Removal of Norton AV

[Jerry]

I will be removing Norton's AV from my VISTA system and replacing it with
AVAST (free edition). Is it best to do the removal of NAV (being exposed
for a short while) and then install AVAST; or do you recommend I install
AVAST and then do the NAV removal? Thank you for your advice. Jerry

 

[Sorken]

I will be removing Norton's AV from my VISTA system and replacing it with
AVAST (free edition). Is it best to do the removal of NAV (being exposed
for a short while) and then install AVAST; or do you recommend I install
AVAST and then do the NAV removal? Thank you for your advice. Jerry

Yes, remove or atleast disable the old software before installing the new.
If you are worried about being vulnerable, unplug the network cable while
you uninstall/install. Good choice with Avast - its really good.

 

[Spirit]

You definitely want to remove Norton first, with
the Uninstall utility,, REBOOT then install the
Avast...... you can should DOWNLOAD
Avast 1st just do not install.

 

[Bill Yanaire]

I congratulate you on your VERY wise choice to get rid of norton!

Oh yea, that will make his day. You, the group retard congratulating
someone. More like an insult.

I also advise people to use avast free home edition unless they have money
to spare, and in that case
NOD32 is the best payware version.

The only thing you are qualified to advice people is: Do you want fries
with that?

I am amazed how the NORTON company still has sales after making such bad
products...

You are amazed at all the pretty colors on the screen.

on the other hand vista is crap too and yet microsoft is still selling
them!

lol

On the other hand, since you don't have the brains to use Vista, all you do
is bash what you don't understand.

 

[John Barnett MVP]

Download Avast first then disconnect from the internet before uninstalling
Norton. Once you have uninstalled Norton and installed Avast then you can go
back online to check for any updated virus definitions for Avast.

Incidentally Norton doesn't always uninstall as it should so you may be
better off using the Norton Removal Tool from the link below:

http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039

--

--
John Barnett MVP
Windows XP Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org
Web: http://www.silversurfer-guide.com

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
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reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I will be removing Norton's AV from my VISTA system and replacing it with
AVAST (free edition).

Good move!

Is it best to do the removal of NAV (being exposed
for a short while) and then install AVAST;

Yes. You can eliminate the exposure entirely, by disconnecting the
computer from the internet for the period when no anti-virus is
installed.

or do you recommend I install
AVAST and then do the NAV removal?

No. You don't want to have two anti-virus programs running at the same
time, since conflicts may result and their effects could be bad.

 

[Mick Murphy]

If you still have Norton on there, Avast will refuse to install.
They are starting to write AVs properly these days, to save people from
themselves.
AVG is the same, it won't double up where you already have an AV installed.

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

Good move!

It was a good program until around 2001 and I've heard that the Norton AV
2009 product is actually much improved. It may be due to recent
acquisitions by Symantec.

ss.

 

[Richard Urban]

I ran a 3 week test of Norton Internet Security 2009.

Yes, it installs in about a minute.

Yes, it doesn't load down the system as previous versions did.

When purposefully going to problematic web sites it missed a lot of what
Avast and my real time scanners, in fact, picked up.

It is better than nothing (barely) for a novice who doesn't want to get
involved in research and loading individual programs.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

It was a good program until around 2001

Although I'm not sure of the exact year, yes, I generally agree with
that statement. Back in the 1990s I used to use it myself without any
problems at all.

But since hardly anybody runs those old versions anymore, it doesn't
matter. What's important today isn't how good it used to be; what's
important is how good it *is*.

and I've heard that the Norton AV
2009 product is actually much improved.

I've heard that too, from several people, and I hope it's true.
However, not having tried the 2009 version myself, and not having seen
any convincing evidence that it there's a significant improvement,
I'll withhold my approval of it, and won't yet switch to recommending
it instead of recommending against it.

 

[Zimbabwe Jones]

Don't you have anything else original? You are getting boring now. Just
FYI.

 

[Jerry]

Thank you all for your many replies. They were very helpful and much
appreciated. I wish our entire msft vista community a happy holiday season
and healthy new year. Jerry