Problem with McAfee WebScanX and the Windows Installer 3.1

After installing the new Windows Installer 3.1 on my PC that is using McAfee VirusScan (6.02.2000.1) with scansystem 4.4.00, the WebScanX process, part of McAfee VirusScan, wouldn't start correctly.

As I updated not only the Windows Installer, it took me a while to find that this update conflicted with part of my VirusScanner. By uninstalling one update after the other and trying to start McAfee again, after uninstalling the Windows Installer 3.1 update I found that the WebScanX process started correctly again. After applying the other uninstalled updates again, everything worked as before. So problem found, including a solution.

Later I was looking on the Internet I searched for other people describing this problem, surely I wouldn't be the only one to experience this problem. And so I found some useful suggestions: 1) to uninstall the Windows Installer 3.1 (KB893803) (as I already found, but this tip would have saved me quite some time) and 2) to disable some of the features of McAfee VirusScan (e-mail scan, download scan and internet filter), disabling these features wouldn't decrease safety so it stated, but I rather have my scanner functioning fully.

I needed the new Windows Installer, so for a few weeks I disabled my e-mail scan, download scan and internet filter. This worked ok, but I wasn't happy with it, I wanted my VirusScanner working properly again. Then a new idea came to me... this I would try. And yes it worked!

After installing the Windows Installer update, a directory named '$MSI31Uninstall_KB893803v2$' was made in the windows/winnt directory. It's a hidden directory, so you may not see it. In this directory the older version of the Windows Installer is backed-up for re-installment after an uninstall of the new version. Five files where of interest to me, the .exe and the .dll files:

As I know from experience, an application using functionality directly from a .dll file, the application first looks in it's own directory for loading the .dll, before looking in the windows/winnt and system32 directories. So by placing the files in the directory where the McAfee executables resides, I would assure that these .dll version would be used by McAfee. So I copied the 5 files to my 'C:\Program Files\McAfee\McAfee VirusScan' directory and turned on the disabled parts again. And... IT WORKED...

So, if you wish to Install the Windows Installer 3.1 update and have McAfee 6, this might be the solution for you.

Greetings, Ronald.