Features have been clearly delineated, and potentially confusing names have been jettisoned. To its shame, McAfee's uninstallation process left a few Registry keys behind, too.įirst introduced in 2010, the unusual vertically oriented design is surprisingly easy to use. We also had problems when running other essential programs, such as a Web browser, while installing. While there are legitimate security and performance problems that can be created by running two competing suites simultaneously, this is the kind of trouble that is not acceptable from with a expensive security suite. If it can't find them, you'll have to reboot and reinstall McAfee. If that happens to you, it will attempt to find the offending remnants. The registration process was simple enough, but it also aggressively detects competing suites to the point where the slightest bit of Registry detritus will cause the installation to freak out.

Installing McAfee was where our problems with the suite began. Meanwhile, the suite's performance on tests both from CNET Labs and independent sources calls into question how effective it really is.

McAfee Total Protection 2012 adds some new features, but these are frankly more about keeping up with the Joneses-or at least, keeping up with the Nortons and Kasperskys-than actually pushing any kind of innovation. Since then, the annual updates have been incremental at best, improving the feature set yet not making substantial changes overall. McAfee released a major overhaul to its security suite back in 2010, coming up with a new vertically oriented interface that made navigating much easier. The bottom line: McAfee takes aim at blocking bots in its latest version, although weak test scores mean that we don't recommend this year's McAfee suite.

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