# Security Problems



## rlpagel (Mar 13, 2007)

My problem started out as trying to update McAfee Viruscan, but it wouldn't update. McAfee said I cant use IE 8 beta 2 so tried to remove but it wont let me. Now I cant update any virus protection. It seems like i cant download anything now. I have a dell dimension E510 and am running Windows XP


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## rlpagel (Mar 13, 2007)

I also have a program on task manager that says LOL. I do not know what that is.


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## hrlow2 (Oct 6, 2008)

Does it have any extension after it? You may want to stop it from running until you find out what the heck it is. All I could find on Ask.com was Lots of Luck or Laughing out Loud. 
Would suggest that this would be a good time to run your defenses( AV and AntiSpyware). You do have some installed, don't you?


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## rlpagel (Mar 13, 2007)

It does not EXE. after it. I don't have any virus protection because of my problems. I have windows defender and spybot.


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## AKAJohnDoe (Jun 6, 2007)

I would download and run SuperAntiSpyWare (free); a Google search seems to indicate it may be a trojan.

In any case, you are correct in your belief that it should _not_ be there!


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## hrlow2 (Oct 6, 2008)

Since you state that you cannot download anything, Do you have a USB thumbdrive to download to. Take it with you to a friend or Public Library and download MalwareBytes and SuperAntiSpyware. Update both of them. Insert drive into your machine and run both. Should clean up pretty good bit. When able to download again, beef up your defenses with a good firewall.
Personally I don't use McAfee. I use Comodo Internet Security, which combines a firewall and antivirus into one package.
Also, think about using SpywareGuard and SpywareBlaster. Both together will keep most off of your machine without slowing you down or nagging you to death.


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## AKAJohnDoe (Jun 6, 2007)

rlpagel said:


> i cant download anything now





hrlow2 said:


> Since you state that you cannot download anything


Sorry. I missed that tidbit.


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## hrlow2 (Oct 6, 2008)

Thats OK. Thanks for joining in. You may have an idea that I'll not think of.


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## apakha (Jan 12, 2009)

Correct me if i hav violated the rules of this forum!!!
i have laptop with windows vista operating system (service pack 1) .
last october i installed mcafee security center 
which i downloaded from torrent and was working very well. all security probs were addressed efficiently.
the subscription expired on 25th december 2008 after which i uninstalled it (as it was not scanning/protecting/
updating itself).

I have again downloaded 2 different mcafee products::
1)McAfee VirusScan Plus 2008 
2)McAfee Total Protection 2009
but i m unable to install any of them...i have been using mcafee since a long time, each time gettin it from torrent.
i dont know why...this time its not installing itself properly...

ERROR DETAILS ARE::
Popup window appears sayin "McAfee Integrated Security Platform Installer has stopped working"...
Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: BEX
Application Name: Install.exe_McAfee Integrated Security Platform Installer
Application Version: 2.0.155.0
Application Timestamp: 46c546da
Fault Module Name: compat.dll
Fault Module Version: 2.0.155.0
Fault Module Timestamp: 46c546b4
Exception Offset: 0002cdb9
Exception Code: c000000d
Exception Data: 00000000
OS Version: 6.0.6001.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 16393
Additional Information 1: 0c17
Additional Information 2: e488591f3825b55557979a24c46c352f
Additional Information 3: 88f3
Additional Information 4: 670e07e98ef7a9bc798fad23820999fa

CAN THIS BE A PROBLEM::
1)mcafee security center (which i was using before regularly until it expired last year i.e. 25th december) 
is present in registry files and hence obstructing the other installations...??
P.s.---i have not touched registry files because of my inexperience with them.
PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM AS MY MACHINE IS WITHOUT ANTIVIRUS PROTECTION CONNECTED WITH INTERNET.

ask me for furthur information..
Thanks for ur patience and help..


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## Sam42k9 (Jan 3, 2009)

Was this McAfee product cracked/patched in any way? If it was you are using illegal products and the fact that you downloaded it from a torrent makes me think that you are infected with a trojan.


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## apakha (Jan 12, 2009)

thanks for the reply...
i am very sure that it is not a trojan because as i said earlier, it solved all the security issues very well...
infact it was cracked software but i registered on mcafee site properly and was having their email subscription as well...my security center used to get proper notifications and regular upgradatioons from mcafee which strengthens the fact that it was a proper mcafee security center as good as being purchased from mcafee.

Please help me .....


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## hrlow2 (Oct 6, 2008)

to apakha
The first thing that I would do, personally, is to get rid of the McAfee products. Unless they have severely changed from when I did use them, they are resource hogs, using up your CPU usage and your RAM. 
Try Avira AntiVir or Avast for your antivirus. They are free to download and no need to torrent them. They are both, in my opinion, as good or better than McAfee, and less strain on resources.


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## atnskyline (Aug 7, 2008)

in my findings, i always have that problem on all our pc. Personally I went free with comodo and avast. I think they have better protection, they are free and they are lighter on system. Mcafee always has issues when it sais press the fix button and errors come up and, man..... its just a mess.


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## apakha (Jan 12, 2009)

thanks for ur replies...
i ll do the same...but i hav noticed one thing today mornin after i started my machine, that mcafee is back as it was..despite i cmpletely uninstalled it yesterday....
problem is i cant find it in my control panel-->add or remove prgrams list....
can u plz suggest me some way to get rid of mcafee first ..
bcoz i cant install ny antivirus unless i remove mcafee cmpletely... 
lookin frwrd for help...


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## apakha (Jan 12, 2009)

i missed out...
i have downloaded avast 4 home edition...
will it be fine and enough for my machine's security???
what more can be done??
but before that plz help me get rid of mcafee......


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## atnskyline (Aug 7, 2008)

go to the add/remove programs in the control panel-my computer. and uninstall it there. avast home was a wise decision. it has protected me from 4 major viruses when mcafee failed. also i use comodo firewall


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## Sam42k9 (Jan 3, 2009)

Avast! will provide your system with enough protection and will be light on resources. Try going to the McAfee folder and look for a uninstaller executable there. The folder is probably at "C:\Program Files\McAfee" or something similar. If you have a shortcut to McAfee in the start menu right click it and select "Open File Location" and it should take you to the correct folder.


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## atnskyline (Aug 7, 2008)

also try revo uninstaller. i was a bit weary at first but it is actually great. it removes the left behind registry entries and folders from the program


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## apakha (Jan 12, 2009)

thanks for the concern....
i hav been able to get rid of mcafee...
Can u tell me which one in Avast is the real scanner...
I can scan with two methods::
a)Quick scanner---By right clicking on the drives and it scans very quickly...and catches tojans/viruses/worms ...
b)Avast antivirus On Access Scanner(desktop tray icon is "a in a circle")---it s awfully slow....says something like Resident Protection..right now after 6 hours of continuous scanning which is still running it has scanned only 9000 odd files only...while there exists some lacs of files in C drive..leav apart other drives which it has to scan after it is done with C drive..
Can u tell me whether it is normal with Avast antivirus on scanner to run this slow..or there is something more wrong in my machine...
There is one more component ..
Avast virus recovery database generator(desktop tray icon is "i in a circle").what is it?
Plz guide me more about this product...so that i can use it efficiently..
Thanks..


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## atnskyline (Aug 7, 2008)

the on access scanner is it. put everything to high. you can if you want disable them all except the network shield, web shield and standard shield. so 3 of 7 running on high. that is what i do. the others are not necessary unless you always use instant messengers and outlook express and stuff like that. 

to run a full PC scan right click on the a icon by clock and click start avast anti virus(this is how you scan the PC manually. while loading it will scan through your start up files and memory. if it finds something bad it prompts you to do a boot time scan. a feature only avast has. what it does is restarts the PC but before loading windows it scans. this makes it so bad guys are not loading on the start up. 

I think avast home is the best free anti virus and also better than most paid. 

to start the scan from the radio themed look, press the hard drive button(pic of hd). pull the bar to thorough scan and click scan archives. then click the folder pic and check them all. and if you want to scan a thumb drive or cd press the CD button. 

remember to update your subscription when needed. it is free and you need to do it yearly. to do this if you haven't from the trial(free demo license and it is a free register) right click the a and click on about avast. click on the + next to registration key. if it says demo....then click on license key ate the bottom of the window and click on registration. fill it out and type in the key. it will last a year. then do it again. 



also i read that it is sluggish. right click the a and press program settings. go to appearence and un check the

anything that it finds will go to the chest. do not delete them from it. the lightning bolt button is update for the definitions only. i just right click on the small a by clock and update through there. 

i like this theme better it is clearer. go to option(eject looking button) and press selet skin. press get more skins from our server now! button and download avist by szc. its easier to navigate with.

somethings helpful. go to options. click settings. and go to update. make sure both are on auto and go to conformation and make sure the check at the bottom part is checked for all of them(especially program beta version warnings). press ok or apply make sure you use the Virus RecoveryDataBase or VRDB often. it is the I icon. it will recover files lost from the event if you get a nasty bug. 

good luck, any questions just ask


also i saw it was running slowly. right click on the a and click program settings. go to appearence and uncheck the bottom 2 of the 3 optoins( using transleucent effects and animating the icon when scanning)


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## apakha (Jan 12, 2009)

thanks..for the help..
i hv been able to clean the system cmpletely...
but one problem i hv faced recently after using avast antivirus for a couple of days is...
it tries to segregate files for the "ON ACCESS PROTECTION"/"RESIDENT PROTECTION" among 7 modules present..
as suggested by you in the above post , i hv disabled all but 3(basic three i.e.ntwrk shield,standard shield,web shield)...
but it takes too much time for segregation process...
there are some 4 lacs files present in my system..out of which it could do only 42000 files in around 36 hours..after that i hav to atleast shut dwn/restart my machine which results in cmplete undone(deletion of the 42000 files segregated by the on access scanner.)....

it doesnt save the work done by the on access scanner...
and goin in this way, i dont think it will ever be able to segregate the 4 lacs file present...

Plz suggest something so that the on access scanner is able to cmpletely create the resident protection for my machine...
(like, if could save the work done when i shut dwn my machine or run more fast....)

waitin for ur replies...thanks...


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## Sam42k9 (Jan 3, 2009)

The on-access scanner is already providing resident protection, and only scans the files that are being used by your computer.


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## apakha (Jan 12, 2009)

To Sam42k9,
u mean to say that, its perfectly fine if i close down my system..and the onaccess scanner starts scanning all over again , forgetting all the previously scanned files (that it has done last time when the machine was active)???
So as per u, 
-->onaccess scanner--scans only the currently used files by operating sys and me..it starts its wrk on its own the moment the system is switched on.
-->antivirus scan-- scans all the files and drives in the system that i specify it..
-->I only need to check whether my virus definitions are up to date..
-->Run the antivirus scan periodically to maintain good health of system

Pls correct/update me..thanks for the patience..


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## perfume (Sep 13, 2008)

As an old user of Mcafee( Got rid of it 3 years back ), i fully agree with hrlow2,s assessment.

This article is for you apakha ( ignore the ads ) :http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/01/10/how-to-uninstall-programs-that-are-not-appeared-in-add-or-remove-programs-list/

apakha, please don't use these torrent downloads and cracked keys for obtaining softwares. You may get away unscathed, like with Mcafee download, but one bad download will corrupt your pc! In fact ,torrent issues are discouraged on this site (lucky you )!

rlpagel, I don't think/know whether explorer 8 beta version is compatible with XP! As i have read in this forum,go for Avira Antivir personal edition( Free) and more importantly,you get real time protection (WOW! ) and that's something! Boy o boy, a free anti-virus program with this feature is real cool, dude! Go for it!


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## Sam42k9 (Jan 3, 2009)

@perfume: You have not read the 2nd page...

@apakha: Yes you are correct but Avast! will automatically update itself so you do not have to.
http://forums.techguy.org/members/480399-apakha.html


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