1 This is the SOB who ruined anti-virus software. All I can say is, don't use any of his stuff.

2 Dana, could you elaborate on that?  I don't understand how antivirus software works, frankly, and so have little context to understand what you said.

3 Initially, anti-virus software (Flu-Shot, etc.) worked by identifying the presence of a virus by spotting its behavior, and wiping it out. Actually, it got fussy everytime it detected something new on your machine. It was a tad inconvenient because every time you installed a new program on your computer, the anti-virus program made you "bless" it as being something you'd installed (actually, some security suites do that these days).

But McAfee sold the computer community on the idea that it was better for anti-virus programs to be able to identify each virus individually and zap it, because that's how HIS stuff worked -- despite the fact that it meant that each virus had to be identified and a "killer" had to be developed for it. Anyhow, he conned the whole industry, and they bought it, and Peter Norton (Symantec) went along with it, and pretty soon all the anti-virus programs worked that way. And the programs like Flu-Shot died.
So if you used his (or anybody else's) crap that worked this way, and got a new virus on your machine, you had to somehow identify it, and go to a site that had a single-purpose killer to get rid of it, then wait for updated "definitions" for your anti-virus program to include the ability to kill that new virus. And that's where we are to this day.
That make sense?

4 Ah...I think I get it. Basically McAfee makes you go back to him for updated definitions, for an already made cure, rather than spotting something that looks funny and attacking it. 

I do remember when the computer used to ask you if you intended to download a program. It never does anymore.

5 I dunno what protection you're using now, nor what version of Windows, but over a year ago I read an article by a "guy who should know" who said that Windows Defender was actually the best anti-virus out there, because it handled all of Windows' idiosyncrasies and didn't get in the way of the browsers, and did all the necessary updating. Said it was best with Windows 10 but was OK with 7.

I was using a different AV that was getting crankier with every newer version and decided to try it. Lo and behold, it worked. On my wife's machine, suddenly it stopped working and I found that Microsoft Security Suite had taken over, but was doing the job OK. Now I have Windows 10 on my machine and Defender is working fine.
And no subscription $$$!

In both cases I made sure I had Windows Firewall rinning full-tilt.

6 Well, I'm using a decrepit computer with Vista on it. I have another computer with Windows 10, but it gives me a lot of trouble and I accidentally downloaded the Firefox program in Esperanto, as you may remember, so I never know what the heck is going on with that stupid thing. I have Defender on the old computer, and the new one came with Norton. I haven't had any problems, but then I can hardly get into anything these days with dialup and these old gadgets.

I suspect I don't pick up too many viruses; who is making them for such old machines?