malwarebytes / McAfee

G_M

Just replaced Avast with McAfee (free from ISP).

During the install process McAfee identified Malwarebytes as 'incompatible' and insisted on uninstalling it. I agreed knowing I could always re-install later.

Question is - why?
And if I re-install, will it cause problems?

Anyone got experience of using the two together? Or is it unecessary anyway?

giraffe69

They do different things. Malwarebytes is useful. Sack McAFee and back to Avast?

sparkyspark

G_M wrote: »

Just replaced Avast with McAfee (free from ISP).
During the install process McAfee identified Malwarebytes as 'incompatible' and insisted on uninstalling it. I agreed knowing I could always re-install later.
Question is - why?
And if I re-install, will it cause problems?
Anyone got experience of using the two together? Or is it unnecessary anyway?

A rule of thumb for antivirus users has always been that you do not run two AVs at the same time, because they could potentially interfere with each other’s operations. Many users have thought the same way about Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, though this is not the case. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is an additional protection, used to catch what antivirus products don’t, which is why they call it Anti-Malware rather than an Antivirus.

There's a compatibility report here from May 2013 which shows that Malwarebytes is compatible with most Anti Virus products http://data-cdn.mbamupdates.com/v1/docs/compatibility/data/AV_Compatibility_Testing_Report-13081201.pdf

You should be able to reinstall Malwarebytes but to avoid any potential conflicts add the following exclusions as detailed here https://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?showtopic=107694


I use the Pro version with Kaspersky and have no problems whatsoever, although if I have to reinstall Kaspersky it also will flag Malwarebytes as a potentially incompatible software, so I just reinstall after Kaspersky is set up and add the exclusions.

macman

giraffe69 said it. Since Avast is free, why on earth would you replace it with a vastly inferior AV program like McCrappy?
A lot of ISP's give you it free, usually only for a trial period though. That doesn't mean you have to accept it.
No decent AV program should conflict with MBAM.

danthemoneysavingman

mcafee is infuriating and deletes stuff without telling you, I have found. get rid for a better computing experience

John_Gray

I think we can summarise:
Malwarebytes, good
McAfee, bad

robatwork

John McAfee thinks this software is awful:

http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/john-mcafee-says-glad-intel-dropping-his-name-from-security-software-207833.html

poppy10_2

Uninstall McAfee. It's worse than most viruses, slows down your computer so much

esuhl

G_M wrote: »

During the install process McAfee identified Malwarebytes as 'incompatible' and insisted on uninstalling it. I agreed knowing I could always re-install later.

Question is - why?

In the last 2 or 3 years, many anti-virus developers have deliberately made their software incompatible with other (non-AV) anti-malware applications. In most cases there is no real incompatibility; the reason for it is simply branding.

If McAffee can get you to remove all your security software except McAffee, they've effectively made a "land grab" and won the right to protect your computer. The longer this goes on, the more free anti-malware applications will be uninstalled, the fewer visitors to the anti-malware websites, the less interest (and profit) there is to continue developing these programs, and McAffee can include their own versions in later AV releases.

The strategy (for now) is a bit like Starbucks' model of setting up new cafes in areas that are already saturated with cafes. Doing so is expensive (as new shops are likely to make losses rather than profit), but a company with good financial backing like Starbucks can afford to weather the storm. Smaller cafe's can't and so (with no profit to be made), will be pushed out of business. When all the smaller businesses have been forced out, then the profits of being the exclusive cafe in the area (or the only anti-malware app) start rolling in.

Basically, it's all about manipulating the market and consumer behaviour to maximise long-term profits.

Burn McAffee, and use anti-virus & anti-malware products whose designers focus on making them effective; rather than trying to win a branding war to "own" your computer!

closed

why the constant AV tinkering? Your AV protection choices seem to be going backwards as well as being slightly OTT.


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4846802

Supatramp

Get rid of MacAffee, nothing wrong with AVG and Avast.