Stump the PC Club is a free tech-advice column written by members of the North Orange County Computer Club, which has been in existence since 1976. Visit the club’s site at noccc.org.
QUESTION: I’m using Microsoft Security Essentials and recently saw a program called McAfee Security Scan Plus show up on my screen. How did it get there and is having two antivirus programs a bad thing?
PC CLUB: First of all, McAfee Security Scan Plus is not an antivirus program. It is a clever marketing tool that scans your PC and reports some useful results. However, if it finds any issues, it makes recommendations that are self-serving to McAfee. One of the recommendations may be to purchase McAfee protection.
Now for the question “How do most people end up with this program on their PC”? Companies such as Adobe include the McAfee program as part of the software updates that they provide. It’s not very obvious but there is usually a line of small print stating “Include in your download” with a McAfee logo nearby. If you fail to notice this and don’t uncheck a box, you will have the program foisted on you. In fact, this type of program is nicknamed shovel ware since the stuff is virtually shoveled at you without your explicit permission.
You can also get the McAfee software when you innocently download and install various other software programs or updates. At one particular step of the process there is usually a checkbox that you have to uncheck to opt out or avoid this. Apparently there is money to be made by companies that try to get you to install this software or they would not be doing it.
McAfee Security Scan Plus is not the only software that you can get by “accident”. Many toolbars are installed unintentionally when the user downloads something that they do want but neglect to read the small print every step of the way. Google, Yahoo and many other toolbars are installed in this fashion and then users wonder why their Internet browser loads slower that before.
My philosophy is to run a lean and mean machine with as few toolbars and other add-ins as possible. Remember, if you have the McAfee software, it does require some system resources to run. Just imagine if you have several of these unwanted programs running – it all adds up.
Ed Schwartz is a member of the North Orange County Computer Club. To send in a question, go to edwardns.com and click the Contact Me menu. Archives of previous columns are also on the website.