Mcafee LiveSafe is free for how long? What A/V should I use after?

[gent11]

I just got a brand new ASUS ROG GL752 laptop from Best Buy . ca (full Wty and Windows 10) and it has Mcafee LiveSafe on it. I have no idea how long it is supposed to be included before Mcafee wants me to start paying for it.

What are people using on a laptop for AV s/w these days?

I have been away from computers for a while and its my first laptop too.

Do I need to find a free A/V software or pay when they say to ?

 

[Stg-Flame]

I haven't payed for antivirus since 1998 and even then, my uncle who bought my family our computer is the one who paid for six months of Mcafee. These days I just use Avast, security plugins (NoScript, AdBlocker, etc.) and scan my system regularly. Haven't had a virus since 2001.

 

[Elixer]

I just got a brand new ASUS ROG GL752 laptop from Best Buy . ca (full Wty and Windows 10) and it has Mcafee LiveSafe on it. I have no idea how long it is supposed to be included before Mcafee wants me to start paying for it.

What are people using on a laptop for AV s/w these days?

I have been away from computers for a while and its my first laptop too.

Do I need to find a free A/V software or pay when they say to ?

I would decrapify (https://www.pcdecrapifier.com/) your machine ASAP.
Then follow the advice in this thread http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=38171741&postcount=2

So, no uninstall that Mcafee crap pronto.

 

[balloonshark]

I just got a netbook and one of the first things I did was uninstall McAfee. I'm using the free version of Avira anti-virus. I can't get to the main site right but here is an alternative download site if you're interested. http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/avira_free_antivirus.html

 

[gent11]

Begs the question; what happens if I do not do this and just get the A/V s/w for windows 10? I've just been playing just for a dozen hours or so, and nothing seems wrong yet, slow, or have no ad men (other than the ususal pop-up guys I kill by shutting the entire browser down for. Is this preventative medicine?

 

[Stg-Flame]

There's no reason to have Mcafee and it's more of a headache than a help. Get rid of it entirely and just go with something free. Most free antivirus are a lot less intrusive and have the same quality for catching malicious sites.

Honestly though, in the end it all boils down to the user. No amount of antivirus in the world will save you from getting a virus if you follow every click-bait and banner ad you see. Be careful about the sites you visit and you will be fine.

 

[xgsound]

I would decrapify (https://www.pcdecrapifier.com/) your machine ASAP.
Then follow the advice in this thread http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=38171741&postcount=2

So, no uninstall that Mcafee crap pronto.

I like the way this one thinks because he points to my post. Only replacing Mcafee with BitDefender will give you a good start and does NOT expire. No reason to wait. It would be nice to have a guide while removing the bloated junk that most vendors include. Just use caution. It's amazing that vendors add so much crap on their machines that it causes them to perform badly.
YMMV
I consider AdBlockPlus for Chrome and any other browsers a required A/V tool since ads are a major vector for malware.


Jim