Description:
Symantec's Norton SystemWorks helps keep your work flow at full speed with an abundance of their latest PC maintenance tools: Norton AntiVirus, Norton CleanSweep, Norton Utilities, and Roxio GoBack 3 Personal Edition. Plus, the professional edition adds Norton Ghost to back up and restore a computer or upgrade a hard drive, and WinFax Basic, for turning a PC into a fax machine. Installation, while simple, is time-consuming. Be prepared to spend some time setting things up, anywhere from 30 minutes to more than an hour depending on the number of programs you install and how much tweaking you do. The 2002 edition does support Windows XP, which is one of the few reasons current SystemWorks users may want to upgrade. However, take note that the software no longer supports Windows 95. As for overall performance, SystemWorks is one of the best all-in-one utility suites available. The fully integrated interface allows you to control everything from one launch screen and is very easy to use. It features a host of valuable tools for finding and fixing hardware, software, and Windows problems, and removing unwanted programs and files. And you get the best virus protection available. The addition of GoBack 3 to this edition is a nice bonus, too. GoBack lets you revert your hard disk to a time when your computer was stable, like before your system crashed and you lost hours of work. The inclusion of Norton Ghost and WinFax Basic is what bumps this suite up to professional status. Ghost allows you to clone and image your hard drive. Its capabilities are best used for upgrading your hard drive, though, not as a daily backup. The software lets you put the image file on removable media like CD-R/RW media or clone directly to another computer using a network, USB, or parallel connection. WinFax Basic is just that--basic. It is a solid program allowing you to send, receive, and manage faxes on your computer, but not much else. Norton SystemWorks 2002 Professional Edition is strong protection for your PC and all your valuable data. It's loaded with utilities to keep you out of trouble--or to get you out of it. But, be sure to pick the version that's right for you. Most home users do not need the advanced features of Norton Ghost or fax-management capabilities, making SystemWorks Standard Edition a better choice. --Joshua Goldman
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