Rating: 
Summary: Make life easy on yourself and use software that works
Review: I have used Norton AV and Norton System Works for years. You can read the horror stories in these reviews about the "New and Improved" Norton 2004 AV, Norton NIS 2004, and Systemworks Pro 2004 with their required product activation schemes. Last year I decided against Norton 2004 products once I found out about the problematic activation features. The fact is that the Norton 2004 products are not up to par this year and if you want to play doctor for hours with your PC then by all means go for it. For the rest of us here are some alternative solutions for internet security that I have found work very well on mostly Windows XP based systems. They are in order from the very best solutions to good solutions:1) Norton Systemworks 2003 or Norton AV 2003 coupled with Zone Alarm Pro 4.x . -Install Zone Alarm Pro (ZAP 4.x) as a novice user or get someone to help you if you are new to using software firewalls. Make sure you enable complete and full access to all the Norton programs of which about three or four exist in the ZAP settings so the Norton AV Live-Update works automatically. If you are now using Norton AV 2003 just pay for another year or two of subscription service. Broadband users can also use a hardware NAT based firewall router along with these programs to enhance security even more. 2) McAfee AV 2004 or (McAfee AV 2004 & McAfee Spamkiller 2004) coupled with ZAP 4.x for firewall. -Same basic setup as solution #1. McAfee AV seems to use less resources than Norton 2003 does and hence your computer seems much faster. Just as with Norton, open up the Zone Alarm Pro firewall for the McAfee programs that need to access the internet for automatic updates. If you buy the McAfee suite do not use the "Privacy Service Program" since it is known to cause problems for some people. You could try the McAfee Firewall instead of Zone Alarm Pro 4 but I believe ZAP is a better program, but don't use two software firewalls at the same time. 3) Norton AV 2003 or McAfee 2004 AV along with Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall ( ICF ) enabled AND if you use broadband DSL or Cable modem a good hardware based NAT firewall/router like the Linksys brand. -This solution with the Hardware NAT ( network address translation) firewall router works well if you have a broadband internet connection. You can run a security firewall program like grc.com's web based "Shields Up" port scanner and you will find that Windows XP ICF provides decent protection against inbound hacker attacks. However brand new viruses, spyware, or trojan horses that happen sneak past the anti-virus programs could have outbound internet access unless you run a better software firewall like Zone Alarm. SUMMARY: Norton AV 2003 or Norton Systemworks 2003 or Norton AV 2004(if you can handle the activation issues) or McAfee 2004 AV
....along with ZAP 4.x or Windows XP ICF (note: only enable one software firewall to run at a given time. Do not run both.) -Note that the official and free Windows XP Service Pack 2 will be released by Microsoft at the end of summer. Windows XP SP2 supposedly has a ZAP 4.x quality of firewall built in that provides both inbound and outbound internet protection. -For users of versions of Windows before XP such as 98,ME, etc. I would maybe recommend you find a copy of Norton AV 2002 since 2003 and above AV programs don't seems to work well with Windows 98, 98se, etc. Zone Alarm Pro 4 also seems to work fine with pre-XP Windows like Windows 98se. -If you are new to software based firewalls get the help of a more experienced user or current ZAP user to help you configure the Zone Alarm Pro settings so you don't get frustrated. -Turn OFF or DISABLE any and all unused Windows services such as Network File sharing, Client for Microsoft Neworks, etc. Unless you are running a local network file or print server you do not need these network services running. You only need TCP/IP enabled for internet access. Closing uneeded network services decreases the number of entry points (ports) for hackers to exploit. -Enable Windows XP automatic download and alert of Windows Critical Updates. Install the updates and keep your Windows XP, 98, ME etc. UPDATED as much as possible. IMPORTANT FINAL NOTE: -If you are already running an antivirus program or security suite like Norton, McAfee, PCCillin, etc. and your subscription has run out or you want to a change because of problems or if you purchased a new computer with one of these programs pre-loaded, make sure you completely and properly uninstall that entire program BEFORE installing a newer or different antivirus/security solution as I described in this review. After doing the uninstall of your previous antivirus software or security suite you should reboot your system. After the reboot you may also need to run an automatic registry cleanup utility program (for example Norton's WinDoctor 2003 which can be started and run from the Norton SystemWorks Pro CD without having to be installed on your computer). Some companies like Symantec also provide specialized programs for removing traces of their antivirus program like RNAV and these are free for you to download from their web site complete with instructions. Doing this will eliminate any chance of having conflicts from leftover files and registry entries from a previous antivirus program.
Rating:
Summary: You get what you pay for
Review: Greetings All,
I noticed a lot of you said you weren't techs after expressing a rather negative opinion regarding this product. I am a tech, so here's my negative opinion....... For many years I have recommended the high end symantec products, nortons corp has never failed me in any of the companies I look after. I recently had a small business request a price for NIS, I of course recommended Symantec antivirus corp, since they already had a hardware firewall. The customer bought NIS from another IT company. After the customer spent several days trying to get it to install on any of their computers, They called me. I have now wasted a day getting all but one machine working, the install gets most the way through before reporting it failed. not for any reason of course, just that it failed. After countless un-installs/re-installs/manual removals and combinations of each, im giving rnav (removes nortons) one last try before formatting the box to get rid of any trace of this crud. Then will start over intalling. Overall, I will still recommend symantec av corp, but thats about it.
Rating:
Summary: NORTON 2004 IS TERRIBLE
Review: John W Thompson CEO
World Headquarters
Symantec Corporation
20330 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Cupertino, CA 95014 Dear Mr. Thompson, I have wasted over 200 pounds sterling of my time trying to install the Norton 2004 upgrade and other potential customers should know this. Whilst Norton Antivirus does work, Norton Internet Security most definitely does not. Potential buyers are warned that even on a 3-month-old machine with a recent version of Windows XP, they are likely to have similar problems to mine even if, like me, they are pretty competent - albeit not 'tecchie' - 'users'. Installation scans freeze, perpetual error messages appear about failed driver initialization. Hours are spent following Norton's instructions to uninstall and reinstall, and the Symantec web site 'help' pages are a veritable nest of do-loops taking the user round and round in circles to no avail whatsoever. After following all instructions and still finding that the default for NIS is 'off', that on launching it Intrusion Detection won't work and simply lobs out more error messages, the user will find that Symantec's site will suggest that he or she pays it a hefty fee to use its helpline. This beggars belief, when you consider that most computer manufacturers and respectable software houses will give free telephone help for the first year. I recommend to Amazon's customers that they do not buy this product now or in the future, unless Symantec is prepared to announce free telephone help for stymied would-be users. Customers: find something else, or buy a pen and some stamps and ditch your computer. Alison Whitehouse
Rating:
Summary: Installation Crashes Internet Explorer
Review: John W Thompson CEO
World Headquarters
Symantec Corporation
20330 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Cupertino, CA 95014 Dear Mr. Thompson, I had a perfectly functional computer before I installed Norton Internet Security 2004 for XP. Immediately after the installation of your product Internet Explorer stopped functioning. Removal of your product did not restore functionality. I reinstalled your product, brought another computer home in order to access the Technical Services at Symantec.com and followed the directions regarding fixing the problem your product caused. My computer still does not work. This computer has been nonfunctional for a week. It is strikingly inconvenient to have to bring another machine home in order to access Technical Support. The only apparent option is now to access your fee-based support. Your fee-based support has only limited hours. One wonders why I should have to pay your company to fix a problem caused by your product. I want you to know how frustrated I am with your product, its performance, the inconvenience it has caused me, and the disruption of my productivity. There is absolutely nothing you can do that would convince me to buy your products again. I will spend some time posting similar notes on the internet sharing my frustration.
Rating:
Summary: run away as fast as you can
Review: This software out and out sucks. I installed it, I could see it on the desktop, I could see it on the hard drive, I could see it in the task bar. I could not open it. I could doubleclick all day long and nothing would happen.
I went on to the Symantec web site, got caught in that circle, and it was useless. Found out the NIS 2004 was not supported, unless it was the "pro" version. This from the Symantec website itself. Shame, shame, shame on Symantec for putting out such a poor product. It took 5 minutes to download and install Trendmicro Pc-cillin. Worked perfectly the very first time. Guess where my money is going now. Should have taken the $70.00 I spent on NIS 2004 and gone to the casino, I could've gotten a better return. Of course I probably could have had Symantec tech support fix it.............for a fee........FOR A FEE!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Pure Garbage!
Review: If I could give this zero stars, I would. Biggest piece of garbage firewall ever. The updates are a joke, and cause you to be unable to connect to the internet. Trust me, use McAfee, trust me.
Rating:
Summary: Norton is a Virus
Review: I wish I had checked here before buying, it would have saved a lot of aggravation. Had 90 day Norton AntiVirus trial on new laptop and stupidly bought Norton Internet Security at the end of the 90 days via download. Took 5 hours to get the thing installed and "working"; unfortunately, at that point it wouldn't let me on the internet. After another 2 hours, I gave up and turned everything in NIS off, except for the AntiVirus in order to connect with the internet. I've got McAfee on a desktop -- works fine, always has. Intend to un-install Monday and if need be have credit card company charge back what I paid for this crap. Norton and/or Symantec -- never, ever again will I put a penny into one of their products.
Rating:
Summary: BEWARE OF INSTALLING THIS PRODUCT
Review: I INSTALLED THIS PRODUCT AND LOST MY DSL INTERNET CONNECTION FOR OVER FIVE HOURS WHILE A FRIEND OF MINE HELPED GET IT BACK. NORTON IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH DSL BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO DOWNLOAD TO TRY TO PREVENT IT, BUT THEIR DOWNLOAD DOES NOT WORK. THEIR VIRUS PRODUCT IS FINE, BUT THIS PRODUCT IS A MENACE.
Rating: 
Summary: I love it, its the best
Review: This is the best program that has come out in a long time. Symantec antivirus has always been the best at detecting the new
virus defintions. The Internet Security is awesome. I have many customers whom I install this program on their pc's. It cant be beat for filtering teenage users from where you don't want them to go. I use it on my own pc to keep my step-daughter off on AIM and the spam-mail filtering works like magic! this is a must have!
Those who had problems with the program should really use Norton's customer support, they are very knowledgable.
If you are having a problem...are you running AOL browsers?
AOL is not compatible with many programs! Ditch AOL is my advice.
Rating:
Summary: A nightmare!
Review: If you have Windows XP, avoid this program at all costs. I can't believe I dropped $50 for hours upon hours of agony. It will compromise your system beyond all hope. I ended up having to do a full system recovery before my laptop was back to normal. And, don't even bother w/ calling Norton for help. You'll just end up even angrier. Buy something else, ANYTHING else. Just avoid this product, you'll thank me later.
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