Tag Archives: McAfee

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Tricky Situations: Or How Ma Bell Fails Customers

Bell is my Internet Service Provider (ISP). Has been for years. There are options, but I’ve stuck with Mother through thick and thin. This week thin has been see-through.

Norton, McAfee etc. vie for our loyalty in the Internet protection racket. Ma Bell has her own service which is not compatible with the instantly downloadable providers. Instant gratification is a term unfamiliar to the old girl. I needed a modem replaced – 3-5 day wait. I could cancel my service and install a competitor in less time. Eventually the wait time dropped to 24 hours – I counted my blessings – I could have opted out.

The installation of the new connection went relatively well, until Ma Bell alerted me to an incompatibility issue – Norton and she were not on speaking terms. Norton was included on the new computer. Ma assured me I would be protected, so I sent Norton to the Pale, and let Ma bully me into accepting her protection. Wrong!

I found out today that I haven’t been protected for 4 days, because I hadn’t activated the service. I hadn’t activated the service because I didn’t have an account. Yeah, I do…not that account says Ma, but another account with an additional fee. From free to fee, and no protection.

Once the other account was sorted, I asked when I could expect the protective services to begin – not until Monday. What? I have to wait. I have a system already installed and could turn on in 2 minutes, and I have to wait 3 days for your service. Ah come on, Ma.

Switch? Don’t think so. I firmly believe that none of the available ISPs will be any better at customer service. What I wouldn’t give to remove myself from the tyranny of ISPs.

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Malicious Virus Attacks: #I’vehadafew

I think I’ve reached the third level of Geekdom – and I’m proud of it! Last week, a trojan virus hijacked my computer, replacing my desired websites with unwanted, unnecessary ones. Darn scary! So I called Nephew #3. Mature beyond his years – and more than 1,000 miles away – his advice to me, “Get yourself to the Geek Squad and have a professional take care of it.”

Being an instant gratification kind of gal, I didn’t want to wait 18 hours, for the Geek Squad to open its doors, so I called India – I mean McAfee‘s Help Desk. You see, I had run a McAfee scan that recognized the virus but couldn’t remove it. [Yes, I was irked.] I paid the big bucks, and the very patient Antony took control of my computer and exorcised the little devil that had been plaguing me.

All went well, until yesterday, when another malicious invention of a soulless hacker hijacked my computer, again! This was sophisticated. It was all dressed up like a form of Microsoft anti-virus software. But as I had reached the second level of Geekdom, I knew it was evil, like Simon Cowell, impeccably dressed on the outside and mean on the inside.

Really irked with McAfee, which was up-to-date and telling me there were no threats to my computer, I womaned-up, accepting that if I wasn’t part of the solution I was part of the problem.

The virus my primary laptop had contracted hijacked my web browser. I could not get back online. I’m running three different laptops on a wireless network – yes I spend way too much time online, but it is what social media integration specialists do!

My bed became the battleground. I’ve read Sun Tzu‘s the Art of War – battles are best fought on familiar territory. Besides, it is the only space I have large enough to run two laptops at the same time.

I googled the name of the virus, and found a self-help site with absolutely first-rate instructions that even a Level 2 Geek like me could understand. The first step was the proper way to turn on the infected laptop! Gosh durn it, how smart is that!

It took me two and a half hours, 3 FREE software downloads, and transfers, but I did it. I conquered the beast, and claimed my Geekhood!

Go ahead, pump that fist in the air. I am woman hear me roar!

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Beta IE9 and McAfee – Incomptabile

 

Rise & Shine (beta version)

Image by Drunken Monkey via Flickr

 

I removed the beta version of IE9 this morning, because McAfee was not behaving properly. There are issues, according to McAfee’s technical support. So…downloaders beware. Don’t make the same mistake as I. Early adopters be forewarned, procrastinate.