So I am very upset right now. Today HP Released their new software. It included McAfee Total Protection for Windows Home Server. I was excited until I tried to activate the software.

Basically when you try to activate the software it asks if you want to create a new account or if you want to join it to an existing account. Since I have an existing McAfee account, I chose the option to link to that account. It asks for a "Current Enrollment Key". I don't see where in my account that it would give this information. I contacted McAfee via telephone and internet chat. Basically what it comes down to is:

Mcafee Total Protection for Windows HOME Server is considered an enterprise application. So you can't link it to a Home account. That alone makes me mad. I finally decided that I would just create a new account. Things were going fine until it asks for the Business Name, and it is a required field. I mean seriously, what the hell is going on? This is not a business server.

Has anyone else come across this problem as well?

I have the same situation you have. I simply put the word "home" in the business area, and it was accepted.

_________________
Solitary, Nasty, Brutish, Short, Fat, Grey & Retired

I just recieved my WHS and ran into the same problem with the inability to combine accounts with McAfee.

I just added "home" to the business field and everything registered correctly.

What are you folks going to do when your 6-month subscription runs out?

McAfee and Norton are the WORST! SUCH a resource hog! (only one contributors opinion though)

I haven't had a resource issue with this addin. And the free trial is 7 months .
I probably won't use an antivirus when the trial runs out.

I'll probably buy it. I have McAfee on my laptop and other desktops.

_________________
Solitary, Nasty, Brutish, Short, Fat, Grey & Retired

I tried to register with McAfee and it crashed so now when I try it thinks I am registered. So I can't register and I purchased the software and I have no idea how to associate the software on the server with my new found software...

If you change the radial button from "Enterprise" to "Home" then you don't have to put in a business name. In fact, it grays out that box and won't let you input anything there.

I am running the seven month free trial of McAfee. One good thing I will say about McAfee is that they did not ask for a credit card number so that they could automatically start billing me after seven months unless I opted out. As it stands now, my subscription will automatically end after seven months unless I opt in. I much prefer opt in trials rather than opt out. Thank you McAfee for that.

Now I have seven months to try it out to see if I really need it. I have been using antivirus programs for several years. I have used both McAfee and Norton. I also run my computers behind a router. As I understand it, the router acts as a NAT. I don't go to the kind of websites that might be pushing viruses. I don't open attachments unless I am sure of the source. I don't try to get copywritten materials that I have not paid for. Generally I am careful.

So far, I have not gotten a virus. I have gotten some spyware but this comes from companies that claim to be good guys like google. I don't use google anymore because they just keep pushing ads in my face. Google is now worse since they bought that awful company DoubleClick. Microsoft's free antispyware program seems able to get rid of spyware from my computers. It does not run on the server.

My question - do I need an antivirus on my server? So far, I don't think I do. Any advice.

@less served - You sound like an informed, careful computer user (possibly burned in the past ) Do you plan on having remote users log into your server and have the ability to put files onto your server? If so, I'd strongly suggest AV of some kind.

In addition, if you decide to run an add-in that automatically downloads files (RSS, podcasts, etc.) directly then AV might also be a really good idea.

If all files you 'acquire' are first downloaded to a PC (running AV) before uploaded to your server then possibly server-based AV could be skipped. I think its all about the 'comfort level' you have with the technology and the users of your network.

Just some random thoughts and opinions. Cheers.

Thanks. Sounds like good advice. I would like to set up RSS feeds to automatically download some podcasts to my server. For example, I regularly watch Tekzilla and Cranky Geeks. But I have not figured out how to set up my server for RSS feeds. It is probably easy to do. but I have not got a clue. any advice?

I've not used the following but this might be worth a look.

http://forum.wegotserved.co.uk/index.php?autocom=downloads&showfile=66

If not this, I'd start by looking through the listing of Add-Ins at http://www.wegotserved.co.uk Terry Walsh and his 'team' have what is probably the best listing of WHS add-ins on the web.

Good luck.

Has anyone had or does anyone know of a virus infecting a WHS or MMS server yet?

I would like to get an idea of how hard it is to actually get a virus on a WHS if the client computers are running an anti virus.

I would like to also get some data on if an infection came through the internet connection or was because of a lack of security procedures on the owners part.

My Avast shows 3 files in the virus chest.

Kernal 32, Dill
Winsock, Dill
Wsock 32, Dill

The Virus Chest shows that they were put there on 03/10.
That would be the first day that Antivirus was installed and used on my MMS.

The scan history shows no infections ever so I 'm thinking these are left over fron installation.

_________________
Chris Bickerstaff
HP MSS DataVault X510
Core 2 Quad Core Q9550s
4GB Mushkin Ram
TR4MB eSata Enclosure
TR4UB USB Enclosure
Netgear WNDR3700
UPS APC 1500 XS LCD

No virus found on my MSS. I have asked the same question on another thread some weeks earlier, arguing that if you don't browse Internet inside your MSS, that all your machines are protected, and the MSS is behind them and the router, well, chances to get a virus should be very low. Some anwers to the thread but no one challenged the hypothesis.

Btw, I run McAfee without any performance problem. Sure 2GB of memory and maybe a faster processor does help.

_________________
HP-ProLiant N40L 8GB WHS2011
HP-EX470 4GB Athlon-X2-BE-2350-(Stepping G1) Windows 8 (server build)

agreed. i shudder to think that anyone would use McAfee or Norton on any pc - over the past several years, they have completely become bloatware (almost worse than AOL) and really slow down the pc by hogging resources.

NOD32, AVG, and Avast are all much much better programs - although the AVG 8.0 version has added a website link protector that slows things down and is quite unnecessary as well.

i cannot tell you how many people have thanked me for "restoring" their pc when all i simply did was remove mcafee or norton and replace with a free AVG or Avast...