Labs

VirusScan 2006 is easy to install. After installation, it scanned every file on our hard disk for viruses. However, it didn't do an update first, so its virus definitions were over four months old. Before you can update these, you must create an account with McAfee's using Internet Explorer. After registration, updates are automatic, regardless of what browser you use. McAfee detected all our test viruses, but it lost points for missing other malware.

The user interface is clean and simple. A Scheduled Scan option adds an automated weekly virus check to the Windows Task Scheduler. There's also an option to create a rescue

VirusScan's real-time scanner checks files for viruses both when they're being introduced to the system and when they're being run. It seemed sometimes to get confused, popping up a second alert asking if we wanted to clean, quarantine or delete a file when we had already deleted it using the first one.

Incoming and outgoing e-mail is scanned and there's a WormStopper feature that blocks attempts by unknown worms to spread themselves to your friends and colleagues. Incoming instant messaging attachments are automatically scanned too, and a script blocker prevents any harm being done by malicious scripts embedded in e-mails and Web pages.

Most of VirusScan's options are set using the McAfee Security Center. This is designed to control McAfee's personal firewall, privacy service and spam killer too, and it shows annoying red warning alerts for the missing features.

VirusScan protects against viruses, but it's far too ordinary, especially considering the price. McAfee is one of the oldest names in anti-virus software and it could do a lot better than this.