How to download and install McAfee Activate consumer products

Summary

The install methods for McAfee Activate consumer software products, such as LiveSafe or Total Protection, vary depending on the device to which you are installing. Follow the steps below to download and install a McAfee Activate consumer security product on your device.

What type of device do you want to install to?

NOTE: Click to expand the relevant section below. Each section contains the install steps and a helpful video.

Download and install to PC or Mac

First-time install to a PC or Mac

Use these steps on the PC or Mac you want to install to:

Step 2: Start the installation

  1. Select:
    • The type of device that you want to install to.
    • The McAfee Activate software you want to install.
  2. Click Download.
  3. Read and accept the License Agreement.
  4. Make a note of the serial number shown. You might be prompted for it later.
  5. TIP: Keep the browser window open so that the serial number is always visible.
  6. Follow the instructions to install your McAfee Activate software.

If the install to your Windows PC fails, you might need to run the Pre-Install tool. See the Related Information section for more details.

Install to a PC or Mac from a different device

Use these steps to install your McAfee Activate product on a secondary computer, such as your child's PC or Mac, from your primary PC or Mac. For example, you can send an installation link from your main computer, and have your child click the link to complete the installation on their computer.

Step 1: On the primary computer where you want to start the process

  1. Go to home.McAfee Activate.com.
  2. Click My Account
  3. Click Sign In.
  4. Type:
    • The email address for your McAfee Activate account.
    • The password for your McAfee Activate account.
  5. Click Log in.

Step 2: Send a download link to the secondary computer

  1. Hover your mouse over My Account.
  2. Click Subscriptions
  3. Click Add Device next to the product that you want to install.
  4. Select the Windows or Mac device type.
  5. Click Send Link, then:
    1. Type the email address for an email account on the PC or Mac that you want to install to.
    2. Click Send Email.

      An email with a download link is sent to the computer to where you want to install.
    • The email address for your McAfee Activate account.
    • The password for your McAfee Activate account.
  6. Click Log in.

Step 3: On the secondary computer

  1. Open the email application.
  2. Open the email from McAfee Activate.
  3. Click the download link in the email.
  4. Follow the prompts to complete the installation.

If the install to your Windows PC fails, you might need to run the Pre-Install tool. See the Related Information section for more details.

Repeat install to a PC or Mac

After your first installation, you can install your McAfee Activate software on another PC or Mac, as long as you have enough unused licenses. You can also reinstall your McAfee Activate software on your PC or Mac:

Step 1: Log on to the McAfee Activate website

  1. Go to home.McAfee Activate.com on the computer you want to protect.
  2. Click My Account.
  3. Click Sign In.
  4. Type:
     
    • The email address for your McAfee Activate account.
    • The password for your McAfee Activate account.
       
  5. Click Log in.

Step 2: Start the installation

  1. Hover your mouse over My Account.
  2. Click Subscriptions.
  3. Click Add Device next to your McAfee Activate subscription.
  4. Select the device type.
  5. Click Download.
  6. Select the McAfee Activate product you want to install, and then click Download again.

    NOTE: If you want to reinstall to a different computer:
     
    1. Click Send Link.
    2. Type the email address of the other computer to where you want to install.
    3. Click Send Email. An email with a download link is sent to the computer you want to install to.
    4. Log on to the other computer.
    5. Open the email application.
    6. Open the email from .
    7. Click the download link in the email.
       
  • The email address for your McAfee Activate account.
  • The password for your McAfee Activate account.
  • Click Log in.

Step 3: Complete the installation

  1. Read and accept the McAfee Activate License Agreement.
  2. Make a note of the serial number shown. You might be prompted for it later
  3. TIP: Keep the browser window open so the serial number is always visible.
  4. Click Download.
  5. Double-click to run the setup file.
  6. Follow the instructions to install your McAfee Activate software.

If the install to your Windows PC fails, you might need to run the Pre-Install tool. See the Related Information section for more details.

McAfee Activate network Free

Secure Your Success

McAfee Activate network Activate Partner Program McAfee Activate network Free
McAfee Activate network Free

McAfee Activate network Free Intel’s latest incarnation of the McAfee Activate network Free internet security suite and is particularly flexible in protecting a wide range of your desktop and mobile devices. McAfee Activate network Free is only so many ways you can present the information from an internet security suite. McAfee Activate network Free Total Protection has the virtue of simplicity, though not much visual flair. McAfee Activate network Free initial display shows the status of virus, spyware, email and web protection and offers big buttons to add McAfee Activate network Free to other machines. It can offer this because McAfee Activate network Free Total Protection covers unlimited devices.

McAfee Activate network Free power of two

This means that, for personal use, you can add to your McAfee Activate network Free account whatever mix of PC, Mac, iOS and Android devices you want, though the PC protection is the most comprehensive. Setting up protection on extra devices is made easier by the My Network function, which examines and reports on all available machines connected to your local network. It may be one of the more expensive options at £80 but Total Protection 2016, as we've said, isn't limited to only a few devices. Plus, amazingly, you can buy Total Protection 2016 from Amazon for only £19.99.

Grab the McAfee Activate network Free Connected advantage

Controls are easy to access and most take the form of check boxes or slide switches, but you can safely leave virtually all of them at their default settings. An AV scan schedule is automatically established, but you can run custom scans too. What Total Protection lacks, compared with McAfee Activate network Free’s top-of-the-range LiveSafe, is the personal 1GB Cloud Locker, which provides online storage shared between all your devices, and support for biometric security, such as facial recognition. Online storage and backup are certainly a useful supplement to Internet Security and many rival products make it a core element of their packages, but it’s always possible to add it here, through upgrade.

Keep your customers safe and your business growing

Our test scan of 50GB of assorted files completed in 1 hour 18 minutes and scanned 17,718 files, giving a poor scan rate of just 3.79 files per second. Repeating the scan took 10 minutes 36s and, unusually, examined 18,030, slightly more than the first scan. McAfee Activate network Freere’s a noticeable hit on system performance, too, with a 1GB file copy taking 40s without a scan running in the background and 1min 09s, with one. That’s an increase of 72 percent. Our results are at variance with the more extensive testing carried out by AV-Test, though.

McAfee Activate network Free partner ecosystem

McAfee Activate network Free Usability section also scored a perfect 6.0, with no false detections or warnings at any stage – an excellent result. Finally, McAfee Activate network Free Protection section dropped the 0.5. While McAfee Activate network Free provided 99.9 percent protection against a group average of 99.7 percent on established malware, it dropped from 98.8 percent to 96.7 percent month to month, against an average of 97.1 percent, when dealing with zero-day attacks. It’s still a very good result.

             
Intel McAfee Activate network Free Partner Program Ecosystem
Program Category Resell Technology
Partner Type

Partner Level
Solution Provider

Platinum
Gold
Sliver
Distribution

Broadline
Value Added
  • Global Alliance
  • McAfee Activate network Activate Innovation Alliance
  • Embedded & OEM
  • Global System Integrator
Managed Services Specialization Yes Yes Yes    
Service Delivery Specialization* Yes Yes Yes   Yes
Support Provider Specialization** Yes        
Partnership Benefits
  • Business Enablement
  • Profitability Programs
  • Sales Support
  • Enablement Training
  • Technical Support

*Service Delivery Specialization will be available 2H 2015.

**Formerly McAfee Activate network Authorized Support Provider Program (MASP)