User Rating: 
2/10
Computer Locks up constantlyby - September 5, 2002
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At first I thought the Privacy feature was great but then my Window/ME started locking up on all Internet programs (IE, Netscape, etc). The online support were very friendly but useless. Said that hadn't heard of any problems on Windows ME and I should go to www.microsoft.com for help. Ha. I'm so glad to see I'm not alone. I uninstalled but can not stabalize my computer. I may have to resort to reimaging the darn thing. Thanks but no-thanks on this one.
User Rating: 2/10
Marketing lies againby - August 29, 2002
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I have a simple 2 computer network at home(ME/2000), bought this piece of junk for the combo virus/firewall features after I got cable. The box says "ICS and NAT compatibility" in bold print, so I figured I can't go wrong. Shortly after install, I discovered my 2nd pc can no longer access the internet unless I turn off the firewall (installed on the main pc which has the cable modem). I later find out from the marginally useful tech support website that MIS can be istalled on the clients, but is not supported on the server side. How the hell is this compatible with ICS then?? What good is it if I can't protect the pc that I use most of the time? Maybe I'll tinker later when I calm down, but based on the rest of the reviews I think that will just cause more harm than good. Oh yeah, the 1st virus update screwed up the virus scanning portion of the package...nice touch guys. Even with a $40 discount, I still feel ripped off.
User Rating: 2/10
installed on a new Dell with XP. Crashed, locked up email and cable modem accessby - August 9, 2002
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Could not sucessfully install and get email & internet connection to work. Could not uninstall all features. Kept running in background and blocked all email and incoming packets. Too bad, Guard Dog worked well with Windows 98. had to use XP to go back before installation. I thought this would be an improvement. Switched to SMC wireless router & just use anti-virus.
User Rating: 2/10
It's a waiste of money and effortby - June 9, 2002
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I was surprised by the way this product didn't work on my XP installed PC. It cause all kind of problems. From installing, slowing the PC performance, to actually hanging the machine. An to get an update, it's a nightmare. I have used McAfee's antivirus before without no problem. I don't recommend this product at all.
User Rating: 2/10
All talk no action or support.by - June 7, 2002
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Great in theory, poor in execution, lousy in support. Internet Security locks my Windows Me up frequently. The apps frequently forget their settings. Ad Blocker works erratically in remembering keywords I enter. Many other aggravations in quality. Support is totally inadequate. Trying to get online chat support is like talking to an AI computer. You get canned answers. I'm supposed to pay $3 a minute for phone support to debug their software? Get real! Pay attention to the return policy before it's too late!
User Rating: 
1/10
Drove me nutsby - June 5, 2002
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Since installing McAfee IS 4.0 my computer crashed almost everyday. Kept getting freeze ups trying to exit Netscape 6.2.2. Couldnt shut down without a cold boot. This software just locked me up tighter than a drum. Finally had to uninstall program and will go back to Black Ice for the time being. Wish i'd saved my $$
User Rating: 1/10
Impossible to use and very unstableby - May 26, 2002
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This program made my XP crash and XP is supposedly the most stable Microsoft OS out there. It was difficult to use and configure and kept locking up and crashing. It installed only with many problems and I had to keep reinstalling parts of it. I uninstalled it In favor of Norton 2002 which though not as functional as Norton 2001 is still much superior to Mcafee. I feel that Mcafee was a waste of my time and money.
User Rating: 1/10
They never learn, they never learn...by - May 19, 2002
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As I get more and more computer wise, I am beginning to agree with most computer technicians who have told me in the past that "less is best!" Install as little as possible, and in terms of antivirus programs, keep away from the bloatware.... One fool technician I know also told me to use McAfee Internet Security... Having visited "hell" before, courtesy of McAfee VirusScan 6.0, I refused, so he bought it(actually, Staples is now giving it away with rebates and such!!) and Ho Ho! The problems started! Error messages galore! So many problems HE decided to just reformat the Hard Drive!! As for me, I'll stick with my NOD32, it's light, and written by people who know how to write software... and my Outpost Firewall Pro...McAfee, you're NUTS!!!!
User Rating: 
9/10
The shredder is a nice plusby - May 13, 2002
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Nice for once to find you get more than you expect. The shredder is a nice plus.
User Rating: 1/10
Worthy of a class-action lawsuitby - May 5, 2002
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This software did more damage to my computer than the hackers or viruses it's supposed to thwart. Everything negative you've read in these reviews has happened to my computer, and more.
User Rating: 2/10
More harmful than most virusesby - May 4, 2002
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I finally got virus scan working, but only after several failed installs. Each necessitated a re-imaging of my hard drive, because the neither uninstall nor the add/remove control panel could cleanup the mess. The other components are all disabled because they either freeze my system, prevent other applications from working, or annoy me with endless popups that I can't escape. One of the culprits--if you can believe this--was that MS Internet Explorer was not my default browser! The instant update feature and technical support "chat" are both disasters.
User Rating: 
3/10
Firewall locked up my machineby - May 3, 2002
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After trying to make it work for over a month, I switched to Norton Anti-Virus and I am pleased with that product. (I had an earlier version of McAfee Anti-virus which is no longer supported.)
User Rating: 2/10
Incompetent supportby - April 19, 2002
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They forced me to delete 60MB of Internet cache and cookies and upgrade unlaterally within my company to IE 6. They *STILL* haven't fixed the problem.
User Rating: 1/10
Don't Buy It!by - April 6, 2002
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As many other reviewers have stated, you can't even install this program without multiple lock-ups. Outlook Express wouldn't open, page faults, etc. No uninstall with program, but it did uninstall easily through Add/Remove Programs. Very disappointing. I've never add a software program with many problems - doesn't make you feel confident about its protection when it won't even install correctly.
User Rating: 2/10
This is terribleby - March 27, 2002
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I was sorely disappointed by this. UI was a joke the code certainly wasn't ready for prime time! While by nature, virus checking is tough by it's hooks, The archaic structure used by this was pathetic and caused severe instability and was not only a pain to install, but even more of a pain to un-install. God help the beginner who purchased Cable/DSL and has the misfortune of buying this product! I hate to dog a sw vendor this bad, but they really missed the boat on this one!
User Rating: 2/10
The worst software I have ever installed that costs money.by - March 8, 2002
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Software is not ready. Many bugs and issues. Install process takes hours, chats on their very fustrating chatline (you don't have the attention of someone, just a small portion of their time). IE seems to slow down. Machine stalls during start-up while you wait for VS or IS to "do its thing". Very fustrating. I uninstalled because it just plain "does not work". I will now never buy a McAfee product ever again, and I am telling many many people about this experience.
User Rating: 2/10
Don't buy, save your money!by - March 6, 2002
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All three packaged products are defective. 1)Firewall disabled my DSL and Verizon support couldn't diagnose. Uninstalled. 2)VirusScan updated itself with McAffee over net and broke itself by then being the wrong version to work with installed DLL's. Uninstalled. 3)After installation and setup, security would only flash its main screen before crashing. It also required a separate logon to the PC in additon to the NT/W2K logon. Also in the bit bucket. The killer is McAfee's totally unusable website where I attempted to use for support. With more pop-up and pop-behind advertisements than a porn site, this is an internet security company that clearly doesn't get it. No wonder their software license tries to gag software reviewers!
User Rating: 2/10
Perfect securtiy from the internet because you can never access it with this problem ridden program!by - March 2, 2002
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installing is nearly impossible; then you end up with other programs not working right (i.e. IE); tried installing patches which further worsened the situation... I finally gave up and took the $70 loss on this dud.
User Rating: 3/10
If I had a nickel....by - February 25, 2002
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...for each problem I incurred while trying to use this program I would have earned my money back after purchasing this ill-named program. "Gateway to your PC" must had been the working title for this utility. I re-installed the software several times with no remedy. The program refuses to work correctly and also has locked up other programs, most notably MS Outlook. Save your money and time, but most importantly your hair and d/l ZoneAlarm before giving this one a try.
User Rating: 
10/10
Grab the 4.02 updateby - February 19, 2002
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Very innovate kit. Has a lot of useful features not found in similar packages...like the shredder. The privacy tools are cool too.
User Rating: 3/10
Disabled my Internet Access on a new XP install.by - February 11, 2002
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Even un-install of all elements of Internet Security 4.0 failed to rectify DNS issues with my ISP. Had to reformat program partition and re-install XP.
User Rating: 
5/10
Too complicated for the average Joe...by - February 10, 2002
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Problems with this software are too numerous to mention, but some of the highlites include, 1)numerous "illegal operation" errors, 2) unable to change level of security once I finally got the program installed, 3) unable to open Outlook Express, 4) too many pop up windows asking permission to use not only basic .exe files needed for even the most basic applications, such as iexplorer, but also for McAfee .exe files needed for virus / firewall / internet security features. I felt like I was doing the work for the software. I read all of the negative comments and didn't believe them. I've used previous versions of McAfee's stuff and never had these kinds of problems. The program just takes over and you never know what's around the next click of the mouse. I guess I'll have to use the money-back guarantee and spring for Norton instead.
User Rating: 
8/10
It's the Best!by - February 7, 2002
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People, try updating the product to v4.02. It works on all OS's and all systems that I tried.
User Rating: 3/10
Nothing can break through a firewall that locks up your system.by - January 21, 2002
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I purchased this for a laptop. After installing base software (MS Office, etc), I installed McAfee IS 4. It completely froze my system. The installation process itself was so poor that the system didn't finish the install even after 3 tries. Then, when re-starting the computer, it locked up the system numerous times. I've wasted hours tinkering with it to no effect. This has been a complete waste of money and time. Hopefully Norton AV will work better - but I'd rather go without the virus protection than deal with the headaches that McIS4 caused!
User Rating: 3/10
Numerous bugs with XPby - January 20, 2002
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The box described some great features and I bought it because it said it worked with XP. Unfortunately, that is not true. I had numerous problems when trying to email with Outlook 2002. I also experienced problems with the firewall. I am very unsatisfied with this product and I am highly disappointed that McAfee would release such a poor quality product. The comments here rating the product as "good" do not seem genuine in my opinion either.
User Rating: 
7/10
Great Idea :)by - January 16, 2002
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While it is not accurate to say that this is the only program to block Applications from accessing the Internet,(As Norton Internet Security 2002) Does this well, besides this program. Among others I know that also can do this Such as Ontracks Firewall. Anyway, It's a great idea of Mcafee's to do this program with the Virus Scanner. If it wasn't for the fact that McAfee Software are prone to bugs. More development is needed on Virus Scan and I think it's Firewall programs. I have tried them but either fail to work, or cause the system to be unstable and causes crashes. Thats on my WindowsXP Pro PC.
User Rating: 1/10
had to reinstall my XP OSby - January 13, 2002
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I was attracted to the package features but the install wiped out my DirectWay Satellite configuration. Had to reinstall my XP OS.
User Rating: 2/10
Not ready for release!by - December 29, 2001
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I wish I would have read the reviews on Cnet before buying this. I owned McAfee Office 2000 on Windows 98. In order to upgrade my OS to XP, I needed to uninstall McAfee Office 2000 first. When I upgraded to XP I had to buy new anti-virus and firewall protection. I got hooked by the upgrade rebate. After finally getting it to install properly with multiple support "chats" (and hours wasted), I found out the File Guardian was consuming 100% of my CPU. Also finally resolved this via chat support by "manually" removing McAfee Office 2000. While it appears to be working ok now, I already called Symantec and they offered me a great deal on their Norton "Bundle" which includes Norton Utilities, Firewall, Anti-Virus, Clean Sweep and Go Back. No Internet Security, but I'm not sure I need those featues. I have my RMA to return McAfee's product back and am strongly considering the Norton products. McAfee should be offerring free phone support to get this one working right. They appear to have more bugs than they probably even know about.
User Rating: 10/10
The best filtering softwareby - December 17, 2001
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The best internet security program . I love this program . It has evry thing that i can cntrol my kids when the using internet. The best filtering software.
User Rating: 9/10
Best feature set of the bunchby - November 14, 2001
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I expected to find the kitchen sink here! Whoa, there's nifty features up the whazoo for security and privacy. Looks like Guard Dog got sharper teeth
User Rating: 2/10
Could not boot after installingby - November 14, 2001
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DO NOT BUY THIS !!! I installed it on a machine with Win2K SP2. The machine would not boot up afterward. I had to remove it in safe mode to get my machine back. Support for this costs $2.95 per minute, and I could not return it to the store where I bought it. This is a terrible product. I am trying to return it to Network Associates (McAfee's parent company) on their 30 day guarantee. I am not optimistic of ever getting my money back.
User Rating: 2/10
Doesn't work and nuked my Win2K Pro's explorer.exeby - November 12, 2001
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Every negative review previously listed is true. VirusScan and Firewall components work but the Internet Security program and its shared tools were not only nuked by the updates but caused instability in my Win2K Pro enough to cause explorer.exe to report errors after multiple reboots. The only free support is the chat feature their support web site if their web site's ODBC data source works. Will be looking at a previous reviewer's mention of McAfee's return policy. Installer is pure confusion and provides user no useful control. Avoid if you can.
User Rating: 
4/10
Makes system very unstable and won't install without numerous problemsby - November 12, 2001
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This product is not ready yet. It's very simply TERRIBLE. It's a good idea, and I wish it was ready to be sold but it's just simply not. On a brand new install of any Windows operating system I've tried (XP, 98, WinMe) it fails numerous times in the install process. Once you force it to install anyway, it makes the system very unstable, many crashes while surfing or using your system. Then many things that worked well before stop working at all. The child protection is so strict you can't go anywhere at all, might as well not have it all all. This product is total waste of money.
User Rating: 2/10
Screwed up my other programsby - November 12, 2001
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Tried it (Zonealarm)free first with win 98. OK at start, progressive problems with other programs. Uninstalling it cleared up problems. Later,with new computer and win 98 and new adsl, tried again. Got suckered into buying zonealarm pro. Started ok for a while. Eventually, could not keep adsl connection going without glitches and my winword 6 would not work. Got rid of zonealarm and everything worked fine. Now using sygate home version (Free). Works fine. I do have Virus scan which has never given me any trouble. I guess I will not ever get my money back so I won't even bother trying. Money returns are usually a ridiculous process with internet purchases, so I won't bother asking.
User Rating: 8/10
worked on Win XP when Norton AntiVirus wouldn'tby - November 8, 2001
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After trying repeatedly to install Norton Antivirus(unsuccessfully because of script errors)There Tech support sucks!.I opted for McAfee which installed without a hitch.It works thats the bottom line!
User Rating: 1/10
This is one NASTY piece of Work!by - November 8, 2001
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I can't figure out why McAfee ever released this piece of drek. I have been unable to find a WORSE product anywhere. Why was it even reviewed?
User Rating: 8/10
recommend productby - October 29, 2001
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It has evrything you need for internet security specialy when you have kids. You can always download upgrade.
User Rating: 3/10
It would be a pretty good package if it worked.by - October 26, 2001
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Very unstable and dramatically slowed my system down and I'm well above the minimum requirements. On Win ME, there is a conflict with Outlook Express and Outlook XP, as in, you can't open these programs when McAfee is running. Contacted Tech Support and after 5 Chat sessions and resending the problem/escalation form to various email addresses, I still have no resolution and will probably be taking advantage of McAfee's return policy. I still have yet to hear from Tech Service Email Express on whether or not they've received any of my escalation forms. Very disappointing. BTW, I think I read that paid support for McAfee is ~$3 minute after the first two minutes. Yikes! No thanks, McAfee.
User Rating: 2/10
It sux-get Norton IS 2002by - October 17, 2001
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I bought this product because of the features AND the rebate being offered. Now I understand why NAI is offering the rebate! I have been trying to get this configured and working for three hours with no success and I still get error messages and crashes (Norton IS worked great--no problems with installation or configuration). This is a dog--do not buy it!
User Rating: 2/10
It hangs up too oftenby - October 8, 2001
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It tries to do a C disk scan but finds "Insufficent Memory" when I have 256 mb. A sub-product called Guarddog hangs up when using Eudora Lite 3.0. Many other problems too numerous to list here.
