Why you should never buy Symantec / Norton products

[Dave]

Built a computer for my nephew a couple years ago. It was so nice at the
time, that it's still a decent gaming machine. He's living with mom's
boyfriend, who was trying to be helpful. So he (mom's boyfriend) upgraded
the system from (sygate personal firewall plus AVG anti-virus) to Norton
Internet Security 2006. My nephew said he was having trouble connecting to
the Internet after that, but I didn't know about Norton. So my nephew came
over to stay with us for a few weeks, and brought the whole computer system
with him. I couldn't get his computer to connect to our network at all.
Plus I found some files in the startup tab that looked suspiciously like
virus activity. But the system was protected by Norton, so it couldn't be
virus activity, could it?

Anyway, from previous experience, I know that Norton anything usually causes
more problems than it attempts to fix. But I didn't want to leave the
system unprotected. So I disconnected the system from the Internet
temporarily. Then I installed an old (but still works great!) version of
sygate personal firewall, plus the latest versions of AVG and Avast!
antivirus software.

So the system is still disconnected from the Internet, and I'm attempting to
uninstall Norton. Norton takes forever to uninstall (several minutes).
DURING THIS TIME, Avast! pops up a warning saying it's found a trojan on the
hard drive. (shit!) Later, Norton is still in the process of uninstalling
and AVG pops up a warning that it found a virus on the hard drive. (double
SHIT!!!)

So I finally got Norton uninstalled, connected the LAN, rebooted, and
confirmed that the system was connecting just fine to the Internet again.
(but now protected by a hardware firewall, a software firewall, and two
antivirus programs). Then I scheduled a virus scan (on boot) with Avast!
On reboot, Avast! ran a complete scan and found MANY DOZENS of trojan and
virus files.

And how much did the helpful "mom's boyfriend" spend on that worthless
Norton software? I don't want to know. -Dave

 

[Don Freeman]

So I finally got Norton uninstalled, connected the LAN, rebooted, and
confirmed that the system was connecting just fine to the Internet again.
(but now protected by a hardware firewall, a software firewall, and two
antivirus programs). Then I scheduled a virus scan (on boot) with Avast!
On reboot, Avast! ran a complete scan and found MANY DOZENS of trojan and
virus files.

I had a similar experience, only I could never get Norton completely
uninstalled, I had to manually delete some of the files and there are still
some registry entries it left behind. Peter Norton's tools used to be
considered the pinnacle of PC diagnostic and utility tools. He should sue
Symantic for defamation of character.

 

[Abe]

He should sue Symantec for defamation of character.
You mean for trashing his legacy.

 

[Don Freeman]

You mean for trashing his legacy.

Exactly.

 

[HDRDTD]

He may have installed but never made sure it was kept up to date.

 

[itemyar]

I've been using Symantec products for years and have never had a problem.
For a short time, 'cause I was broke, I tried AVG and it worked okay, but I
went back to Norton when I built my new PC. 'Guess it's kind of like cars,
you have a bad experience with a Ford and you never buy one again!

 

[Geoff]

Nice story but if you have a list of viruses that AVG found, I would be
willing to bet those viruses are list at www.sarc.com, Symantec anti-virus
research center. It is more likely the virus definitions were not kept up
to date.

However, I agree with others, I do not think Norton products are as good as
they used to be.

-g

 

[Fishface]

I had a similar experience, only I could never get Norton completely
uninstalled, I had to manually delete some of the files and there are still
some registry entries it left behind.

My employer bought a used Apple computer. He bought new Norton Internet
Security Suite from Symantec. The computer already had the program installed.
The uninstall program demanded the product key to uninstall. Didn't have it, couldn't
get it. The guy in India said he'd send a program to remove it. He didn't.

Another time, Symantec sales sent a disk that the computer could not read. After
waiting a half hour, the guy in India gave me another phone number. Another half
hour, another guy in India told me the first phone number. Glad I was getting paid,
but I and we are so done with Symantec.

 

[Dave]

He may have installed but never made sure it was kept up to date.

Every anti-virus I've ever installed has kept itself updated automatically,
by default. Why would norton be different? Oh, yet another reason not to
buy norton, I guess. -Dave

 

[Dave]

Nice story but if you have a list of viruses that AVG found, I would be
willing to bet those viruses are list at www.sarc.com, Symantec anti-virus
research center. It is more likely the virus definitions were not kept up
to date.

Again, shouldn't anti-virus software update itself automatically, by
default? While using Norton, he was connected to the Internet via DSL modem
at least every other day. (though Norton itself was causing intermittent
Internet connection problems)

My point is, if the software wasn't updated regularly, that's a built-in
bug, errrrr . . . feature, of the software itself. -Dave

 

[itemyar]

Was the subscription up to date? It's not a free program, you have to pay
to renew the subscription each year, otherwise it's going to stop retrieving
updates when it runs out.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Seymour Bigby-Heinz]

Again, shouldn't anti-virus software update itself automatically, by
default? While using Norton, he was connected to the Internet via DSL modem
at least every other day. (though Norton itself was causing intermittent
Internet connection problems)

Dave, you don't even know if the 'mother's boyfriend' left the
software in it's default configuration. Many people shut off automatic
updates on a variety of software when they prefer to control when the
updates are done.

Anecdotal evidence of one bad experience is completely lame. I use a
variety of antivirus packages for maintaining my machines and
Symantec is among the better ones.

Sy

 

[ameijers]

(snip)
Dave, you don't even know if the 'mother's boyfriend' left the
software in it's default configuration. Many people shut off automatic
updates on a variety of software when they prefer to control when the
updates are done.

Anecdotal evidence of one bad experience is completely lame. I use a
variety of antivirus packages for maintaining my machines and
Symantec is among the better ones.

I quite agree, and we have SAV (the modern name for Norton) running on about
2000 boxes at work. I use it at home because our corp license lets employees
use it free at home. The firewall alert lights up avery few minutes when I
am online. Damn spammers and botnet twerps are gonna kill the internet.....

aem sends...

 

[JAD]

Dave, you don't even know if the 'mother's boyfriend' left the
software in it's default configuration. Many people shut off automatic
updates on a variety of software when they prefer to control when the
updates are done.

Anecdotal evidence of one bad experience is completely lame. I use a
variety of antivirus packages for maintaining my machines and
Symantec is among the better ones.

Sy

you have to use a ' variety ' because you use scamantic

 

[JAD]

I quite agree, and we have SAV (the modern name for Norton) running on about
2000 boxes at work. I use it at home because our corp license lets employees
use it free at home. The firewall alert lights up avery few minutes when I
am online. Damn spammers and botnet twerps are gonna kill the internet.....

aem sends...

they all been running scamantic from the git go? then you don't know what
your missing in regards to system performance. Most people blame HP Compaq
etc or the ever popular MS for norton system worse and its destruction.

 

[Charlie Wilkes]

Built a computer for my nephew a couple years ago. It was so nice at the
time, that it's still a decent gaming machine. He's living with mom's
boyfriend, who was trying to be helpful. So he (mom's boyfriend) upgraded
the system from (sygate personal firewall plus AVG anti-virus) to Norton
Internet Security 2006. My nephew said he was having trouble connecting to
the Internet after that, but I didn't know about Norton. So my nephew came
over to stay with us for a few weeks, and brought the whole computer system
with him. I couldn't get his computer to connect to our network at all.
Plus I found some files in the startup tab that looked suspiciously like
virus activity. But the system was protected by Norton, so it couldn't be
virus activity, could it?

Anyway, from previous experience, I know that Norton anything usually causes
more problems than it attempts to fix. But I didn't want to leave the
system unprotected. So I disconnected the system from the Internet
temporarily. Then I installed an old (but still works great!) version of
sygate personal firewall, plus the latest versions of AVG and Avast!
antivirus software.

So the system is still disconnected from the Internet, and I'm attempting to
uninstall Norton. Norton takes forever to uninstall (several minutes).
DURING THIS TIME, Avast! pops up a warning saying it's found a trojan on the
hard drive. (shit!) Later, Norton is still in the process of uninstalling
and AVG pops up a warning that it found a virus on the hard drive. (double
SHIT!!!)

So I finally got Norton uninstalled, connected the LAN, rebooted, and
confirmed that the system was connecting just fine to the Internet again.
(but now protected by a hardware firewall, a software firewall, and two
antivirus programs). Then I scheduled a virus scan (on boot) with Avast!
On reboot, Avast! ran a complete scan and found MANY DOZENS of trojan and
virus files.

And how much did the helpful "mom's boyfriend" spend on that worthless
Norton software? I don't want to know. -Dave

Yeah. It's crazy. If you managed to uninstall Norton, you're doing
better than I could. The last system I looked at, I basically told
the person, I can't get this off, and it is the problem, so the only
solution I know is to back up your data so I can purge your drive and
start over. She decided to muddle through.

Charlie

 

[Charlie Wilkes]

I quite agree, and we have SAV (the modern name for Norton) running on about
2000 boxes at work. I use it at home because our corp license lets employees
use it free at home. The firewall alert lights up avery few minutes when I
am online. Damn spammers and botnet twerps are gonna kill the internet.....

aem sends...

Yeah, if you've got IT people maintaining the installations, it
probably works. But the average person, cut loose with Norton AV, is
highly likely to end up with problems. My experience may be
anecdotal, but I've got a lot of anecdotes in my file at this point,
and I'm not even in the business, just a friendly neighbor.

http://free.grisoft.com for those who need something that (a) works
and (b) won't cause problems. The fact that it's free is just gravy
in a category this important.

Charlie

 

[ToolPackinMama]

Anyway, from previous experience, I know that Norton anything usually causes
more problems than it attempts to fix.

LOL, OMG that is true! I habitually warn people away from Norton
products, nowadays.

 

[ToolPackinMama]

they all been running scamantic from the git go? then you don't know what
your missing in regards to system performance.

You ain't never lie. I would never recommend Norton products - not only
because they are unnecessarily bloated, top-heavy, annoying, and
complex, - not only because they dig their damn tentacles in so deep in
so many directions that it is impossible to neatly uninstall - not only
because it is over-hyped and over-priced - mainly because it causes
visible, palpable system slowdown.

Plus, IMHO Norton antivirus has been compromised, it seems. Every
single person I serviced who had Norton antivirus turned out to be
infected with something. Usually several somethings. And most of them
WERE keeping it updated.

 

[Seymour Bigby-Heinz]

you have to use a ' variety ' because you use scamantic

We use a variety because no single AV product catches everything.
Symantec is among the few that detects the most problems accurately.

Sy