Don’t you just love Microsoft Tech Help?

[Virtual_Burlesque]

During a routine McAfee Virus Scan it encountered a problem which it could not address without closing down.

As I rebooted, an automated report was generated, and eventually, this was Microsoft’s automatically generated response.

Error Caused By Network Associates Technology, Inc.: No Specific Solution Found

Problem Description

An analyst at Microsoft has investigated this problem and determined that an unknown error occurred in McAfee VirusScan. This software was created by Network Associates Technology, Inc..

Problem Resolution

Microsoft has researched this problem with Network Associates Technology, Inc., and they do not currently have a solution for the problem that you reported. Below is a list of recommendations to take that may help prevent the problem from recurring.

* Contact Network Associates Technology, Inc. for support or product updates.

Additional Information

If this problem continues to occur with the latest product updates for McAfee VirusScan, we recommend you obtain assistance and troubleshooting information directly from Network Associates Technology, Inc..

For more help and information about how to troubleshoot and fix common errors on your computer, please see the Microsoft Online Crash Analysis: Help, Support, and Tools article.

In effect, McAfee found the problem, so it must be McAfee that resolves the problem. Don’t call up, we’ll call you.

In two (2) years of operating Microsoft XP, I have never received a response from Microsoft admitting that the problem was caused by a Microsoft product, or offered any advice about how to resolve the problem.

http://www.penders.co.uk/custard/about/img/billgates_framed200x162.jpg​

 

[Dar~]

McAffee is a shit program as far as anti-virus software. If I could reccomend a program it would be norton or one of the ones you subscribe to online. My uncle works for Intel and he is always bemoaning McAffee

 

[Guest]

In effect, McAfee found the problem, so it must be McAfee that resolves the problem. Don’t call up, we’ll call you.

Actually that's SOP. The problem is with McAfee so McAfee can find the solution. Been through that hundreds of times.

 

[Guest]

McAffee is a shit program as far as anti-virus software. If I could reccomend a program it would be norton or one of the ones you subscribe to online. My uncle works for Intel and he is always bemoaning McAffee

I gotta say, after playing with computers for over 25 years, I can't argue with him. But I hate Norton's crap even more.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Ad-Aware is a pretty good thing, and you may download it for free.

 

[tolyk]

Trendmicro's PC-cillan is really good. All the computer geeks I know speak very highly of it.

Adaware only gets you so far

(trend also has a free online scan for the broke amongst us, such as me: www.trendmicro.com )

 

[R. Richard]

Acrually VB the message you cite is an upgrade from the previous message:

"An impossible error has ocurred in an unlikely place due to an unknown cause."

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

I use AVG anti-virus. It's free and seems to be pretty good.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I must be the only one who's ever had a good experience with MicroSoft.

I remember calling up their tech support years ago and having to hang on the phone for 20 minutes, get cut off, call them back, get cut off again... It was easier to just go out and buy a new system then it was to get any real help.

I had to call them again about a month ago, and this time they fell all over themselves trying to help me. We fixed the problem, and then I started getting customer satisfaction surveys, phone calls asking if there was anything else they could do for me, e-mails, everything but a basket of roses.

I hate to say it, but I think this tremendous improvement coincided with the massive outsourcing of all tech support to India and the Phillipines. I've experienced something similar with Dell Tech Support. The service now is just outstanding compared to what it was.

 

[snooper]

... I had to call them again about a month ago, and this time they fell all over themselves trying to help me. ...

Go on, admit it. When you called you said "This is Henry Gates here. My brother Billy said you could tell me ..."

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Go on, admit it. When you called you said "This is Henry Gates here. My brother Billy said you could tell me ..."

Not Billy. I had this guy with a realy thick Indian accent, but he was very helpful. When I asked him what his name was, he said, "Bob".

 

[cantdog]

It's a naive error all newbies make. They actually believe they're supposed to help...

My ISPs over the years, who need to secure that fee every month, have consistently been the most responsive and helpful. The further one is from wallet feedback, the less one receives. Windows is feeling a little pressure now. This is good.

Spyware, Adware, hacker threat, and Viruses are different kettles of fish. I don't know a program which takes on the whole spectrum. I have the for-pay AVG, which is very good. Those guys have an updated list nearly every other day. Someone's working very hard over there to stay abreast. Hacker threat and firewall structure, thank the gods, I don't need to get involved in.

Microsoft's anti-Spyware, the eternal Beta, terms my decision to have a blank start page "a serious threat to your computer." They say it is a browser hijack to specify anything but the default MS advertising page. IE only comes into use for updates, anyway, on my system. At one point Beta called IE itself spyware and would remove it. I supplement it with Ad-Aware and also Spybot.

Just the same, I got an e-mail virus, or at least I suppose it was. AVG never noticed it, and when I downloaded the trial version of McAfee, they didn't either. Just the same, one particular e-mail would load itself hundreds of times every time I checked the mail, each time leaving an attachment in the downloads directory. There were thousands of them. Eudora had no expertise to fix it, either. So I installed a new e-mail program and wiped the entire old one clean.

There is always something. I believe McAfee has hold of a real thing, here, and probably so does MS, whether they admit anything or not.

System-wide viruses require the attentions of a bona fide expert to eradicate, I have found.

cantdog