I use:
1. Zone alarm 5 as my firewall and it operates and updates itself without INTRUDING into other areas of my pc.

2. Norton systemworks 2005 premier provides the anti-virus and system utilities. It too simply loads the norton items I bought and uses it's own control panel to maintain the norton utilities installed. Updates itself easily.

When my mcafee subscription expires, I'm dropping mcafee anti-spy.

Just my opinion.
Just my .02 cents.

PS. I work in the IT work full time. Have been for almost 15 years now.
Since the era of the IBM XT computer.

So I am NOT a new-bie to the arena of hardware or software.

With so many other competitors out there, unless mcafee builds a better product [especially how they UPDATE the products]
this will be my final mcafee product owned and used.

Comment: I purchased this product having used the McAfee Firewall and Virus software. PC Magazine was correct, McAfee AntiSpyware does not catch many of the latest viruses and the current list is not as large as other products. I bought the first version of this online in March of last year and the 2005 update later. McAfee cut off my online updates in March of this year even though I had installed a later version in October!! I uninstalled this and went for WebRoot Spysweeper. On first scan there were 84 ad cookies! When updating current software or downloading new items, WebRoot steps in immediately to ask about the scripts running. Don't waste your time with McAfee!