McAfee VirusScan bug could cause Windows to lockup!

Bug found in McAfee Virus definition that could crash Windows (11/2/00)

This question was answered on November 5, 2000. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

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An incompatibility has been found between a recent virus remedy update file and an older version of the scan engine that McAfee's VirusScan software uses that could cause lock-ups in Windows.

Network Associates Inc has confirmed a bug in the latest McAfee VirusScan's virus definition file version (4.0.4102) that could cause many Windows systems to freeze during start up The problem is an incompatibility between a recent virus remedy file and the scan engine software in VirusScan For anyone hit by this bug, the only solution is to boot Windows in Safe Mode (hold the Shift key down during startup) and disable VirusScan's system scanning at start up.

To disable, launch the McAfee VirusScan Scheduler and right-click on McAfee VShield and uncheck both Enable System Scan and Enable Scanning of e-mail attachments Once this is done Windows will startup normally, but without virus protection This will allow you to download the latest product upgrades and re-enable the scanning options.

Any Windows version could be affected by this bug if the installed version of the VirusScan has a scan engine version of 4.0.02 (about 2 years old - the current version is 5.x) To check the version number, launch VirusScan and select About from the Help menu

To update an older version of the Scan Engine and definition file, go to:

<a href="http://www.mcafeeb2b.com/naicommon/download/dats/superdat.asp"><font color="#003399">>http://www.mcafeeb2b.com/naicommon/download/dats/superdat.asp</b></font></a>

Choose the appropriate platform (Windows - Intel for most of you) and download the SuperDAT file and run the executable After restarting the system you should be set with the latest scan engine and virus remedy file.

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Posted by Ken Colburn of Data Doctors on November 5, 2000

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