[OZDOUG]

Hello All....hopefully this is the correct location for this post...?

I recentl bought a new Acer Aspire desktop with Mcafee already installed. After a day or so I notice internet is running very slow. Task Manager advises that 99% of my CPU is being used & the main user seems to be the Mcafee On-line Scanning facility.
I am not on my PC at the time of this post so do not have the full system specs to hand, but can someone help with any advise as to how to proceed to hopefully resolve this.
I've been looking through GeeksTo Go & I see this is perhaps not a new problem!

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Well I've never had much luck or good faith in McAfee, would you be against replacing it with maybe the free or paid version of something like Avast? Also new PC's come with quite a bit of junkware/bloatware. Such as GB's of Games, bunch of 'neat' power control management items, screen saver programs, etc... So you're also welcome to have some of this cleaned off. Either way follow up with these two steps and we'll go from there!  
STEP ONE: Temp File Cleaner
As a good rule of thumb, I like to get rid of temp/junk files off any and all systems I work on. Reason being that I've seen some build up of caches and junk files cause all sorts of chaos on multiple occasions, so why not just take a few minutes to clean the PC up.However before you download and run the program, please make sure you save all work and close out of all programs accept your browser (which also will need to be closed down after the download, before running the program).

Now that we've saved and closed out of all your applications/programs, please download Temp File Cleaner (TFC). Once that is done, close out of all your open applications/programs and then please 'Right Click' and select Run As Administrator from the Context Menu. Please let this run, uninterrupted. Once it's finished, it may ask you to reboot your machine - If it does, please allow it to reboot at this time and after Windows loads back up move on to the next step. If it does not require a reboot, please move on to the next step now. However please take note of the red number, displaying amount of removals, and post it in a reply. STEP TWO: Intel Gathering - MiniToolBox

• At this point and time I'd like you to get the utility MiniToolBox and run it with the following checked items.
  • List content of Hosts
  • List Installed Programs
  • List Devices
  • Only-Problems (leave it checked)
• List Users, Partitions and Memory Size
  
  After you've just the above items, please then hit GO. Once it's done running, which normally doesn't take too long, it will have a text or log file pop up. Please copy & paste that into a reply.

[PhrantiQ]

Well I've never had much luck or good faith in McAfee, would you be against replacing it with maybe the free or paid version of something like Avast? Also new PC's come with quite a bit of junkware/bloatware. Such as GB's of Games, bunch of 'neat' power control management items, screen saver programs, etc... So you're also welcome to have some of this cleaned off. Either way follow up with these two steps and we'll go from there!  
STEP ONE: Temp File Cleaner
As a good rule of thumb, I like to get rid of temp/junk files off any and all systems I work on. Reason being that I've seen some build up of caches and junk files cause all sorts of chaos on multiple occasions, so why not just take a few minutes to clean the PC up.However before you download and run the program, please make sure you save all work and close out of all programs accept your browser (which also will need to be closed down after the download, before running the program).

Now that we've saved and closed out of all your applications/programs, please download Temp File Cleaner (TFC). Once that is done, close out of all your open applications/programs and then please 'Right Click' and select Run As Administrator from the Context Menu. Please let this run, uninterrupted. Once it's finished, it may ask you to reboot your machine - If it does, please allow it to reboot at this time and after Windows loads back up move on to the next step. If it does not require a reboot, please move on to the next step now. However please take note of the red number, displaying amount of removals, and post it in a reply. STEP TWO: Intel Gathering - MiniToolBox

• At this point and time I'd like you to get the utility MiniToolBox and run it with the following checked items.
  • List content of Hosts
  • List Installed Programs
  • List Devices
  • Only-Problems (leave it checked)
• List Users, Partitions and Memory Size
  
  After you've just the above items, please then hit GO. Once it's done running, which normally doesn't take too long, it will have a text or log file pop up. Please copy & paste that into a reply.

[RKinner]

Agree McAfee is a waste or money but it's hard to get rid of. You have to use the removal tool:

Download and Save the free Avast installer.
http://www.avast.com/index
Click on Download then choose the free version.
Download the McAfee Removal tool
http://download.mcaf...atches/MCPR.exe
(If you think you might want to reinstall McAfee later then follow the instructions here to save your license info:
http://service.mcafe...spx?id=TS100507 )
Uninstall McAfee, run the McAfee uninstall tool by right clicking and run as Admin., reboot.
Install Avast by right clicking and run as Admin. on the Avast installer.

[kungfu]

try Malwarebytes or Avast!

[Babbzzz]

MBAM is not an antivirus software. MBAM Free and avast! together will be good though.

[PhrantiQ]

MBAM is not an antivirus software. MBAM Free and avast! together will be good though.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Also if you get certain versions of Avast, it will help you keep all your other software updated with reminders and easy to follow update instructions. Just something you could look out for if looking to buy a version of Avast!.

[RKinner]

For the paranoid, you can add the free Online Armor to your free Avast and free MBAM. (Free version of MBAM may need to be manually updated once in a while. I think that's one of the benefits of the paid version). The latest free version of Avast has the Software Updater under Tools. Haven't seen it popup on its own like the last version did so you may need to manually check it once in a while or you can use FileHippo's Updatechecker which can usually run at each boot and check for you and will raise a flag if something is out of date. Suggest you also get the free adblock plus add-on which now works with Firefox, Chrome and IE.

[OZDOUG]

PhrantiQ, RKinner, Babbzz & kungfu.....Many thanks for the quick responses!!

(& Hello again RKinner!)

OK, I am now back home & in front of the PC of interest! Just to bring you up to date on the unit itself I have attached the system specs from my Control Panel.

Please note that in an early rush of blood after I got the PC, I have already loaded the initial free version of Avast I guess with a view to swapping from Mcafee to Avast, but so far they have been working together without conflict which I thought was a bit strange....

After checking the replies I just want to be sure of which responses to 'action' first:
PhrantiQ advised the downloading & running of the Temp File Cleaner & Mini Tool Box, but RKinner also advised the downloads & steps to download the Avast installer & then the loading of the Mcafee removal tool.

Thanks again for your help on this!

[phillpower2]

Hello OZDOUG

As you are running Windows 8 you may wish to read the topic provided courtesy of admin which can be found Here

[OZDOUG]

Thanks Phillpower2, & I confess I am now a little confused....

After reading through that post (& thanks for that heads-up!) I understand I will need to disable W-Defender to be able to run Avast. I located it via the Start menu & the message advised, 'This App has been turned off & isn't monitoring your computer'. It referred me to the Action Centre (in Control Panel) & there I can see the antivirus & antimalware functions of Defender are turned off with the option to turn them on. It also shows Mcafee & Avast as both being on.

So - here's my stupid question! - is Windows Defender suitable to have as an anti virus/malware protection programme?

If no then as it is currently off I should then be able to proceed with sorting out my Mcafee issue.........

[PhrantiQ]

Here's where you're at. You have 2 items actively scanning all that you do and likely eating up your resources. Why? I still recommend removing McAfee (it's detection rate is lower than Avast anyway). If you want a 'secondary defense' or another way to test for anything Avast let slip by, install Malwarebytes and run scans once a week, bi weekly or once a month and then also as needed (if anything funky happens). Beyond this, if you want to post a MiniToolBox report of all your programs we can review it and help you remove additional junk.

Also Acer likes to split your drive in half for a D:\ drive which we may want to just delete, make it unallocated and add it to the C:\ drive now. If you were to run out of space, it can be a real pain to do it later on than now. But that's optional and not needed.

To post the MiniToolBox information, follow this step.
STEP ONE: MiniToolBox Intel Gathering

• At this point and time I'd like you to get the utility MiniToolBox and run it with the following checked items.
  • List Installed Programs
  • List Devices
  • Only-Problems (leave it checked)
• List Users, Partitions and Memory Size
  
  After you've just the above items, please then hit GO. Once it's done running, which normally doesn't take too long, it will have a text or log file pop up. Please copy & paste that into a reply.

Once you post that, we can help you further. Also if you do remove McAfee please use the removal utilities posted in a previous response.

[phillpower2]

As per the reply #3 of RKinner

Agree McAfee is a waste or money but it's hard to get rid of. You have to use the removal tool:

Download and Save the free Avast installer.
http://www.avast.com/index
Click on Download then choose the free version.
Download the McAfee Removal tool
http://download.mcaf...atches/MCPR.exe
(If you think you might want to reinstall McAfee later then follow the instructions here to save your license info:
http://service.mcafe...spx?id=TS100507 )
Uninstall McAfee, run the McAfee uninstall tool by right clicking and run as Admin., reboot.
Install Avast by right clicking and run as Admin. on the Avast installer.

Use the McAfee uninstaller tool and leave Avast protecting your computer, Defender should stay disabled while it detects the presence of Avast running as your AV protection.

[OZDOUG]

Done! McAfee gone & Avast 2014 installed. Machine is running better already!...

Now going through the check of the system with MiniToolBox per PhrantiQ's post...........

[OZDOUG]

Hi PhrantiQ.
Ran the MiniToolBox programme & result is below.
** Regards getting rid of any programmes that load up in the background, I am by no means a 'gamer' other my old copy of Quake2 (my stress buster!), so I have no problem with getting rid of any games of this PC.....if you recommend!
** What is the Catalyst Control Centre?
--------------------------------------------------
MiniToolBox by Farbar Version: 13-07-2013
Ran by ozdoug58 (administrator) on 29-10-2013 at 10:20:13
Running from "C:\DITCH WHEN DONE\MCAFEE PROBLEM"
Microsoft Windows 8 (X64)
Boot Mode: Normal
***************************************************************************

=========================== Installed Programs ============================

clear.fi SDK - Video 2 (Version: 2.1.2606)
clear.fi SDK- Movie 2 (Version: 2.1.2606)
Acer Power Management (Version: 7.00.3012)
Acer Recovery Management (Version: 6.00.3016)
Acer Remote (Version: 1.0)
AcerCloud Docs (Version: 1.01.2008)
AcerCloud Portal (Version: 2.02.2021)
AMD Accelerated Video Transcoding (Version: 12.5.100.21106)
AMD APP SDK Runtime (Version: 10.0.1084.4)
AMD Catalyst Install Manager (Version: 8.0.903.0)
AMD VISION Engine Control Center (Version: 2012.1106.1640.29876)
Apple Application Support (Version: 2.3.6)
Apple Mobile Device Support (Version: 7.0.0.117)
Apple Software Update (Version: 2.1.3.127)
avast! Free Antivirus (Version: 9.0.2006)
Bejeweled 3 (Version: 2.2.0.98)
BitZipper 2013 (Version: 2013.13.4.16)
Bonjour (Version: 3.0.0.10)
Catalyst Control Center - Branding (Version: 1.00.0000)
Catalyst Control Center InstallProxy (Version: 2012.1106.1640.29876)
Catalyst Control Center Localization All (Version: 2012.1106.1640.29876)
CCC Help Chinese Standard (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Chinese Traditional (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Czech (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Danish (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Dutch (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help English (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Finnish (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help French (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help German (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Greek (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Hungarian (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Italian (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Japanese (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Korean (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Norwegian (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Polish (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Portuguese (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Russian (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Spanish (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Swedish (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Thai (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
CCC Help Turkish (Version: 2012.1106.1639.29876)
ccc-utility64 (Version: 2012.1106.1640.29876)
clear.fi Media (Version: 2.02.2012)
clear.fi Photo (Version: 2.02.2012)
CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 (Version: 6.5.3318_45364)
D-Link DWA-140
eBay Worldwide (Version: 2.4.0105)
EPSON Scan
--------------------------------------------------------------
..

[PhrantiQ]

Here are some items you can look into and determine if you want to remove them...

Acer Power Management (Version: 7.00.3012)
Acer Recovery Management (Version: 6.00.3016)
Acer Remote (Version: 1.0)
AcerCloud Docs (Version: 1.01.2008)
AcerCloud Portal (Version: 2.02.2021)

And here are some items I recommend removing...

Bejeweled 3 (Version: 2.2.0.98)
eBay Worldwide (Version: 2.4.0105)

Also that MiniToolBox doesn't have the partitions/users listed, Can you post that part as well? Beyond that, how's the machine running now? Faster?