well it's that time of year again for me, all my machines antivirus update subscriptions are coming up for renewal. Around this time I usually just buy the newer version to get updated features along with another year of updates.
Rumor has it that Nortons Internet security is a Nightmare. So if you are in the know, please chime in here.
Is there an obvious better program out there if it is a nightmare that others are using? I have always pretty much had good luck with Nortons but maybe there are other up and coming prgrams out there?
[ November 17, 2004, 07:55 PM: Message edited by: Bob Rochon ]
Posted by Chris Elliott (Member # 1262) on :
I've got the same problem here, and just downloaded a couple of other programs to try.
After switching to a ZoneAlarm firewall & the FireFox browser (love 'em both), Outlook Express for email & Norton for utilities are next on my hit list. Especially since every upgrade I've bought from Norton seems to be more of a memory hog.
Posted by rene st-pierre (Member # 4116) on :
i use avg its good (better than norton for me) in the pass i have try norton profesional its a nightmare whit my firewall i like avg i have made a scan whit norton norton say no virus dtected an i have made the same whit avg an avg say 5 virus are cleaned now...............maybe avg is juste more inteligent its never easy have the best antivirus no one can say the same think.......... c-ya
Posted by Dave Utter (Member # 634) on :
AVG
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
I used Kaspersky for years. Whenever something happened, I'd need to call Russia and speak with a very marginal English speaking person who'd ask lots of questions like user number and what the messages say, and they'd get back to me in the next couple days. At one point the AVG came out and seemed to be some folks that left Kaspersky and I went with that. Now I'm back to Norton and finding it so simple and dependable and bundled with so many other usefull utilities. I used to be able to buy Norton and register it and load it on all my computers,but now,I think that you need to pay for each computer separately.
Posted by TransLab (Member # 470) on :
I've been using Kaspersky for about 5 years. I like it well and trust it to do it's job. I never did have to call Russia though. The only problem I ever had was getting a new key code to work one year and they solved that by email within 1 business day. Get the pro version and you can sweep network drives as well as local drives.
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
Norton and Mcafee is now rated near the middle of the list in anti virri softs. It aint what it used to be. It and Mcafee is getting bloated and CPU heavy. Tryin to do too much. If you ever get the dreaded "did not load" msg you will be in deep doodoo. Your machine will not boot no matter what you do.
Those in the know are turning to AVG or Kapersky. Very light on the CPU, and very effective. Does not have the dreaded unrecoverable crash.
Posted by Donna in BC (Member # 130) on :
Norton here. I do the live updates daily online and find it all pretty easy and effective.
Posted by Gavin Chachere (Member # 1443) on :
Another vote for AVG...updates automatically and doesnt use 15% of your system resources while it runs,and doesnt "quarantine" anything it removes it. Never installed Norton on anything that i didnt have to reformat eventually or put up with Norton continously trying to fix things that weren't broke,it just didn't recognize them. PITA continously
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
I have Norton on both of my machines..Desktop and laptop were just recently formatted..Desktop after 4 years of continual use and laptop after 2 years of use.
Never experienced a virus yet that got thru Norton.
AVG and Kapersky seem to have followers but for now I'll just trust what has been working for me all these years.
The BIG thing is...DO have SOME kind of anti-virus software running and keep it updated.
Posted by Scott Daniels (Member # 3455) on :
I'm using AVG for my secondary program. They keep it up to date with updates every couple of days. I used to use F-prot (www.f-prot.com) until just recently. My ISP (Charter) gave me a free antivirus/firewall license. Couldn't beat the price and it seems to work just as well as Zone Alarm and F-prot.
Posted by Dennis Raap (Member # 3632) on :
We were running Zone Alarm and Norton no problem, then we updated Norton took a day a half to figure out why computer crashed and get the Norton update out of system. It is not easy to remove the new Norton software so be careful when updating!!!
Posted by David Fisher (Member # 107) on :
My .05c Don't update the full software suite. Update the definition subscription. Depending on the version of NAV you're using and the operating system (version of windows) you may run into problems. Symantec will prefer to sell you an upgrade to the current version but I would be wary. On Win98 Norton Internet Security 04 MAY give you trouble, the 05 version will PROBABLY give you trouble. Best options: 1. Stick with the version you have and update definition subscription only or... 2. Image the drive on each machine b4 updating to 05 Norton is still a good product as are the others mentioned above but they all have some major issues to contend with. XP Service Pack 2 being one issue Older machines with limited resources running sunset software being the other. For my part if I were running 98 or ME I would not consider upgrading to the current version, even 04 has numerous issues particularly on 98 and ME. If you don't at least have a P4 or comparable AMD with plenty of RAM forget NAV 05 or its popular contemporaries. If you have specific network requirements such as streaming media forget it, Norton's police tactics will likely cause lockups on certain major protocols while it inspects packets etc.
BTW Curtis, I finally recieved the removeNAV tool after numerous calls but your email address is buried on a previous machine. If you email me at the address below I'll forward it HTH. David
[ November 18, 2004, 08:46 AM: Message edited by: David Fisher ]
Posted by Cam Bortz (Member # 55) on :
I've always liked Nortons. I have a 1972 Combat Commando 750 that I'm currently having the engine rebuilt, prior to a complete restoration/upgrade. It's an old bastard, but runs like a scalded cat when it's tuned right, and the rebuild should take care of the oil leak from around the head gasket. With a Boyer Branson electronic ignition and the new Mikunis, I should have a classic British roadster that is about as reliable as a new machine.
As for internet security, I have no idea.
Posted by Talisman (Member # 1869) on :
LOL Cam!!!
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
cam bortz..on a "SNORTIN NORTON"! WHODATHUNKIT!!!! always luved em and the ROYAL ENFIELDS....with that chrome tank......brits never got much right, but those 2 are a couple of their best!!!
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
[ November 18, 2004, 04:39 PM: Message edited by: Si Allen ]
Posted by Cam Bortz (Member # 55) on :
Fa chrissakes, Si, ef it don't leak oil, how the hell do I know they's any in theyah?
There is perhaps no sound in motorcycling as sublime as the deep throaty rumble of a Norton starting on the first kick - except, of course, when it starts on the tenth or twelfth kick after you've been fiddling with the carbs and swearing at it while secretly wishing you'd kept the Honda. Ahhhhhhh.......
Posted by Frank Magoo (Member # 3950) on :
Vincent Black Shadow....loved that bike!!! Then I discovered an Ariel square-four, ye-hah!!!!
Posted by Bill Cosharek (Member # 1274) on :
So, getting back to Norton Internet Security, if you're gonna get it, get version 2005. I'm assuming there will be less downloads than the 1&1/2+ hour downloads that were necessary to update version 2004. Anything previous to those versions won't detect all the viruses & spyware.
As with any of Nortons, there are many options to choose from. I keep the 'automatically check for updates' unchecked; otherwise it's always trying to connect online. There are usually no major updates until Wednesday evenings anyhow. Sometimes you might find updated virus defs within a week; or daily, if you have that special service.
In the past month or so, I've tried those spyware-finding programs. None of them found everything. One gave clues of where such were located (Spyware BeGone), but didn't eliminate it. Only the latest Norton AV & Internet Security (updates) ended the problems.
Now, did Nortons start the problem? Sometimes, I wonder. All this nonsense only started after I started receiving those messages that it was time to renew.
I tried the Firefox browser and it worked well for a few days. Then Juno refused to work with it. They prefer use of IE only. It was nice having no popups and having pages load instantly, but it was a memory hog. It keeps pages in memory on your hard-drive and would keep adding more & more if you let it. Once it began with the lockups, my only recourse was NIS (for better or worse). Not that it's any less of a memory hog, but at least I can control it.
Sometimes it tries to use memory locations which other programs expect to use and strange things begin to happen. Only restarting & defragging (or is that defragging then restarting?) will correct it.
Having a laptop with limited graphics memory is a problem. But having multiple partitions prevented numerous anomalies. Having the virtual memory & the temporary internet files moved off of drive C, has helped tremendously in the past. But now that NIS is in control, things have changed. It expects full use of drive C & often fragments it way sooner than usual. When it interferes with the graphics memory allocations, that's when the ____ hits the fan.
Incidentally, I've had a few NAV/NIS popups occur while on eBay & here in Letterville, since the Internet Security was installed. Each time (weren't that many) it advised of some nasty file was trying to get into my computer, but was stopped by Norton. Whether it actually mattered if I was on those sites or not, I don't know. Could've been just because I was online and where as incidental.
But I guess it wouldn't hurt if everybody had current anti-virus software installed. Or is Norton randomly creating these messages to make it seem like it's doing something important?
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