Norton Antivirus 2004

Rating:
Summary: Wish I wouldn't have upgraded
Review: Have had the same problems that everyones else had.My computer was so slow after installing Norton 2004.I want my money back.It took over 20 seconds to open my browser.Other programs wouldn't open.Thats too bad I had Norton 2002 that came with my computer and worked great.now I have Mcafee Virus Scan, took under 2 seconds to open my browser, haven't had a problem with other programs opening either.Oh well you win some and loose some, just wish I could get my money back though.But I doubt I will.

Rating:
Summary: There When You Need It!
Review: I have used Norton Antivirus since it infancy as a MS-DOS program. I have stuck with the program because it works and works well, and with each new release it works even better. For those who use Norton Antivirus 2003, there is little difference in the program, and perhaps the primary reason to move the newer version is the renewed subscription you will receive; the interface is the same. Rather than radically changing the program from year to year, Symantec has made little improvements which enhance overall performance. The results have been the consistency of a program that does the job of stopping viruses and does it well.

Installation:

Installation of Norton Antivirus 2004 is as straight forward as it is easy. Barring any gaffes, the program will install and then ask you to register with Symantec which I recommend since this will setup the virus signature subscription program which lasts a year.

Technical Note: A virus signature is a file which contains information the antivirus program needs to defeat viruses and clean infected files. Without updated signature files the anti-virus program would soon become outdated. Symantec, through Live Update, continually downloads new signature files to Norton Antivirus 2004 via a subscription service which is part of the program. However, the service lasts only a year and must be renewed-for a fee of course.

Users-like me-who also use Norton Internet Security 2003 (which shipped with Norton Antivirus 2003), will find that the program also interoperates with Norton Antivirus 2004. During the installation process the older version will be removed and Norton Antivirus 2004 will be integrated with Internet Security 2003.

As is the trend in software these days, Norton Antivirus 2004 will have to be "activated" either by the Internet or phone within 15 days of installation or it will stop working.

Upon completion of the installation process Live Update will run and update the program with the latest program files and virus signatures. Live Update will continue to run in the background (whenever you are on the Internet) in order to keep Norton Antivirus 2004 up to date.

First Impressions:

I am still impressed by this program. As I stated above I have used Norton Antivirus for a number of years and I have grown to respect its functionality. Symantec has fixed the once vexing problem that plagued earlier releases of Norton Antivirus, resource allocation, as the program had a tendency to consume more than its share. This is no small issue since the program runs in the background. However with the release of Norton Antivirus 2003, Symantec licked the resource issue, resulting in a much better functioning program.

The sole purpose of an antivirus program is to protect your computer from viruses and this is where Norton Antivirus 2004 outshines the rest. Norton Antivirus 2004 protects your computer in the background in three primary ways:

• Auto-Protect: protects your computer in the background by continuously monitoring system files for malicious code, including the boot sector, and memory. Also checks files as they are downloaded from the Internet or from a floppy or other removable disk. This option can be turn off.

• Inbound & Outbound Email Scanning: as the title implies, Norton Antivirus 2004 integrates with your email program and automatically scans incoming and outgoing email, or can be set up to scan either. In the case of outgoing mail a small box will pop up from the task bar indicating scan progress. And incoming virus via an email will result in a popup box asking you what you want done with the offending code. This option can be turn off.

• Script Blocking: monitors script-based viruses like those encoded in emails of applets executed from the Internet, and alerts you to such behavior, stopping these viruses before they can infect your computer. This option can be turn off.

I utilize all three options because I spend a lot of time on the Internet and I continually receive email, both personal and professional. Just today Norton Antivirus 2004 detected three viruses in spam sent to one of my email addresses. To me, the program pays for itself the very first time it saves your computer from a malicious attack.

Virus Scanning:

Norton Antivirus 2004 can accomplish virus scanning manually or via scheduled events which you can control. Manual scans can be accomplished at any time and the option exists to scan the following:

• My Computer
• Scan all removable drives
• Scan all floppy disks
• Scan drives
• Scan folder
• Scan files

Custom scan jobs can also setup and run immediately, or scheduled to run at a later time. I have setup the program to scan my network drives every Saturday night at 2:00 A.M. and my computer at the same time on Sunday, thereby freeing me from worrying about doing a complete scan on a regular basis. Norton Antivirus 2004 does it for me!

Conclusion:

Virus protection has gone from a nice-to-have utility to a necessity that every computer connected to the Internet, or a network (work or home), or used jointly, cannot do without. For me Norton Antivirus 2004 is the best anti-virus program on the market, and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Stay with Nav2003
Review: Norton is and will probably continue to be the benchmark for antivirus protection. The problem being, this seems to have gone to there heads... If your system is running Windows 2K/XP you will "PROBABLY" not encounter many problems other than a drop in system performance... on the other hand, if you are running Windows 98/se be afraid, be very afraid. DO NOT INSTALL NAV2004 ON WIN98/SE SYSTEM'S...... best advise, purchase the virus defintion update for NaV2003.

of course this is just my informed opinion, I have installed over 30 copies for our clients and this is what I have found in a real world situation..

Rating:
Summary: Save your money
Review: I spent the better part of a day trying to get this program to work, without success. There was a "setup error" that suggested I go to the Tech Support site. I spent several hours following the links and instructions, without success. This included about fifteen to twenty reconfigurations, computer shutdowns, uninstalls, reinstalls and other instruction followings. Automated website troubleshooting (which did not work) is free. To speak live to someone about your new product, you have to pay a fee of $29.95 per encounter! I had NAV 2003 previously, and had no problems with that older version.

Rating:
Summary: Don't buy this product
Review: Norton Antivirus 2004 should never have been released. You may not be able to activate the license...and once activated it may not stay activated (and Symantec can't fix it). It also significantly slows your web browsing and email, and may make your new system seem like the one you had 5 years ago. And don't even think about doing something else while scanning your disks...it's a CPU-hog.

I've used past versions and they worked great (especially the enterprise version of Antivirus)...skip this one.

Rating:
Summary: NAV 2004
Review: no problems what so ever NAV will always be the best....
-=NT sysadmin=-

Rating:
Summary: watch out for rebate details
Review: The product is good w/out any doubt. My disappointment is in that you have to watch out for the rebate. I guess it is my own fault, but I thought that I would get the $20 rebate. Since I did not own a previous version of Norton's, I did not recieve the rebate. I could have gone to Wal-mart and bought the product cheaper!

Rating:
Summary: I BOUGHT IT AND WAS SORRY
Review: I purchased the online upgrade of NAV 2004. It asked me to delete the prior version. I did and now I have nothing. I can not download the new version. I have nothing to show for my $30.00. Customer support is another $30.00. I am sorry that I wasted my time and money on Norton Anti Virus 2004

Rating:
Summary: No problems here
Review: After reading all the negative posts it was with more then a little trepidation that I decided to upgrade from Norton Antivirus 2003 to 2004. I followed the exact instructions in the "User's Guide" on how to "Prepare Your Computer" and inserted the CD. I then carefully followed the instructions on how to install the program and guess what? No problems, no discernable slow downs, no system instability, no crashes, no fatal errors and no blue screen of death.

I've had it running now for 6 days and it's a slick program that does everything it's advertised to do. Could it be that following the instructions that Symantec provided is the key to a successful install? I'd have to say the answer to that question is apparently a resounding YES. Especially the instructions they provide in the "User's Guide" regarding how to "Prepare Your Computer."

FYI - I'm running a 2.2GHz P4 with 512 MB of RAM

Rating:
Summary: A 'DOWNGRADE' FROM NAV2003!
Review: Like others, I have been frustrated by the problems that Norton Antivirus 2004 creates on my system (dual P4 1.7 Ghz CPUs, 1 GB RDRAM, so speed shouldn't be a problem). It conflicts with several other programs, causes the system to hang, requiring a reboot, and is generally a pain. I'vbe tried turning off some of the new scans it does for adware, etc., but that doesn't fully fix the problems. NAV 2003 worked great. It's bad enough having to activate the product. I wish I had stayed with NAV2003 and bought another year of virus definition updates, as I may end up uninstalling this piece of junk.