Norton Anti-Virus
Discussion
Hi all,
We have Norton Anti-Virus 2006 software installed on the PC in our study, software which was bought with the computer from new around a year ago.
This morning the computer directed us to a re-subscription page, asking us to renew or upgrade our anti-virus software. So my question is...is this really necessary?
The re-subscription page advised of three different levels of 'upgrade': renew 2006, upgrade to 2007, or upgrade to a newer extended version of 2007. Is one of these upgrades a necessary upgrade for us? Will the anti-virus software currently installed continue to provide us with any cover?
Cheers.
We have Norton Anti-Virus 2006 software installed on the PC in our study, software which was bought with the computer from new around a year ago.
This morning the computer directed us to a re-subscription page, asking us to renew or upgrade our anti-virus software. So my question is...is this really necessary?
The re-subscription page advised of three different levels of 'upgrade': renew 2006, upgrade to 2007, or upgrade to a newer extended version of 2007. Is one of these upgrades a necessary upgrade for us? Will the anti-virus software currently installed continue to provide us with any cover?
Cheers.
ehyouwhat said:
Hi all,
We have Norton Anti-Virus 2006 software installed on the PC in our study, software which was bought with the computer from new around a year ago.
This morning the computer directed us to a re-subscription page, asking us to renew or upgrade our anti-virus software. So my question is...is this really necessary?
The re-subscription page advised of three different levels of 'upgrade': renew 2006, upgrade to 2007, or upgrade to a newer extended version of 2007. Is one of these upgrades a necessary upgrade for us? Will the anti-virus software currently installed continue to provide us with any cover?
Cheers.
OK, in the order asked: We have Norton Anti-Virus 2006 software installed on the PC in our study, software which was bought with the computer from new around a year ago.
This morning the computer directed us to a re-subscription page, asking us to renew or upgrade our anti-virus software. So my question is...is this really necessary?
The re-subscription page advised of three different levels of 'upgrade': renew 2006, upgrade to 2007, or upgrade to a newer extended version of 2007. Is one of these upgrades a necessary upgrade for us? Will the anti-virus software currently installed continue to provide us with any cover?
Cheers.
1) Its totally unnecessary. Symantec is awful, costs the earth and takes up a huge memory footprint. And theres better out there for less.
2) If you wish to stay with Symantec, then yes, at the very least, you would have to renew your subscription to 2006.
3) The current version you have installed has now stopped working. Thus it is as useful as an ashtray on a rollercoaster.
I strongly recommend you Google AVG Free. It a completely free anti virus program, and takes far less memory than Norton.
HTH,
Greg
Yep, ditch Norton. The past four or five machines I've been given by friends or relatives who've complained of their system 'being slow' have had a particular Norton product on there. I've either turned off any features that it was safe to (given their usage) or uninstalled it....lo and behold, it performs more like it should do.
I'm sure it does what it says on the tin, but there must some small print on there that says 'gobbles system resources'.
I'm sure it does what it says on the tin, but there must some small print on there that says 'gobbles system resources'.
Quinny said:
Norton gets everywhere, and it takes some getting rid of.
Bears repeating. Often with Norton and Symantec home products, simply whacking the uninstaller won't remove the damn thing, lazy sods require you to uninstall in either safe mode, download utilities to assist with uninstallation OR to run the various modules uninstall program seperatley and in a specific order.
Quinny said:
GregE240 said:
Keep hearing good things about NOD32, chaps.
Whats it got that AVG, for example, hasn't?
Whats it got that AVG, for example, hasn't?
The ability to stop Viruses is a good start
Erm. If I were to pull up the AVG website and look at the charts and stats... AVG would trounce all the others... same if I look at nod32 on nod's website.
AVG does work
And catches stuff rather well. Just saying. Personally, flip a coin. Heads AVG, Tails nod32.
I've never run any AV software on my machine.
In the twelve years I've run a home machine online I've caught KAK (which all the major AV vendors missed for about two days), and code red, (I keeled over in the face of a clients time pressure, and updated their site before applieng patches in my production environment).
I've always run an external router with a firewall, and never clicked on anything silly. I've had a couple of concerns and use housecall occasionally just in case but never had anything nasty for years.
The whole AV industry is a rip off IMO.
In the twelve years I've run a home machine online I've caught KAK (which all the major AV vendors missed for about two days), and code red, (I keeled over in the face of a clients time pressure, and updated their site before applieng patches in my production environment).
I've always run an external router with a firewall, and never clicked on anything silly. I've had a couple of concerns and use housecall occasionally just in case but never had anything nasty for years.
The whole AV industry is a rip off IMO.
Quinny said:
ThePassenger said:
Erm. If I were to pull up the AVG website and look at the charts and stats... AVG would trounce all the others... same if I look at nod32 on nod's website.
AVG does work And catches stuff rather well. Just saying.
Personally, flip a coin. Heads AVG, Tails nod32.
AVG does work
And catches stuff rather well. Just saying. Personally, flip a coin. Heads AVG, Tails nod32.
I didn't base my purchase on the providers info, I based it on PH recommendations, some of our IT people at work and magazine tests.
Discounting the magazine tests (if I waved a wodge of money I could get a mag to say a Fiat uno out performs a Ferrari).
That leaves the IT crowd at work and PH.
To be quite honest, the flip a coin method of choosing between them will work. Neither AVG or nod32's AV engine are heavily targetted by virus writers (unlike Norton/Symantec) so you pretty safe with either. Naturally once either of those two products becomes overly popular we will see it being disabled or munged by viri. Although, I will admit that we're likley to see viruses targetting AVG before nod32 simply due to the products age and market penetration.
Aw sh1t I've only just seen all of this. I've always been under the impression that Norton was good and so I've had it and re-subscribed/updated since 2003. In fact I only re-newed the bl00dy thing a week ago and upgraded to 2007 and systemworks.
Now I'm a bit of a computer numpty but even I know when something is slow (that is the benefit of having a TVR )
Is Norton really that crap?
I'm really concious of getting viruses and the like, having to have my computer re-built because of them
so I have Norton Ad-Aware and spybot installed on my pc.
What would you do - dump Norton now and swallow the money paid as a lesson, download one of the above alternatives and enjoy a faster computer? Or should I stick it out now I've paid for it for another 350 days and then dump it on renewal?
If I dump Norton now how does a numpty get all of it off the system and how do you get protection before uninstalling?
Thanks for any help/advice
Paul
Now I'm a bit of a computer numpty but even I know when something is slow (that is the benefit of having a TVR
) Is Norton really that crap?
I'm really concious of getting viruses and the like, having to have my computer re-built because of them
so I have Norton Ad-Aware and spybot installed on my pc. What would you do - dump Norton now and swallow the money paid as a lesson, download one of the above alternatives and enjoy a faster computer? Or should I stick it out now I've paid for it for another 350 days and then dump it on renewal?
If I dump Norton now how does a numpty get all of it off the system and how do you get protection before uninstalling?
Thanks for any help/advice
Paul
Norton - Nuke it from orbit, its the only way to be sure!
or
You can dowload the uninstaller from their website. This is of course the give away. The installation you have has an uninstall and it doesn't work so you have to go to their website and get the uninstaller that does work (probably written by someone else).
or
You can dowload the uninstaller from their website. This is of course the give away. The installation you have has an uninstall and it doesn't work so you have to go to their website and get the uninstaller that does work (probably written by someone else).
Edited by malman on Wednesday 8th November 14:43
Edited by malman on Wednesday 8th November 14:43
TreVoR Cheddar said:
Podie said:
Norton 
Thanks for that illuminating, helpful and advice filled reply Podie, it really answered all my questions
So IYHO - dump now or dump later?
It's the sort of answer all my customers get..
Read GregE240's post - says about all you need to know.
If you insist on paying for such things, then go for the McAfee suite. The AVG stuff is bloody good.
If you'd like a somewhat boring diatribe, then I'm happy to sort summat out.
Sorry Pod, but McAfee -
Their Internet Suite is about as Bloatware as Nortons product.
I despise them for making home users pay top dollar for their product, and then attempt to strong arm you into renewing with them, out of nothing more than fear.
Both vendors have huge presence in the business marketplace, so they really don't need to charge the home user quite so much. But hell they do.
Their Internet Suite is about as Bloatware as Nortons product.
I despise them for making home users pay top dollar for their product, and then attempt to strong arm you into renewing with them, out of nothing more than fear.
Both vendors have huge presence in the business marketplace, so they really don't need to charge the home user quite so much. But hell they do.
GregE240 said:
Sorry Pod, but McAfee -
Their Internet Suite is about as Bloatware as Nortons product.
I despise them for making home users pay top dollar for their product, and then attempt to strong arm you into renewing with them, out of nothing more than fear.
Both vendors have huge presence in the business marketplace, so they really don't need to charge the home user quite so much. But hell they do.
Their Internet Suite is about as Bloatware as Nortons product.
I despise them for making home users pay top dollar for their product, and then attempt to strong arm you into renewing with them, out of nothing more than fear.
Both vendors have huge presence in the business marketplace, so they really don't need to charge the home user quite so much. But hell they do.
I'd rather McAfee than Norton... as I said; if you feel you have to pay for summat. At least with McAfee bloatware, you can get the suite for < £20 for the OEM version.
Podie said:
I'd rather McAfee than Norton... as I said; if you feel you have to pay for summat. At least with McAfee bloatware, you can get the suite for < £20 for the OEM version.
Yeeeeeees..... Rather like saying you prefer getting stung by bees rather than wasps. I mean, the McAfee suite took bloody ages to load up....you could actually see it strangling your PC.....
GregE240 said:
Podie said:
I'd rather McAfee than Norton... as I said; if you feel you have to pay for summat. At least with McAfee bloatware, you can get the suite for < £20 for the OEM version.
Yeeeeeees..... Rather like saying you prefer getting stung by bees rather than wasps. I mean, the McAfee suite took bloody ages to load up....you could actually see it strangling your PC.....
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