McAfee is using an unorthodox, if not irresponsible, method of getting people to update their virus scan engine to 4.1.60 by making it report false infections when used with the 4229 DAT file.


http://vil.mcafee.com/dispVirus.asp?virus_k=99753
AVERT has received reports of false "W32/Insane.dam" detections when using the 4229 DAT files and old, and unsupported, engine versions 4.0.70, and 4.1.40.
Users who are seeing such a detection are urged to update their engine to the current version, 4.1.60, as soon as possible to correct this false detection.

Win9x/ME Users

Because the 4160 VxD engine without the hotfix is due to end of life on December 31, 2002, we recommend customers update using the following link: 4160 engine hotfix.
While this may certainly hasten people in upgrading to the new engine, it is also irresponsible in the regard that it uses a false virus detection to do this. Many people take extreme measures when confronted with virus warnings, getting out their recovery CD's and wiping everything from the hard drive. Conceivably, MIS departments could spend tens or hundreds of man-hours reacting to a virus threat that does not actually exist before realizing it was just a hoax generated by a company they were supposed to trust.

Also, it can cause mistrust between companies and individuals-- suppose you downloaded a hotfix from Microsoft only to have your virus scanner tell you it has the W32.Insane.dam virus?

Knowing about the underhandedness of McAfee, I would hesitate to install any version. How could I trust them ever again? How do I know the new engine doesn't send my all my credit card information and passwords to some secret server?