FH stopped working

victor · Post by **victor** » 19 Sep 2011 14:41

This has now caught up with me and like others my FH is only open for a minute.

I have BT NetPlus Windows 7 (32 bit) and the latest FH

Will send a message to BT as well as McAfee

Victor

LINDAB · Post by **LINDAB** » 19 Sep 2011 15:21

I'm also using McAfee and Family Historian keeps shutting down. Used their on-line support and wasted a couple of hours. They promised a supervisor would ring me back and so far no-one has rung. I'll e mail the address suggested above.

Manx · Post by **Manx** » 19 Sep 2011 16:27

I've been evaluating a trial version of Family Historian for the past few days (very good it is too!). I have the same problem - I also use the BT/McAfee combination. Have reported it to BT who could take no action as they seem to be having some issues at their end too! I'll try again later.

johnscott · Post by **johnscott** » 19 Sep 2011 16:32

As Simon has suggested i have emailed both McAfee and BT, although I am not hopeful of a rapid response from either!

LindaO · Post by **LindaO** » 19 Sep 2011 16:51

Rolling back the system to a restore point on 15 Sep and disabling McAfee automatic updates has worked successfully for just over 24 hours. Now though McAfee has re-enabled automatic updates without me telling it to and FH has stopped working again! Annoying but think I am going to wait this out now for a couple of days at least. I am reluctant to abandon McAfee just yet particularly as I pay BT for the NetProtect service and have it installed on several family laptops and PCs.

I have emailed BT and McAfee and not heard back from either yet. Will keep checking FH and will post again when FH is working again (unless someone else beats me to it!).

Regards,

Linda

stever · Post by **stever** » 19 Sep 2011 17:21

Thanks to FHUG I discovered that my computer did not have a virus that shut down FH after c. 30 secs.

I downloaded the McAfee software check from their 'Help' page and it told me everything was fine. But it wasn't.

So following advice from the FHUG forum I uninstalled McAfee and installed Microsoft Security Essentials instead. FH works fine now.

As advised I sent an email to McAfee's virus labs. I wanted to copy it to McAfee but could not find an email address.

I telephoned them, explained the problem and asked for an email address. They told me they could not provide one and that I should send a letter by post!

Unbelievable! They could see from their system that I had been a McAfee customer for years and still had 6 months to go before renewal.

So it appears that McAfee introduce an IT problem but don't want you to tell them about it by using IT!

McAfee might listen to Tweets as other major companies suddenly find the will to react when their name comes up on Twitter.

Post by **SimonOrde** » 19 Sep 2011 18:28

I have spent a large part of today trying to get through to McAfee by all available means, and so far have not received any firm confirmation that they have even logged the problem. The only people I have been able to get through to is their Technical Support service, and they say that that it is their company policy not to 'support' (their words) anyone who doesn't have a McAfee account. Which we don't. Naturally we are trying to make contact directly with the company, but so far we have not found any way of doing this. Consequently, it is all the more desirable, if at all possible, that as many of you as possible should raise this directly, by all means possible, with McAfee. McAfee want you to use this link: http://service.mcafee.com and report the problem to their technical support service. Absurd though it undoubtedly is, it is beginning to look as if you may be able to make faster progress in getting this problem escalated within McAfee than we can - although of course we will continue to do our best to get through to them.

So, if you have tried to get through to McAfee and failed, please try again - this time using the link http://service.mcafee.com. Many thanks.

CJGK · Post by **CJGK** » 19 Sep 2011 18:43

I'vejust sent a message to McAfee at the e-mail address given by Simon previously, but when I attempt to do the same to BT using their ridiculous 'Contact BT' system, it keeps deleting the content of my message. Does anyone know a straight e-mail address to communicate with - other than warren.buckley@bt.com?

juliemuirhead49 · Post by **juliemuirhead49** » 19 Sep 2011 19:07

Have just emailed McAfee as suggested, sent an email to BT via their annoying contact form yesterday and as yet still no response.

Post by **nsw** » 19 Sep 2011 19:09

Seems that Family Historian is not the only software with this problem:

Games Crashing???

AnneEast · Post by **AnneEast** » 19 Sep 2011 19:53

Was going to email McAfee but found it wanted me to download some big file for Virtual Technician. I've got enough McAfee thanks without downloading more. All I want to do is send a simple email.

Good news [tongue] that the gaming people are also having problems. I suspect they may be even less patient than we are!

Anne

victor · Post by **victor** » 19 Sep 2011 21:15

I have been in touch with BT on another problem and at that time found the email address to send to.

With this McAfee problem I used that email address which is general_tech_help@mailuk.custhelp.com

I have had an acknowledgement telling me I should get a response within 24 hours. So far no response (I sent it at 3 pm)

Victor

pjh625 · Post by **pjh625** » 20 Sep 2011 05:29

As Simon has suggested i have emailed both McAfee and VMware (as I run FH under XP on my iMac). McAfee Antivirus Plus contains VirusScan 15.0 and this is the element that is frequently updated, eg-
Last Update 20/09/2011
Build 15.0.291
DAT Version 6474
Let's hope that we get a result soon!!!

Cheers
Peter
Pine Mountain, Queensland
[rolleyes]

amk1609 · Post by **amk1609** » 20 Sep 2011 09:29

Re Simon's post - the McAfee address http://service.mcafee.com/ is the standard support address, and to get anywhere you have no choice but to first run their McAfee Virtual Technician (MVT) which I have done several times, and of course it shows no errors with McAfee! That at least allows you to get further and email their support staff. I have now raised 3 separate incidents with them and have just received a reply saying 'Since the problem seems to be complicated, I would like to escalate this case to the next level of Support and they will call you back and help you to resolve the issue.'
This they apparently will do in the next 24-48 hours, so if I get anything useful out of talking to them (hopefully) will post here. Andrea

pjh625 · Post by **pjh625** » 20 Sep 2011 10:35

SImon suggested ' if you email McAfee's virus labs at Virus_Research@avertlabs.com with the word 'noauto' in the subject line, there is a good chance that your email will get through.'
This is what I did, I am waiting on a reply (only 7 hours later)
Cheers
Peter

Post by **SimonOrde** » 20 Sep 2011 10:36

We'd like to firm up some of the details of this problem if possible. Could everyone who has experienced this problem please post to say:

(a) Exactly what McAfee products you have. Please also give the full version number of each McAfee product.
(b) The date that the problem started
(c) Confirmation of the symptoms - e.g. does FH *always* crash every time you run it? Do you ever see any error messages (if so, saying what?). Are the symptoms always the same? How long after you start it does it crash? Does this vary?
(c) Which version of Windows (inc service packs if known) do you have?
(d) Which version of Family Historian do you have?
(e) Does your version of McAfee allow you to exclude particular products from realtime or other scans? If so, have you tried excluding FH, and did this work? What other steps have you taken to try to solve the problem? What if any were the consequences?
(f) Have you reported the problem to McAfee and if so what was their response?

Please provide as much information as you can. Obviously you can post here if you wish but if you feel that you're not saying anything which forum readers will want to see, and don't want to clog up this forum, you might prefer to email us directly at support@family-historian.co.uk. If you do, please title your email 'McAfee Problem Details'.

Many thanks.

MarionWoolgar · Post by **MarionWoolgar** » 20 Sep 2011 12:14

a. BTNetProtect Plus by McAfee v 10.5.240
b. 20 Sep 2011
c. FH crashes after appx 1 min, no error messages
d. Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit
e. Family Historian 4.1.3
f. No
g. Reported to McAfee 20 Sep 2011 using 'noauto' address posted yesterday. Also reported to BTInternet this morning. Responses awaited.

richardnorth · Post by **richardnorth** » 20 Sep 2011 13:00

I've just done a manual update of McAfee (which subsequently required a reboot of the PC) and Family Historian is still running after 5 minutes (as opposed to the one minute everyone with McAfee has been experiencing over the last 48 hours or so.)

Richard North

Chris_CC · Post by **Chris_CC** » 20 Sep 2011 15:37

I've just found this forum after a frustrating time reinstalling FHV4. Glad to hear that it appears to be a problem with McAfee. Just done manual update as suggested by Richard, but it has not cured the problem in my case. Will report to McAfee and BT as suggested.

Very frustrating as I had promised myself a full day of updating my files!

LindaO · Post by **LindaO** » 20 Sep 2011 16:19

(a) Exactly what McAfee products you have.

BT NetProtect Plus consists of McAfee Security Centre V10.5 Build 103.5.240; McAfee Virus Scan v14.5 Build 14.5.130 (DAT date 19/09/2011), McAfee Firewall V11.5 Build 11.5.141, McAfee Site Advisor v3.4 Build 3.4.0.143, McAfee Parental Controls (not configured) v12.5 Build 12.5.113 McAfee Quick Clean and Shredder v10.5 10.5.111)

(b) The date that the problem started

Sunday 18 Sep (but not used FH for a couple of weeks prior to Sun 18)

(c) Confirmation of the symptoms

FH always crashes, no error messages and consistently takes approx 60 seconds after starting before crashing.

(c) Which version of Windows (inc service packs if known) do you have?

Windows Vista SP2 all patches applied.

(d) Which version of Family Historian do you have?

V4.1.3

(e) Does your version of McAfee allow you to exclude particular products from realtime or other scans?

No.

What other steps have you taken to try to solve the problem? What if any were the consequences?

Rolled back the system to previous restore point of 15/9/2011 and disabled McAfee automatic updates but downloaded Windows updates - this worked for approx 24 hours then McAfee turned on automatic updates (without any assistance from me!) and FH stopped working again after McAfee updates were applied. I ran FH last night for 30 mins or so in Safe Mode with Networking but not tried again to day. I have applied latest McAfee updates today but FH is still not working.

(f) Have you reported the problem to McAfee and if so what was their response?

I have reported to both McAfee and BT - acknowledgement from BT that they received my email but nothing further and nothing at all from McAfee.

As I write this I have just had a call from BT advising me to remove and reinstall McAfee and the problem should be resolved - about to try it and will update the forum after I have done this.

Regards

Linda.

AnneEast · Post by **AnneEast** » 20 Sep 2011 16:36

Just had a phone call from BR NetProtect who are telling me to uninstall McAfee and then reinstall from the BT NetProtect site. Hmmm ... will it work? sounds unlikely! Will let you know how I get on.

Oooops snap!

Anne

LindaO · Post by **LindaO** » 20 Sep 2011 16:54

Well done as advised by BT and so far so good - FH been up and running for nearly 10 mins so far.

For info - removed McAfee, restarted as need by McAfee but then did a cold reboot to make sure McAfee was removed from memory before doing a McAfee reinstall.

So far so good, so fingers crossed...but lets hope I don't have to do a removal/reinstall everytime McAfee updates!!!

Regards,

Linda.

juliemuirhead49 · Post by **juliemuirhead49** » 20 Sep 2011 17:00

(a) BT Net Protect Plus - Not sure of the details as I uninstalled to get FH up and running
(b) Sunday 18th
(c) Crashing of FH 4 approx. after 1
(c) Windows 7, Service Pack 1
(d) FH 4.1.3
(e) Yes, and tried excluding various parts but nothing worked.
(f) Reported to McAfee, BT and Calico Pie, only had a response from Calico Pie so far.

LindaO · Post by **LindaO** » 20 Sep 2011 17:15

Hmmmm...well I shut down FH and then restarted it and the problem is back again - shuts down after approx 1 min! Grrrrr! I have a call reference number from BT so will call them again - but probably tomorrow now!

Regards,

Linda.

Phil10413 · Post by **Phil10413** » 20 Sep 2011 17:33

Had a call from BT. Apparently the problem is widely reported and they are escalating it to a higher level. They have promised to get back to me.

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