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Norton Antivirus 2004

Norton Antivirus 2004

List Price: $49.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: More REBATES!
Review: I read a couple of good reviews on Norton's firewall. I'm here to buy it, but I'm not going to because I dislike rebates. Just lower the price! I'm not jumping through hoops for the privilege of buying your software for a reasonable price.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: This isn't an upgrade!
Review: I thought I was doing the right thing, by updating my antivirus from Norton 2002 to Norton 2004. Boy was I wrong. Although I didn't experience the problems with the install that others did, I do notice an immediate performance slow-down of my computer. I have P4 1.6ghz, 512RAM and I can tell it's slowing my computer down. It may be worse for those with lesser systems. If you download programs to install, they vanish untill Norton decides their safe, which may be a safe thing if you have kids, but it's downright annoying if you are downloading from trusted sites. It's always running and scanning and refreshing in the background, monitoring everything you do online, causing glitches and pauses in your programs. It got downright maddening and, since it doesn't uninstall properly I was forced to go into the registry as well as several other places to wipe all of it's traces out, and completely uninstall and re-install SystemWorks to 'roll back' to 2002. My advice, get this ONLY if you desperately need it due to unruly teens or family members who share tons of files in chat rooms. Otherwise, for the smarter people stick with 2001, or 2002 and keep it updated. This 2004 is bloatware plain and simple. We MISS you Peter Norton! Come back!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The BEST AntiVirus Software!
Review: I'm an IT professional who has used Norton exclusively for several years and I've never had a problem with their software or viruses. I run Norton Antivirus on all of my computers. I also run Norton Internet Security (includes Norton Personal Firewall) on the ICS (shared internet) computer. Just make sure to keep the software and virus patterns up to date via the 'live update' feature. If you don't have a good antivirus/firewall software, you are just asking for trouble. That's why I like Norton's Internet Security a bit better. It includes Norton Antivirus, Norton Personal Firewall, Spam Control, and Parental Control, for just a few bucks more. INSTALL NOTE: If you have an older copy of Norton installed-- uninstall the older version FIRST, before attempting to install the 2004 version.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best - and it keeps getting better!
Review: I've been using Norton Anti-Virus products for the past 8 years. As a webmaster and Internet professional, I would be lost without the protection this product provides. More times than I can count, Symantec/Norton products have saved my computer and my files from dangerous software viruses, worms and other malicious programs. I keep my virus definitions up to date at all times.

Just recently, I discovered to my delight that my virus software was also safeguarding my system from spyware, that software that looks innocent, but that gets on your system through tool bars (like the MSN toolbar) and gathers information about you or your surfing habits.

Even better news is that Symantec (the owner of Norton Anti-Virus) is getting into the anti-SPAM business. I can't think of a smarter and more effective company to help with that huge problem!

As far as the tech support issue on Norton is concerned, if you first use the very helpful and extensive database of information Norton has developed on their website, you will find that you have almost no need to ever even contact tech support. I have personally never had any problems with tech support, but that may be because I try to do my homework first. If you try to contact tech support in the middle of a new and large virus attack, it is understandable that you will have to wait for help. This would be true no matter which virus software you select.

The people who have problems with Norton usually do one or more of the following:
1. Do not keep their virus definitions current.
2. Are not careful about downloading programs, games, music files, and screensavers from companies they do not know.
3. Do not read the directions for the program
4. Do not use the information available on the symantec.com website
5. Do not regularly scan their computer for viruses.

The malicious programmers who are trying to cause problems with your computer are a very aggressive and active bunch. This means that if you want to protect yourself, you will not be able to get by with a passive defense. Norton is a tool, but like any tool, it is useful if you use it properly.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Get rid of adware and free your PC
Review: MY brand new PC with XP had begun to freeze due to an ad ware program that would allow pop-ups to invade even when explorer was closed. Adware program hunters did nothing. Firewalls did nothing.
Norton 2002 did nothing. After purchasing and configuring Norton 2004 the malicious script had been eliminated and the problem was gone.
Regarding the issue of keeping the software up to date all I have to say is - of course! Any soft ware has to be configured. This software can be easily configured to AUTOMATICALLY download new virus definitions daily, scan your computer for all known threats daily, scan all incoming and outgoing email, scan all websites visited, all without the user having to remember anything.
Just spend 15 minutes learning about the program and configuring it when you get it home. This program is indispensible.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I disagree - rebates are great
Review: Rebates are a way of life in computer product purchases. It makes my overall hobby much less expensive. I keep Norton Antivirus, in one form or another, on 4 computers for almost no net cost. I always have 10-20 rebates out at any given time.

Those that buy and never get around to sending in the rebate (or can't do them right) make the whole thing work.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Interesting provider of non-costly software
Review: That was an OEM and I didn't expect more than a CD-ROM. Nisofts provided me with a Norton Antivirus 2004, which was installed flawlessly. They reacted fast to Amazon order and they shipped the software fast. They deserve five stars.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Program Attempts to Contact a "Third Party" through Firewall
Review: The Norton Antivirus program seemed to work OK at first but after a recent update two components of the program attempted to contact "crl.verisign.com" through my firewall. I denied access for the Norton Antivirus to communicate with Verisign but the problems did not end there. When I would open any of my Microsoft Word documents the Word document would attempt to contact crl.verisign.com during the Norton document virus scan. If the access is denied at the firewall it takes over ONE MINUTE to open a word document while the firewall blocks hundreds of attempts to contact crl.verisign.com during the virus scan.

I went to the company's website to obtain information and to post my question - Why is your program contacting a third party? - on their support posting site, but Symantec has taken this away, opting for a small program "download" that I would have to allow access through my firewall.

I think I speak for others when I express a concern about ANY program on my computer attempting to contact an unauthorized third party via a firewall. What would have happened if I had had Norton Internet Security (Norton - Symantec's Firewall/Antivirus program) on my desktop? Would Norton's firewall allow connections to this unauthorized third party?

Unable to get answers to my questions from Norton-Symantec and unwilling to wait over one minute for my Word document virus scans to complete I uninstalled Norton AND, now get this, during the uninstall it attempted to contact crl.verisign.com to report the uninstall! I completed the uninstall then proceeded to do a complete reformat of my drives and then a reinstall of all of my programs MINUS Norton's Antivirus program.

Due to a lack of free support from their site and a program that attempted to contact an unauthorized third party server through my firewall, I will never purchase another Norton or Symantec product in the future. I received good service from this product for a few months, but one of their program "updates" made it worthless.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: What a ripoff!
Review: The problems began when the installation froze, stretching installation time to a whopping five hours! Once the software was finally installed, it encountered an "internal error" which could be "addressed" at the Symantec website. Unfortunatly, however, the technical support link is non-existent. Literally, "www.symantec.com/techsupp" DOES NOT EXIST!!! This also renders live updates impossible. Of course, this issue could probably be resolved on the phone during the work week for the low price of 30 bucks. Instead, I'll just trash this piece of crap and spend 40 bucks on PC-Cillin 2004. Buyer beware!!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Extremely difficult to install
Review: This product was extremely difficult to install. We followed all the directions to a T and worked with the tech support. Tech support is ok but we were dealing via email with someone in India I believe. We finally had to call our PC mfgr Dell to uninstall and reinstall everything including windows, and then we were able to install Norton. Since then Norton has worked fine. So maybe we had some sort of Virus, but if so, Norton and no other virus software ever detected such a virus. I give it 3 stars because of the difficult installation, 5 stars since then.


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