Symantec/Norton Publisher certificates expire causing your computer to slow down and MS Word & Excel

[David H. Lipman]

After updating to the January 7th or 8th virus definitions, your computer slows down and
Microsoft Word and Excel will not start

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/2004010810205113

Situation:
This document describes this problem and how to fix it.

Solution:
Symantec is investigating the cause of the problem at this time.

There is a workaround that will fix the problem until Symantec finds a permanent solution.

To use the workaround

1.. Close all programs.
2.. Start Internet Explorer.
3.. Click Tools > Internet Options.
4.. On the Advanced tab, scroll down through the list box to the Security section.
5.. Deselect the "Check for publisher's certificate revocation" option as shown here:

Dave

 

[RJK]

My slowness went away all on it's own ! ...but who knows, if Versign gets
overloaded again, I may have to uncheck that box. ...if it was that.

regards, Richard

 

[Brian A.]

Thanks David,
My computer didn't slow but it took awhile for Word to open. Upon opening I noticed
a message in the lower left corner of Word that said "Requesting virus check". After
unchecking the item in IE, it now opens normally.

--
Brian A.

Jack of all trades, Master of none. One can never truly be a master as there is
always more to learn.
All files scanned and verified to be virus free.

 

[Brian A.]

One other thing that was happening, when I first opened Word I would get a firewall
alert that NAV32.exe was trying to access the internet. It appears to me that Norton
finally went and did it and somehow their own program is blocking their own program
due to certificates.

--
Brian A.

Jack of all trades, Master of none. One can never truly be a master as there is
always more to learn.
All files scanned and verified to be virus free.

 

[Bill]

Interesting. Since updating my two computers with the latest Norton virus
definitions, my computer has slowed down, MS Word & Excel take almost two
minutes to start, and if I browse to a webpage that has very long URLs my
computer locks up, goes to a black screen, then reboots.

I tell ya, I blame Symantec. The past two years their quality has really
sucked. And their support is only for one year after the release of a
product.

 

[Richard G. Harper]

The problem, and fix, is here:

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/2004010810205113

 

[Bogdan]

After updating to the January 7th or 8th virus definitions, your computer slows down and
Microsoft Word and Excel will not start

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/2004010810205113

OK, fine but I am surprised that nobody is questioning why NAV needs
to make a SSL connection everytime a user right clicks on a file or
folder, opens an Office document, highlights a file or a folder and
hits the Delete key... etc. Isn't that a crappy piece of programming,
especially since when the internet is unavailable it works as usual
(which means what it's trying to do is non-essential anyway)?

 

[o1d_dude]

Dave: Thanks for posting the link to Symantec's page.

since you posted the link yesterday, Symantec updated the
page this morning and include a method of repairing the
damage as well as deflecting the blame to Verisign.

Haven't tried it yet but will do so later today.

OD

-----Original Message-----

After updating to the January 7th or 8th virus

definitions, your computer slows down and

Microsoft Word and Excel will not start

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/ 2004010810205113

Situation:
This document describes this problem and how to fix it.

Solution:
Symantec is investigating the cause of the problem at this time.

There is a workaround that will fix the problem until

Symantec finds a permanent solution.

To use the workaround

1.. Close all programs.
2.. Start Internet Explorer.
3.. Click Tools > Internet Options.
4.. On the Advanced tab, scroll down through the list box to the Security section.
5.. Deselect the "Check for publisher's certificate

revocation" option as shown here:

 

[Michelle]

Brian, consider yourself the lucky one. I to see the message "Requesting
virus check" every time I open a word document & it takes forever. So I
unchecked the "Check for publisher's certificate revocation" option,
restarted my pc & opened the word doc. again. Guess what, I still get the
"Requesting .........." messages a the bottom.

I went to the Symantec web site given below & clicked on the "To fix this
problem, you must obtain the updated version of Verisign's Root Certificate
Authority." This web page indicated that "If your browser does not have the
most current VeriSign Root Certificate Authority, you will see a pop up
window prompting you to update your browser." I do not get this message so I
"assume" that I have the latest VeriSign version. Wouldn't it be nice if
Symantec gave you a message that the verification was completed & you have
the latest version. Obviously they still think as 1's & 0's (my system has
the correct version (1) or not (0) and not the third option that the check
was not completed do to a server, transmission, ps, etc. problem. Very
Frustrating ...
Shell

 

[GKC]

For what it's worth, here is what I did quite some time ago:
Open NAV
Go to : Options/Miscellaneous and uncheck Enable Office Plug-in

I believe that this disables one level of virus protection but I assumed
that everything is scanned coming into the computer therefore, there is
little chance for problems with this option unchecked.

GKC

 

[Bill Leary]

The problem, and fix, is here:

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/2004010810205113

That's wonderful.

What in the name of Ghu is NAV doing checking on a certificate every time I
right click an icon?

- Bill

 

[RJK]

That's a different thing. You could tweak the settings in Norton a/v but,
you didn't really ought to turn off too much protection.
Which file types to scan for viruses
Comprehensive (recommended): Scans all programs and file types.

Scan files using SmartScan: Scans files with file extensions listed in the
Program File Extensions dialog box. Click Customize to view or edit the list
of file extensions that are scanned by Auto-Protect. SmartScan also scans
all program executable files (.exe files) and Microsoft Office documents,
regardless of whether they have extensions in the extension list.

also, email scanning details:-

If email protection is enabled, your email messages are scanned
automatically. Norton AntiVirus supports all email programs that use either
POP3 or SMTP communications protocol. To prevent connection timeouts while
receiving large attachments, enable timeout protection. Enable Worm Blocking
to protect against malicious worms.

Choose from these options to customize email scanning. Email scanning
protects you from viruses sent or received in email attachments. You can
specify how to respond when a virus is found in an email attachment.

What to scan
Scan incoming Email (recommended): Automatically scans email messages that
you receive for viruses.

Scan outgoing Email (recommended): Automatically scans email messages that
you send for viruses.

How to respond when a virus is found
Automatically repair the infected file (recommended): Attempts to repair the
virus without interaction with you. If Norton AntiVirus cannot repair the
file, you can choose to quarantine or automatically delete the file from
your computer. A summary window appears detailing all the actions taken. If
the threat is a worm or Trojan horse, Norton AntiVirus automatically deletes
the file for you.

Ask me what to do: Gives you the greatest control over the infected email
message. You choose what to do at each phase of the virus response process.
A summary window appears detailing all of the actions taken.

Repair then quarantine if unsuccessful: Attempts to repair the infected
email message without interaction with you. If Norton AntiVirus cannot
repair the infected file, it tries to safely quarantine the file. If the
file cannot be quarantined, you can choose to delete the file from your
computer. A summary window appears detailing all of the actions taken.

Repair then silently quarantine if unsuccessful: Attempts to repair or
quarantine the infected email message without interaction with you. No
summary window is displayed.

Repair then silently delete if unsuccessful: Attempts to repair the infected
email message without interaction with you. If the file cannot be repaired,
then Norton AntiVirus automatically deletes the infected file. No summary
window appears.

How to increase protection
Enable Worm Blocking (recommended): Enables Worm Blocking to scan all
outgoing email messages, and alert you if a malicious worm is detected.

regards, Richard

 

[Michelle]

Thanks, I did as you suggested below & was able to eliminate the virus scan
every time I open a word doc. I feel the same as you, i.e. I scan every
thing that comes into my computer for a virus, I am the only one creating
these word docs, so why do I need to have them scanned every time I open
one, especially since it takes a long time to complete the virus check on
large docs. Thanks again,
Shell

 

[Richard G. Harper]

Ask Ghu. Or Peter Norton.

 

[George Hester]

LOL. So we are Protected by golly. Not the first time nor the last.

 

[Lee]

After updating to the January 7th or 8th virus definitions, your computer slows down and
Microsoft Word and Excel will not start

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/2004010810205113

Situation:
This document describes this problem and how to fix it.

Solution:
Symantec is investigating the cause of the problem at this time.

There is a workaround that will fix the problem until Symantec finds a permanent solution.

To use the workaround

1.. Close all programs.
2.. Start Internet Explorer.
3.. Click Tools > Internet Options.
4.. On the Advanced tab, scroll down through the list box to the Security section.
5.. Deselect the "Check for publisher's certificate revocation" option as shown here:

Dave

I fail to understand how so many people come away with the wrong
information when it's right in front of their faces. Your NAV
failed to update itself due to verisign's busy servers. Eliminate
Verisign from the equation by deselecting that checkbox and go
back to LiveUpdate to FINISH your NAV update! THEN it might work
like it used to (we can only hope). Unchecking that box is NOT
the fix, reinstalling the half butchered LiveUpdate is the fix.
Subject line is real stretch in my opinion, something the
national news machine would come up with - misleading as hell.
And no help at all.

 

[cquirke (MVP Win9x)]

That's wonderful.

What in the name of Ghu is NAV doing checking on a certificate every time I
right click an icon?

Yes, let's have more on this:

"For security purposes, Symantec products routinely verify
the integrity of system components."

Now we know "Norton" is a vandor, i.e. a vendor prepared to vandalize
your system if it's software logic "thinks" you are in breach of its
licensing rules. So when we catch the thing "calling home" for
"security purposes", we have to ask; *whose* security?

--------------- ---- --- -- - - - -

"We have captured lightning and used
it to teach sand how to think."