Serious Discussion Mcafee does not play well with O&O Diskimage

Divine_Barakah

Divine_Barakah

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It seems there is some incompatibility issue between Mcafee and O&O Diskimage Premium 21. When I start a backup job in DI, I can hear my laptop fan goes crazy.
I tried a system reboot, but that did not fix the issue and there is a noticeable system slowdown to the point I could not open task manager.

I restored a system image. I must clarify that there are no issues between DI and Norton or BD.


Anyone willing to test and see?
 
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Divine_Barakah said:
It seems there is some incompatibility issue between Mcafee and O&O Diskimage Premium 21. When I start a backup job in DI, I can hear my laptop fan goes crazy.
I tried a system reboot, but that did not fix the issue and there is a noticeable system slowdown to the point I could not open task manager.

I restored a system image. I must clarify that there are no issues between DI and Norton or BD.


Anyone willing to test and see?
Click to expand...
From what you describe, it does sound like McAfee may be hammering the disk image operations (real‑time scanning every read/write), which would explain the fan ramping up and the system becoming unresponsive. Since you don’t see this with Norton or BD, it’s likely McAfee‑specific behavior rather than O&O alone.

I can’t run tests myself, but here are some practical things you (and anyone else who wants to test) can try and report back.

1. Things to check / test on your own system

  • Confirm the versions
    • Exact McAfee product and version (e.g. LiveSafe / Total Protection, build number).
    • O&O DiskImage 21 exact build.
    • Windows version/build (e.g. 11 23H2, 10 22H2).
  • Reproduce with and without McAfee active
    • Run the same backup job:
      • Once with McAfee real‑time protection enabled.
      • Once with McAfee temporarily disabled (if you’re comfortable, offline, and not doing anything else risky).
    • If the issue vanishes as soon as McAfee is off, that’s strong evidence of a conflict or aggressive scanning.
  • Add exclusions in McAfee
    Try excluding:
    • O&O DiskImage executables (e.g. oodiv11.exe, oodiman.exe, etc., depending on the exact version).
    • The folder where your backup images are stored.
    • Any temporary folder O&O uses (check settings in DiskImage).
    Then run the backup again and see if:
    • Fan noise / CPU usage drops.
    • System remains responsive.
  • Check Task Manager / Resource Monitor (if possible)
    If you can get Task Manager open:
    • On Processes and Details tabs, look for:
      • McAfee processes consuming high CPU or disk I/O.
      • O&O processes consuming unusual CPU.
    • In Resource Monitor → Disk tab, see which process is generating the most I/O during the backup.
  • Try a different backup type
    • Run a small file/folder backup instead of full image.
    • Run an incremental image vs a full image.
    If only full images cause the meltdown, it further points to McAfee not liking heavy low‑level disk access.

2. For anyone else willing to test

If other members want to help, it would be useful to post:

  • OS version/build.
  • McAfee product and build.
  • O&O DiskImage 21 build.
  • Backup type (full, incremental, differential; system/image vs file backup).
  • Source/destination (internal SSD → external HDD/SSD, etc.).
  • What happens:
    • Fan/CPU behavior.
    • System responsiveness.
    • CPU/Disk usage of McAfee and O&O during backup.

That kind of detail will make it easier to see whether this is:
  • A general incompatibility.
  • A specific combination (e.g. certain McAfee build + certain Windows build).
  • Or a misconfiguration/over‑aggressive setting.

3. Next steps if it looks reproducible

If you (or others) can consistently reproduce it only when McAfee is active:

  • Collect logs/screenshots (Task Manager, Resource Monitor).
  • Open a ticket with:
    • O&O support (they are usually interested in AV conflicts).
    • McAfee support with your logs and settings.
  • Mention clearly that:
    • The same O&O job runs fine under Norton and Bitdefender.
    • Only McAfee triggers this heavy slowdown.

Summary
Your description does suggest a McAfee–O&O interaction problem under heavy disk imaging. I can’t test personally, but if you and other members can:
  • Compare behavior with/without McAfee.
  • Try exclusions and different backup types.
  • Share versions and resource usage details.
…it should become clear whether this is a broader incompatibility that needs vendor attention.
 
Bot said:
From what you describe, it does sound like McAfee may be hammering the disk image operations (real‑time scanning every read/write), which would explain the fan ramping up and the system becoming unresponsive. Since you don’t see this with Norton or BD, it’s likely McAfee‑specific behavior rather than O&O alone.

I can’t run tests myself, but here are some practical things you (and anyone else who wants to test) can try and report back.

1. Things to check / test on your own system

  • Confirm the versions
    • Exact McAfee product and version (e.g. LiveSafe / Total Protection, build number).
    • O&O DiskImage 21 exact build.
    • Windows version/build (e.g. 11 23H2, 10 22H2).
  • Reproduce with and without McAfee active
    • Run the samebackup job:
      • Once with McAfee real‑time protection enabled.
      • Once with McAfee temporarily disabled (if you’re comfortable, offline, and not doing anything else risky).
    • If the issue vanishes as soon as McAfee is off, that’s strong evidence of a conflict or aggressive scanning.
  • Add exclusions in McAfee
    Try excluding:
    • O&O DiskImage executables (e.g. oodiv11.exe, oodiman.exe, etc., depending on the exact version).
    • The folder where your backup images are stored.
    • Any temporary folder O&O uses (check settings in DiskImage).
    Then run the backup again and see if:
    • Fan noise / CPU usage drops.
    • System remains responsive.
  • Check Task Manager / Resource Monitor (if possible)
    If you can get Task Manager open:
    • On Processes and Detailstabs, look for:
      • McAfee processes consuming high CPU or disk I/O.
      • O&O processes consuming unusual CPU.
    • In Resource Monitor → Disk tab, see which process is generating the most I/O during the backup.
  • Try a different backup type
    • Run a small file/folder backup instead of full image.
    • Run an incremental image vs a full image.
    If only full images cause the meltdown, it further points to McAfee not liking heavy low‑level disk access.

2. For anyone else willing to test

If other members want to help, it would be useful to post:

  • OS version/build.
  • McAfee product and build.
  • O&O DiskImage 21 build.
  • Backup type (full, incremental, differential; system/image vs file backup).
  • Source/destination (internal SSD → external HDD/SSD, etc.).
  • What happens:
    • Fan/CPU behavior.
    • System responsiveness.
    • CPU/Disk usage of McAfee and O&O during backup.

That kind of detail will make it easier to see whether this is:
  • A general incompatibility.
  • A specific combination (e.g. certain McAfee build + certain Windows build).
  • Or a misconfiguration/over‑aggressive setting.

3. Next steps if it looks reproducible

If you (or others) can consistently reproduce it only when McAfee is active:

  • Collect logs/screenshots (Task Manager, Resource Monitor).
  • Open a ticket with:
    • O&O support (they are usually interested in AV conflicts).
    • McAfee support with your logs and settings.
  • Mention clearly that:
    • The same O&O job runs fine under Norton and Bitdefender.
    • Only McAfee triggers this heavy slowdown.

Summary
Your description does suggest a McAfee–O&O interaction problem under heavy disk imaging. I can’t test personally, but if you and other members can:
  • Compare behavior with/without McAfee.
  • Try exclusions and different backup types.
  • Share versions and resource usage details.
…it should become clear whether this is a broader incompatibility that needs vendor attention.
Click to expand...
As I said the issue does not happen with either of Norton or BD, but it definitely happens when running McAfee.

The problem is that the system becomes unresponsive and making a system image takes a lot of time, so this is irritating.
 
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Divine_Barakah said:
As I said the issue does not happen with either of Norton or BD, but it definitely happens when running McAfee.

The problem is that the system becomes unresponsive and making a system image takes a lot of time, so this is irritating.
Click to expand...
What you’re seeing is consistent with McAfee aggressively scanning every block that O&O DiskImage touches, which will both slow the backup and make the system feel “stuck”. The fact that Norton and Bitdefender don’t do this on your system strongly suggests it’s McAfee‑specific behavior, not O&O in general.

You’re right that this is irritating for long image jobs, so the only realistic options are to work around McAfee, or change AV.

1. Easiest practical workarounds with McAfee

  • Run backups “offline” with McAfee reduced
    If you’re comfortable with it:
    • Disconnect from the internet (Wi‑Fi off / Ethernet unplugged).
    • Temporarily disable real‑time scanning in McAfee only for the duration of the backup.
    • Run the O&O image job.
    This is crude, but if the machine is offline and you’re only running O&O during that time, the risk is minimal and it should prevent the system freeze.
  • Set proper exclusions in McAfee
    This is the cleaner workaround to try:

    Exclude:
    • The O&O DiskImage program folder (all .exe, usually in C:\Program Files\O&O\DiskImage\ or similar).
    • Your backup destination drive/folder (e.g. external HDD/SSD where the images are stored).
    • The file type O&O uses for images (e.g. .omg or whatever your version uses).

    Then reboot and:
    • Start a new image backup.
    • See if the fan still goes crazy and the system locks up.

    If exclusions don’t help much, it means McAfee is still intercepting a lot of low‑level disk I/O despite them.
  • Try lowering O&O’s priority
    In some backup tools you can set the process priority or “run in background mode”. If DiskImage 21 has such an option:
    • Set it to low or background.
    • Test again.
    This won’t stop McAfee scanning, but it may make the UI a bit more responsive while the job runs.

2. Best long‑term workaround: use the O&O boot medium

For regular system images, the cleanest solution is to bypass McAfee entirely:

  • Create the O&O DiskImage bootable rescue medium (USB/DVD) from within DiskImage.
  • Boot your laptop from that medium.
  • Run the backup from there, with Windows (and McAfee) not running at all.

Benefits:
  • No AV overhead, so backups are usually faster and smoother.
  • No system unresponsiveness, because your main OS is offline.
  • More reliable imaging of system partitions (no live files in use).

This is what many users do regardless of AV, precisely to avoid these kinds of conflicts.

3. Consider whether McAfee is worth the hassle

Since you already know:
  • Norton + DiskImage = OK
  • Bitdefender + DiskImage = OK
  • McAfee + DiskImage = system nearly unusable

You have a strong case that:
  • Either McAfee needs a fix/whitelisting for DiskImage’s behavior.
  • Or it’s simply not a good fit for your backup setup right now.

If backups are important (they usually are), it may be more practical to:
  • Stick with Norton or BD (which you already know behave fine), or
  • Use McAfee only if you rely on the O&O boot medium for all serious backups.

4. If you want vendors (or other users) to take a serious look

If you’re willing, it helps to post or collect:
  • Exact McAfee product + version/build.
  • O&O DiskImage 21 build.
  • Windows version (e.g. 10 22H2 / 11 23H2).
  • Type of backup (full system image, incremental, target drive).

With that, you can:
  • Open a ticket with O&O support and McAfee support, explaining:
    • “Same system, same O&O job, runs fine on Norton/Bitdefender.”
    • “With McAfee installed, system becomes unresponsive and backup time skyrockets.”

Until/unless they fix it, the practical choices are:
  • Exclusions + offline runs, or
  • Bootable media for backups, or
  • Use a different AV that you already know behaves better with DiskImage.

If you share your versions here, other members may be able to test the same combo and confirm it’s not just your machine.
 
Divine_Barakah said:
Thank you! This sounds like a good and practical workaround. I wish I tried it before restoring the system image.
Click to expand...
You’re welcome — restoring an image was still a perfectly reasonable reaction given how unresponsive the system was, so nothing “wrong” with what you did.

If you try again with McAfee next time, I’d suggest this routine:

  • Disconnect from the internet.
  • Disable McAfee real‑time protection temporarily.
  • Run the O&O backup.
  • Re‑enable McAfee as soon as the backup finishes.

Or, if you want to avoid this completely, you can rely on the O&O boot medium for your regular system images and let McAfee run normally inside Windows.

If you do more testing with McAfee and DiskImage and see any pattern (e.g. only full images, only to certain drives, etc.), feel free to post the details — it could help others in the same situation.
 

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