Watch out for McAfee VirusScan 8

I have been trying to set up a RIS image for a couple of weeks. I eventually
worked out my problem by removing McAfee VirusScan 8.0i from the master
computer. I was then able to successfully create an image that would install
via RIS. I then install VirusScan on the first reboot after RISing a new PC.

VirusScan 8 also breaks our internal WSUS. VirusScan blocks svchost.exe,
which it seems the Windows Update client runs as. McAfee have confirmed this,
and their response has been 'we might put something in the next release'.
Great! So in the meantime I am supposed to either leave my 250 PCs unpatched,
or patch them manually. Kind of ironic really - McAfee are supposed to
protect PCs, but if you use their latest product you can't keep your PC up to
date and protected.

I hope someone will tell me I am wrong, or provide a workaround, but I have
been incontact with McAfee's support people, and they have confirmed what I
have written above.

If you use the McAfee Installation Designer you can create a custom build or
settings change package which you can deploy to your PCs.
You don't say whether you manage your McAfee centrally or not.

Tom S

"Ageing Brilliantine Stick Insect"
< ft.com> wrote in message
news:FDD546CC-1C0A-4569-8C35-...
>I have been trying to set up a RIS image for a couple of weeks. I
>eventually
> worked out my problem by removing McAfee VirusScan 8.0i from the master
> computer. I was then able to successfully create an image that would
> install
> via RIS. I then install VirusScan on the first reboot after RISing a new
> PC.
>
> VirusScan 8 also breaks our internal WSUS. VirusScan blocks svchost.exe,
> which it seems the Windows Update client runs as. McAfee have confirmed
> this,
> and their response has been 'we might put something in the next release'.
> Great! So in the meantime I am supposed to either leave my 250 PCs
> unpatched,
> or patch them manually. Kind of ironic really - McAfee are supposed to
> protect PCs, but if you use their latest product you can't keep your PC up
> to
> date and protected.
>
> I hope someone will tell me I am wrong, or provide a workaround, but I
> have
> been incontact with McAfee's support people, and they have confirmed what
> I
> have written above.

Use Network assoiates Epolicy Orchestrator for your updates. Perfect.

"Tom S" wrote:

> If you use the McAfee Installation Designer you can create a custom build or
> settings change package which you can deploy to your PCs.
> You don't say whether you manage your McAfee centrally or not.
>
> Tom S
>
> "Ageing Brilliantine Stick Insect"
> < ft.com> wrote in message
> news:FDD546CC-1C0A-4569-8C35-...
> >I have been trying to set up a RIS image for a couple of weeks. I
> >eventually
> > worked out my problem by removing McAfee VirusScan 8.0i from the master
> > computer. I was then able to successfully create an image that would
> > install
> > via RIS. I then install VirusScan on the first reboot after RISing a new
> > PC.
> >
> > VirusScan 8 also breaks our internal WSUS. VirusScan blocks svchost.exe,
> > which it seems the Windows Update client runs as. McAfee have confirmed
> > this,
> > and their response has been 'we might put something in the next release'.
> > Great! So in the meantime I am supposed to either leave my 250 PCs
> > unpatched,
> > or patch them manually. Kind of ironic really - McAfee are supposed to
> > protect PCs, but if you use their latest product you can't keep your PC up
> > to
> > date and protected.
> >
> > I hope someone will tell me I am wrong, or provide a workaround, but I
> > have
> > been incontact with McAfee's support people, and they have confirmed what
> > I
> > have written above.
>
>
>

I probably could have been a bit more informative.....!

We are centrally managing VS8 via EPO 3.5. I'm using an installation package
designed with installation designer. The problem is not with VS8 not updating
- the problem is that VS8 breaks Windows Update and WSUS. The specific
problem is with the 'prevent downloads from the www' option of the 'access
control' options. With this on, WSUS will not work. With it off, WSUS will
work, but it also frees any program on your system to download from the www.
You can enable this setting, and create exceptions, but WSUS seems to run in
the svchost.exe process, as do many viruses, so if you except svchost.exe,
you may as well not bother having a virus scanner at all.

As I said, McAfee have confirmed this problem - or at least the techo I
dealt with has confirmed it, and said that any fix would have to wait for a
future release.

I really hope that someone will come along here and tell me I'm wrong, or
just point out something fundamental that I have misunderstood, because this
really is a pain.

"Ageing Brilliantine Stick Insect" wrote:

> I have been trying to set up a RIS image for a couple of weeks. I eventually
> worked out my problem by removing McAfee VirusScan 8.0i from the master
> computer. I was then able to successfully create an image that would install
> via RIS. I then install VirusScan on the first reboot after RISing a new PC.
>
> VirusScan 8 also breaks our internal WSUS. VirusScan blocks svchost.exe,
> which it seems the Windows Update client runs as. McAfee have confirmed this,
> and their response has been 'we might put something in the next release'.
> Great! So in the meantime I am supposed to either leave my 250 PCs unpatched,
> or patch them manually. Kind of ironic really - McAfee are supposed to
> protect PCs, but if you use their latest product you can't keep your PC up to
> date and protected.
>
> I hope someone will tell me I am wrong, or provide a workaround, but I have
> been incontact with McAfee's support people, and they have confirmed what I
> have written above.

We are actually switching to Trend Micro after many years with McAfee. Much
easier to manage IMHO.
"Keeef" <> wrote in message
news:F24C673E-1261-43A7-B960-...
> Use Network assoiates Epolicy Orchestrator for your updates. Perfect.
>
> "Tom S" wrote:
>
>> If you use the McAfee Installation Designer you can create a custom build
>> or
>> settings change package which you can deploy to your PCs.
>> You don't say whether you manage your McAfee centrally or not.
>>
>> Tom S
>>
>> "Ageing Brilliantine Stick Insect"
>> < ft.com> wrote in
>> message
>> news:FDD546CC-1C0A-4569-8C35-...
>> >I have been trying to set up a RIS image for a couple of weeks. I
>> >eventually
>> > worked out my problem by removing McAfee VirusScan 8.0i from the master
>> > computer. I was then able to successfully create an image that would
>> > install
>> > via RIS. I then install VirusScan on the first reboot after RISing a
>> > new
>> > PC.
>> >
>> > VirusScan 8 also breaks our internal WSUS. VirusScan blocks
>> > svchost.exe,
>> > which it seems the Windows Update client runs as. McAfee have confirmed
>> > this,
>> > and their response has been 'we might put something in the next
>> > release'.
>> > Great! So in the meantime I am supposed to either leave my 250 PCs
>> > unpatched,
>> > or patch them manually. Kind of ironic really - McAfee are supposed to
>> > protect PCs, but if you use their latest product you can't keep your PC
>> > up
>> > to
>> > date and protected.
>> >
>> > I hope someone will tell me I am wrong, or provide a workaround, but I
>> > have
>> > been incontact with McAfee's support people, and they have confirmed
>> > what
>> > I
>> > have written above.
>>
>>
>>