Tôi đang sài Norton Internet Security 2010, bản dùng thử 3 tháng miễn phí, và có thể nói tôi rất an tâm với nó. Công nghệ Norton Insign giúp nhận dạng “hàng hiếm” (những file có số lượng người tải về ít trong cộng đồng InSign) để bạn đề phòng. Tất cả các file tải về và cài đặt đều phải qua “vòng loại khu vực…Norton“. Mỗi khi máy tính rãnh rỗi là nó tự động quét nền, quét cả file Rar và gần như ngày nào nó cũng tìm thấy vài file có vấn đề trong cái đống phần mềm tôi tải về. Hôm qua, nó đã bảo vệ tôi khỏi một trang virus do vô tình bấm vào một liên kết, “chuột” sa là “computer” chết ! Haha.
Sau đây là đường link giúp bạn sài thử 3 tháng 3 sản phẩm của Norton là : Norton Antivirus 2010, Norton Internet Security 2010 (đã giới thiệu) và Norton 360 v3.0
Đọc tiếp… »

Last month, Symantec released Norton Internet Security 2010 and Norton Antivirus 2010, updated versions of its venerable Windows security packages. They incorporated a new approach to threat detection–Symantec calls it Quorum–which attempts to increase accuracy and reduce resource-hogging tendencies by gauging the reputation of files based on data collected from the millions of folks who run the company’s software. (The reputation of a core Windows file that didn’t do anything suspicious would be high; the reputation of a file which Quorum hadn’t seen before which appeared to be behaving in a dangerous manner would be low.)

Today, Symantec is releasing a free beta version of Norton 360 4.0, the next release of its suite which includes both security and management tools such as backup and PC tuneup tools. It’s the first version of Norton 360 with Quorum, and in conjunction with today’s releasing, Symantec is touting recent test results for Norton Internet Security 2010 from third-party labs. The UK-based Dennis Technology Lab tested ten security products and gave Norton alone a perfect score; it also did well in recent testing by AV-Comparatives.org and AV-Test.org. (I’m not an expert on the relative strengths of independent security labs’ testing techniques, but I know that AV-Test knows their stuff and tells it like it is–they’re the lab we worked with back when I was at PC World.)

Whenever I mention Norton security products, I’m used to PC users reflexively accusing them of being in-your-face annoying and sapping precious system resources to an absurd level. Symantec clearly heard the gripes, too–the changes in both last year’s Norton 2009 products and this year’s Norton 2010 ones emphasis a general reduction in intrusiveness, and much of the advertising is devoted to conveying that it’s changed its ways. But computer users have memories like elephants, and I suspect that some will continue to look askance at Norton for years to come even if Symantec’s cleaned up its act.

So here’s a question for folks who are running any 2009 or 2010 version of any version of Norton security: How’s it treating you?

Symantec ürünleri oldukça populerdir, birçok bilgisayar kullanıcısı bunları denemiştir. Diyelim ki şansınız iyi değildi ve Norton Antivirus’un herhangi bir sürümünü bilgisayarınıza kurdunuz. Eğer bilgisayarınızın sistem özellikleri çok iyi değilse, herkes gibi mutsuz olacaksınız. Tabii bu sizin için Norton ile ilgili sorunların sadece başlangıcı. Bu yazılımı sistemden kaldırmak için sadece “Program Ekle/Kaldır”ı kullanamazsınız, bunun yanında birkaç yazılım ile çalışmak sizin yararınıza. Aksi takdirde sisteminiz, Norton’dan önceye dönmeyecek, Norton’la birlikte olan dönemden daha berbat hale gelecek. Peki, nasıl kaldıracağız? İşte burada bize yardımcı olacak bir araç var “Norton Removal Tool”. Bu araç ile aşağıdaki listede bulunan tüm yazılımlardan kolayca kurtulabailirsiniz.

Aracın kullanımı oldukça kolay, adım adım programı siliyor ve sizden bilgisayarınızı yeniden başlatmanızı istiyor. Siz de bunu yapıp, Norton’dan kurtulmuş oluyorsunuz. Ek olarak size CCleaner temizlemesini tavsiye ediyorum. Ben de alışkanlıktır, her program kaldırdığımda kullanırım. Siz de kullanıp, daha iyi bir sonuç alabilirsiniz.

Norton Removal Tool’un kaldırdığı Norton versiyonları:

• Norton 2009/2008/2007/2006/2005/2004/2003
• Norton AntiSpam 2004/2005
• Norton AntiVirus 2003 through 2007.2
• Ghost 2003, Ghost Version 9.0 and 10.0
• Norton GoBack 3.1 through 4.2
• Norton Internet Security 2003 through 2007.2
• Norton Password Manager
• Norton Personal Firewall 2003 through 2006
• Norton SystemWorks 2003 through 2007
• Norton Confidential Online 2007
• Norton Internet Security Add-on Pack
• Norton Save and Restore 1.0
• Norton 360

Kaldırdıktan sonra kullanmanız üzere CCleaner Temizleyici.

En güncel Norton Removal Tool’u yüklemek için tıklayın.

Kolay gelsin.

Norton 360™ Version 3.0 offers proven performance, delivering today’s fastest and lightest all-in-one solution for protecting your PC and all your online activities. It protects against viruses, worms, hackers, and botnets, safeguards against online identity theft, protects important files, and keeps your PC tuned and running at peak performance. Completely automated and easy to use, Norton 360 works quietly in the background, with virtually no impact on PC performance, to provide comprehensive protection for everything computer users care about. By offering an unmatched combination of performance and protection, it helps you get the most out of your PC and your online experience.

Note: This application is for free as it is OEM. It should not be commercialized.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mlmmvxjom02 http://rapidshare.com/files/291060960/Norton.360.v3-Havesoftwares-Most.Wanted_s.Blog.zip
http://www.easy-share.com/1908076394/Norton.360.v3-Havesoftwares-Most.Wanted’s.Blog.zip
http://filefactory.com/file/a0f9210/n/Norton_360_v3-Havesoftwares-Most_Wanted_s_Blog_zip

Request: Benefited users can pray for, well-being of my friend Hemamani Deepa.

    Recently, I’ve shared with you Norton Internet Security 2010 for 90 days (OEM) version. Now you can get free  Norton 360 v 3.0 and Norton Antivirus 2010 for 90 Days.

All you need to do is just download and install it.

Download Norton 360 v3.0 | Norton Antivirus 2010

This is an OEM version which does not requires any activation key or registration.

 Promotional Page

I’ve said before that I don’t have the tech chops to get into an extremely detailed description of computer security issues, but I think its important to at least understand the basics. The minutiae of VBS or C+ programming doesn’t matter for our purposes here much as the following facts:

1. There is a lot of malicious software out there
2. It is important to know how to recognize it and how to avoid it
3. It is important to keep your security software updated, and to make sure it is legitimate software from a trusted source

Let’s dive right in. Warning: this is one of my longer posts.

Basic Definitions

Malware: This is sort of an “umbrella term” for software intended to harm your computer. It includes (but is not limited to) spyware, misleading adware, viruses, worms and trojan horses.

Spyware: This is a term for software that, in some form, sends information from your computer to another entity without your consent. This information can be anything from words typed into search engines (Google, e.g.), websites visited or even keystrokes. Spyware can pose a serious identity theft risk, as it can relay financial account information (account numbers and passwords) to a third party.

Adware: Adware is software that displays advertising in some form. Not all adware is necessarily malicious (the free version of the Eudora email client contains benign adware), but sometimes it is. Often, spyware and adware are bundled together.

How Spyware and Adware Infect Your Computer

Some spyware is intentional. Some companies install keyloggers on their computers to keep tabs on employee computer use. I’m just guessing, but I’ll bet every letter you type into an FBI computer is logged.

However, the spyware I’m talking about is the kind that installs itself on your computer without your knowledge or consent. These programs can install through a variety of channels. Some of them are:

Backdoor: These programs exploit “holes” in your web browser or computer’s security features. You can become infected simply by visiting a website that has been set up to install malware, and you probably won’t even know it at the time.

Piggybacking: Sometimes software you want is bundled with software you might not want. Adware often shows up in this form, but other malware uses this method as well. I mentioned the free Eudora email client earlier. This is pretty benign adware—in return for not paying for the full version of the software, you put up with some banner ads, from which the software company earns revenue. However, you’ve also got examples like Bonzi Buddy, which was designed to appeal to children (and secretly send information about their web browsing habits to a third party). Bad scene.

Trojan Horses: A trojan horse is software that poses as useful or desirable software, but is actually spyware, adware or other malware. Some of the most common examples right now are Fake Virus Scan Pop-Ups, which I talked about a couple weeks ago. While visiting a website, a window pops up with a frantic message telling you that your computer is infected with a virus, and to click “OK” to run a scan now. This downloads software, some of which may actually even look like a real virus scanner, that can wreak havoc on your computer, to say nothing of the financial threat it could pose if it contains some really nasty spyware. I want to touch on a few examples of trojan horse software here:

MS Antivirus: This is a fake virus scanner that can disable your real antivirus and anti-spyware programs. Other than that, it’s mostly just annoying, but turning off your security software opens the door to all kinds of other infections. MS Antivirus goes by about a million different names, and it is constantly being updated to evade detection by legitimate security software, which just illustrates the importance of keeping your antivirus software updated. Pay for the subscription. It is worth it.

No-Adware: This was a trojan horse designed to confuse you with a name similar to Ad-Aware, which is a legitimate product. No-Adware is supposedly no longer considered ”rogue” software, but you know what? I still haven’t forgiven them.

Tattoodle: This is an application that usually gets installed (intentionally) through Facebook. I don’t know yet if it’s malicious or just annoying, but I don’t think I care: it changes your browser’s homepage, makes itself difficult to remove and its logo is designed to make you think it’s related to Google. If it looks like malware and acts like malware, I call it malware. Just my opinion.

What To Do About Spyware and Adware

Sometimes spyware doesn’t have a whole lot of symptoms. A sudden increase in popup advertisements, constant frantic popups that claim your computer is infected, or just a sudden decrease in system performance can all be signs of a malware infection. I suppose having your identity or financial account information stolen could also be signs, but we’re not going to let it get to that point, are we?

First and foremost, it is of vital importance to install good antivirus and anti-spyware software, and to keep this software updated, even if that means paying for a subscription every year. Second and also foremost, it is vital to make sure this software is the real thing. Here are what I think of as the “Big Three” real, actual, non-malware computer security programs, along with some other software:

Norton: This is what I use. It currently comes in three versions for home users—AntiVirus, Internet Security, and 360, which range in price from $39.99 to $69.99 (although I’m pretty sure 360 is normally $79.99). As with all security software, you also have to subscribe to the updates every year, but it is well worth it.

McAfee: The Pepsi to Norton’s Coke, McAfee is another good one. It’s not my favorite, but I think that has to do more with the look and feel of the software than its actual functionality. As of this writing, its home computer versions range from $29.99 to $39.99, so it’s definitely more of a “budget” option. It works fine, though.

Kaspersky: This one actually originates from Russia. It is excellent antivirus software, and I’m pretty sure at one point years ago it was absolutely free to download and update. Alas, you have to pay for it now; prices are similar to Norton, ranging from $39.95 to $79.95.

Spybot Search & Destroy: This is free software that I highly recommend. It is not a replacement for any of the three antivirus softwares above, as it only concentrates on spyware and adware, but it is a great little backup program to have on hand. You’d be surprised how much potentially harmful stuff slips past your antivirus software. Beware of trojan horses with similar names—only get it from the website I’ve linked here.

Ad-Aware: This is similar to Spybot Search & Destroy. There is a free version still available, but you can also buy software from their site. To be honest, I haven’t used this one in a long time. Again, beware of imitators.

One final word on avoidance: I think there are certain types of websites that tend to contain more malware than others. You’re mostly safe when it comes to the giant corporate sites like Amazon, but I would never suggest you stick only to huge corporate sites.  You miss out on the whole democratic, DIY side of the Internet if you do that.

However, any time you’re viewing sites that offer pirated software, movies or music, or sites that appeal to the…ahem…prurient interests, you’re going to run into a lot more malware, especially in the form of trojan horses, than you might otherwise. So my advice is to go forth and browse, have fun and don’t be afraid to venture outside the “mall,” but try to avoid the seedy side of town.

Recently I bought a new laptop, because my old one now requires you to have it plugged in if it’s ever to work (which defeats the point of portability, no?) Ultimately, it was an assumed buy and I’ll almost certainly discover I don’t need it. Having realised this, I’m planning to keep both laptops with me, and will only use the new one when needs be (mostly because I can’t be arsed to copy files across from one to t’other).

Anyhow, my new computer has come loaded with Windows Vista. Being me, I utterly hate Vista. I’ve hated it since long before I owned a copy myself. It’s a mixture of being grumpy, not liking change and Vista being complete shite. Seriously though, using Vista gives me a constant feeling of violent anger inside me. It honestly makes me want to find a developer, punch him in the face and ask in angry tones what the hell he was thinking. It truthfully infuriates me to a very real and very dangerous level, just to use Windows Vista.

To further prove my point that Vista is not a good Operating System, here are a list of personal qualms with it:

• Having got it new, it has to install 44 updates to work properly.
• Despite warning that installing typically takes half an hour, it takes less than five minutes then fails to tell me why it’s so short.
• The screen resolution is too big.
• It’s made by Microsoft.
• When changing screen size, it complains that I’m not using the “Optimal Resolution” (who the hell honestly prefers to use 1440 x 900?)
• When installing, it gives you absolutely no options to customise, or set up to your liking. It just installs it all in a way it likes and then leaves you to sort out the bits you don’t want yourself.
• The “Display properties” tabbed box has been replaced by a list of links to separate forms which don’t adequately state what they do and are far more difficult to browse.
• It comes with “Google Desktop” (which I’ve never heard of) part-pre-installed. Clicking on any part of “Google Desktop” ask you to finish the installation.
• It still ships with Microsoft Works.
• It still ships with Internet Explorer.
• The only way to close “Google Desktop” is to go to Task Manager, and end the process.
• Task Manager, which is purely a tool used to do utilitarian things, has been pimped.
• Vista comes from the school of thought that “Everyone wants flashy-looking things”. Not everyone does, actually. I don’t. And a lot of people believe they do but actually would prefer something that works.
• Functionality is sacrificed for graphics.
• Usability is sacrificed for graphics.
• It’s made by Microsoft.
• This is actually a complaint at eMachines, but the computer comes pre-installed with a copy of Norton 360 which isn’t fully installed and hence doesn’t work. This can be split into the following problems:
  • It comes pre-installed with Norton 360.
  • Norton 360 is made by Symantec, a company which don’t believe in many, many fundamental beliefs such as, say, freedom of choice.
  • Norton 360 takes up a helluva lot of space.
  • Having installed a shit program by a shit company, which silently destroys your computer, the thing doesn’t work properly. Clap clap clap clap clap.
• The new Windows Explorer is just plain horrible.
• The file structure of Vista is just plain horrible.
• Whilst trying to make life easier for users by putting everything together, Microsoft have managed to clump folders, making everything harder to navigate.
• The ActiveX controls are horrific. File selection dialog boxes prove this.
• There are pointless features aplenty. Like tags on files. If you ever need to use them, it’s because your files are too cluttered. This either means your unorganised or you’ve tried to use Vista’s file structure suggestions.
• Vista doesn’t understand download priorities.
• Download speeds are sacrificed by graphics.
• Firefox has a Vista theme which is almost comically disgusting. Gone are the multiple colours, replaced as they are by every button being exactly the same ugly pale blue colour. This means you can’t distinguish buttons so easily and it a lot harder to use.
• Everything in Vista is the same ugly pale blue colour, making buttons harder to distinguish and yadda, yadda, yadda.

Not to mention that options are slim. Alternatives are Apple Macs (one corporation-based money-grabbing product to another corporation-based money-grabbing product?), Google’s forthcoming OS (really, they should have stayed with online things. Trying to hard shows massively), Linux (which I love but has far too little support for me to trust long-term).

Soon to come is Windows 7, which seems to just have a myriad of pimped features and very little to improve usability. Looking at their new feature list, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was merely a fine-tuning add-on for Vista with some new minor features (and VAN, which for the life of me I can’t see the point of). More amusingly, some of the advertised “new features” are actually bug fixes.

All this leads to the ultimate point that software and website development has steamed off tangent, trying to hit good looks and missing points such as usability and functionality. This trend was set at about the time Vista was released; and many big developers took it to heart, leaving us now with a whole host of programs and websites that really don’t work as well as they used to.

It fails insofar as the newer, graphically-enhanced systems require more processing power than their older counterparts. Whilst you may consider this acceptable, since we have more powerful processors available these days, bear in mind that your OS may be using so much CPU that you’re actually left with the same processing power to play with as you had before. And sometimes less.

I hate Windows Vista. It fills me with anger. There are no feasible alternatives, and development looks set to continue in a similar light. Any ideas what the hell I can do?

After giving up on Norton’s NIS, I was protectionless for a few days.  It was nervewrecking enough that I just can’t do it any more.  So I resumed my search for the next temporary solution.  Here’s a brief summary:

Norton 360 is out.  Even the most current version is incompatible with Windows 7 and it doesn’t seem to have a beta or pre-release version available. (At least I can’t find one.)  Wasted 2 hours on it.  Save yourself some time.

Norton Internet Security 2010’s webpages are up but the beta/pre-release wasn’t available yet.  No go there.

McAfee has a beta version but repeated attempt to access it failed.  I’m not entirely certain what’s going on.  It could be that the site really is broken.  Or it could be that it detected Windows 7 RC (as oppose to Windows 7 Beta) and decided it wasn’t going to let me in.  Garbage.

4th try is Trend Micro Internet Security.  Took a good 30 minutes to get it downloaded and installed.  You can just tell this is not a polished product.  It talks the talk but if you are not verse in computer, you are going to need help.  The install-from-the-web process didn’t work.  I have to download the package, unpack it myself, and run the installer manually.  Even that it failed the first time.  Not to fault them or anything, they were freeware for quite a few years before turning commercial.  After a couple of attempts, it is working.  According to their webpage, it should work for at least a month.  We shall see.

…this is painful…

I made the mistake of allowing my godson to use a new laptop of mine, and didn’t know he hadn’t uploaded anti-virus software until I had to use it last week. Consequently, I began an unfamiliar foray into the ominous realm of computer virii and search for the cure – a competant anti-virus program. After downloading, trying, and then removing no less than three supposedly top-rated programs available, I finally got this laptop clean and functional.

Beginning my blog with an article about AV software was the furthest thing from my mind, but maybe it is the most useful thing I could say tonight. Lesson 1 is that you cannot believe the review sites if you search for them.

Bit Defender is allegedly the hottest thing going out there for 2009 in the Great War against virii, hackers, phishing and the rest of the cyber baddies. But, in the 31 days and nights I lived with it, it never did know it had ever supposedly deep scanned (and cleaned) my hard drives several times and kept prompting me to do an initial scan. Towards the end of the trial period it kept putting up announcements that it had blocked this or that virus or trojan from accessing the net from my drive, and other little notes which probably would alarm me if I was a bit more  gullible.

One of three things was true. Either it was not blocking such crap from getting on the computer in the first place, to be there to do that, or it had never throughly found and cleaned my original problem completely, OR, this was just alarmism generated to convince me how great it was and that I needed to cough up the purchase price before the free trial ran out.

Not acceptible. Deleted.

I uploaded F-Secure next, as it came from my internet provider and was recommended. It uploaded fine, updated itself and the virus definitions like clockwork, and then promptly shut down and refused to reopen. I am fluentin the use of F-Secure, having had it before. This was a problem I found no way around but to finally remove it and go in search of yet another option which could overcome and remove the infection plaguing my computer. That is what they claim to do, and why they all want upwards of fifty bucks out of us, after all.

Because I believed sincerely that the infection on my computer would likely interfere with most AV programs I might install, like it had with F-Secure, I tried Trend’s free scan. That never managed to run on my computer, either.

Way back in the Days of DoS, when I got my first computer, I had Norton on it and never had a problem, so it occurred to me to go and see what they had to offer. Free online scan? Yes. So, I tried that, and lo and behold it actually ran right the first time and verified that yes, four other AV programs best efforts or not, I had a lot of virusses and trojans on my little computer.

I came out with some cash and decided to download and buy Norton 360 to get rid of the mess, hopeful because it seemed to actually work so far. Plus, by installing the free version first they generously considered it an upgrade and knocked twenty bucks off the price of Norton 360.

The upload of Norton 360 went fine, and it installed fine and then updated itself to the latest definitions, and even did that fine.  I ran an indepth scan of everything and it located and cleaned up the computer and suddenly I had my laptop back, as new, again.

I am still discovering all the bells and whistles it comes with, but I remain completely satisfied with the results. Norton 360 not only worked for me, but it also comes with major disk cleanup help in the guise of  PC Tuneup. That was sweet and fixed a few registry errors for me (and the computer actually ran better after the reboot). I get free back-up service with Norton 360. I chose to backup my important files to their own servers, but you can also have it store backups to a flash drive or other storage device you choose. Finally, there is also an integrated identity protection function which stores and encrypts your log in data for sites you belong to and your personal banking information, if you do things online like that.

All for the one price.

 I did not like the fact that while they do allow you to re-download the software for sixty days, after that you are  out of luck unless you pay an additonal 9.99 to extend it to one year. So, if your computer crashes or you like to reformat and clean it up with a complete reinstall periodically, you pay for it again if you want it, despite the fact you already paid and own a one year subscription for it.

I get tired of this sort of thievery, which is altogether too prevalent today.  If they can store your purchase information for two months, just leaving it there for a year for free costs them nothing, so they really should be ashamed of themselves for that.

I didn’t buy the extended download service through Digital River. Right now, as one of the 9+% of the unemployed in this country, I cannot afford it, and only because you need a solid AV program to safely travel the cyber-highway these days was I even able to stomach paying for it in the first place.  Having to choose between food or the gas bill makes you wake up to a whole lot of this rip-off that goes on.

But, besides that needless effort to bilk me out of another ten spot, Norton 360 does work as advertised, and I am happy with the product.

Now, to find a job, which would make me a whole lot happier. I read the papers and wonder where these politicians and pundits are getting thier information, because things are not looking up out here where I am standing. I am not one of those in their unemployment figures because I somehow am not eligible for unemployment in Louisiana. I get to starve to death if I cannot find work in time.  The accuracy in reporting and degree of actual concern leaves something to be desired, but, that is another blog or ten.

Or, not.

Norton 360 is like your young child. It constantly annoys you, craving attention and input. It doesn’t like change, but eventually settles for what you want. Just as it’s quietened down and you’re climbing into bed with your wife to do it (for the first time in ages) it runs into your room and demands to sleep with you two because it’s scared of the dark. In Norton’s case, it’s fine with the dark but unhappy without its precious updates.

So there is the set-up for yet another Norton rant from me, potentially the least happy ungoing user of the antivirus program as I constantly spit out hatred for it (or type hatred, as it’s come to be). I was happily minding my own business earlier when a message popped up saying “New Norton has been released! Update now or your computer will be killed by hackers!” (or words to that effect).

Dutifully, I moved my cursor over the X button in about my most defiant action against Symantec. This was closely followed by a change of heart as I realised the rant potential of this installation. Clicking the “find out more” link, I downloaded the update surprisingly quickly. Looked like some sort of patch. Sweet: this would be quick and easy.

No! Not sweet! Running the “patch”, I was greeted by a humongous download of my new, upgraded program, which ran ever slowly (making the same effect on my computer) in the background for about three-quarters of an hour.

Eventually, the download finished and I could begin the installation process. I clicked “go” and left it to do its thang, checking back every now and again. At no point, I can cheerfully say, did I ever catch the program “installing”. It was always “removing other software”, “uninstalling other software” or any other form of ass-raping the previous installation.

But, after a short fifteen-twenty minutes, the thing finished and presented me with that classic option: “Restart now” or “restart later”? I’ve always been a “restart later” man for two main reasons. Firstly, I don’t like to be bossed around by software. Secondly, I’m normally doing something else other than watching an installation bar and I’d rather keep going with that and not wait for a restart, thank you very much.

Norton labelled its options wrong though. “Restart now” was fine. But the other should have read “leave your computer with no antivirus turned on and firewall disabled whilst I put bugger-all effort in to actually do my job and sit around waiting for you to turn the computer off and on again. Even though I don’t actually need you to.”

It was only ten minutes later when Windows Security Center [sic] told me that there was no antivirus running (“what the fuck?” I cried out in great agony!) that I – quickly – decided to restart and, being British, make myself a brew whilst I waited.

Restart complete, I was greeted by Norton’s characteristically annoying dominance, as a window sprang up to tell me it had been installed (thank God for that, eh?) and everything was working as per usual. Would I like to note the registration key? Well, yes. Navigating myself only as far as My Documents I found more evidence of the intrusive program-to-be. Firstly, it had set up some retarded ghost drive for backup (which I disabled years ago). Secondly, it had created a folder in My Documents called “Symantec”, purely containing the registration key. What the fuck is the point of asking me to save it when you’ve already done so in the most personal folder on my computer?

Peeved, I moved the key into the folder I’ve created for that sort of thing and set about to change some settings around. Turn the backup off first. Great. Now let’s fiddle with the antivirus settings… I’m presented with a list of features which make little sense to what they do (such as SONAR which apparently doesn’t tell me of incoming submarines and Advanced Heuristic Protection which has an “aggresive” mode).

I turned off Email and IM scanning pretty quickly – snooze, I can look after myself and you can’t scan hotmail. Norton’s completely acceptable response is to send me a Protection Alert with a big red exclamation mark asking how long I want to disable email scanning for (which kind of shows how up its own arse 360 is). 15 minutes? 1 hour? Longer? Permanently, actually.

The big problem with Norton 360 is that it turns every little thing on by default. It’s built around people who want a security program to be prevalent, whilst I prefer it to be in the background doing little but protecting my ass from internet cowboys. What annoys me (well, one of the many things) is how it automatically sets up things like Parental Control without asking me. How is that not my immediate decision?

It doesn’t help that Symantec still haven’t developed an easy-to-use system for their settings. The firewall uses Program and Traffic Rules which are just confusing, even to someone like me who at least understands how a computer works. It relies on these sort of traps to dissuade you from trying to disable anything or let your computer do what you want.

The whole company has, sadly, been built on fear. They follow the whole “get our software or get raped by space bandits” ethos, which works surprisingly well in marketing but is horrible to watch. It’s depressing to recognise the tricks they use as such and really wants to make you change security providers.

But then, hey, what would I have moan about?

Dear Norton 360, 

Thank you for being so fabulous!  I’ve been using you since February, and in that time I have not had any problems with viruses.  (Nor have I ever had any problems with viruses before using you, but that’s not the point.)  The feature of the software that I had not bargained for  am most impressed by is whatever it is that uses up so gosh darn much memory.  Because of that,  my computer runs at a much more leisurely pace.  Sometimes it even locks right up.  That was a stroke of genius on your part!  I just can’t understand why that aspect of the software isn’t more widely promoted.  From the first day of installation, that feature has improved my life in ways I never knew anti-virus software could.  Norton 360 has forced me allowed me to take more time out of my day to  stop and sip my coffee smell the roses. 

Since February, my desk has never been so organized. Among other things, you have given me enough down time from my computer to ensure that my pencils are always sharpened.  A good supply of sharp pencils is really handy for when I have multiple programs running.  You really look out for me when you think I’m taking on too much. I love it when you freeze up my computer to punish me for “multitasking”.  Thats when I get to use those sharpened pencils for doodling.  Who knew I could enjoy doodling so much?  I’m even considering framing my doodles to decorate my office.  Of course I don’t always feel like doodling when you refuse to let me work, some days I squeeze in a few hundred sets of Kegel exercises.  They have really done wonders to improve my sex life prevent urinary incontinence.

 Recently, I discovered a turtle living in my yard.  Naturally, I chose “Norton” as his name.  The similarities between the two of you are striking.  He too stops intruders dead in their tracks.  If a car proceeds to turn in the yard, as soon as the driver spots Norton in his path he is forced to back out.   Also, like you, Norton the turtle never seems to care notice that he is in the way of  sharing space with others.  For instance, if the lawnmower is coming, Norton will make the lawnmower wait until Norton is ready to let the lawnmower do its thing.

Norton, the turtle in my yard.

I think Norton the turtle would make a terrific mascot/spokesperson for your company.  His cuteness would do wonders to help promote the advantages of Norton 360 sucking the speed right out of the PC.   Feel free to use this concept in your next marketing campaign. I won’t charge you a thing for the idea.  However if you want to use my turtle illustration, you will have to talk to me about royalty fees.  It is unlikely that you will find a graphic designer/illustrator who can match the talent child-like innocence demonstrated in my drawing.   

 Sincerely,

 Shannon

Igår laddade jag hem Microsofts senaste OS (operativ system) Windows 7 Beta. Därmed blev jag en av de 2.5 miljoner användare som ska testa denna nya plattform som enligt Microsoft ska vara snabbare och säkrare än sin föregångare Windows Vista. Idag installerade jag Windows 7 på min laptop och det tog sin lilla tid att få igång det. Kan säga att designmässigt sett liknar W7 sin föregångare Vista, men med några små avvikelser. Kan säga att det visuella intrycket jag får av W7 är riktigt snyggt och har man en skärm med pekfunktion så kommer W7 verkligen till sin rätta då man kan göra förflyttningar med sina fingrar. Tyvärr har inte jag någon sådan laptop och då kan jag inte utvärdera denna funktion.

Tidigare hade jag Windows XP installerat på min laptop. Denna lilla burk köpte jag sommaren 2005 och den är på 1.5Ghz. Allt eftersom att åren gått har fanskapet blivit segare efter varje ominstallation som gjorts, men nu när jag har lagt in W7 känns det som att den blivit lite snabbare. Konstigt då XP borde vara bättre och snabbare på den maskinen.

Några buggar har jag dock lagt märke till redan, men det kan säkert ha att göra med att min laptop inte är världens bästa dator. När jag har tre program igång samtidigt så låser sig muspekaren och det är lite irriterande. Sen kunde jag inte installera “Norton 360″ som är brandvägg och antivirus i ett. Den frågade efter ett OS som var XP eller bättre. Haha.. Jag gick in på Symantecs webbsida och frågade deras tekniska support om detta och fick då svaret att: Så länge som W7 bara är en testversion så fungerar inga av Symantecs program till detta OS. Ganska logiskt. Så det var bara för mig att tanka hem ett gratis antivirusprogram “AVG” och installera. Detta fungerade ypperligt. När det gäller brandvägg är jag tvungen att köra med Windows egna, men det fungerar då jag inte har något av värde på min laptop.

Då jag har Glocalnet som bredbandsoperatör installerade jag även detta program för att kunna gå ut på nätet. Detta gick inte då datorn inte kunde hitta något Wlan modem. Märkligt tycker jag då jag senare gjorde en manuell installation utan Glocalnets programvara och denna fungerade som den skulle.

Andra småsaker som inte gick att installera var uppdateringar från HP som är tillverkare av min lilla dator. Detta ville jag göra då datorn inte kunde hitta några drivrutiner för ljudkortet. Men så fort min internetuppkoppling kom igång uppdaterades allt detta automatiskt via microsoft. Mycket bra!

Men för att vara en Beta version fungerar detta OS helt ok även på en laptop med en processor på 1.5Ghz och 512mb i ram. När Windows 7 släpps på marknaden någon gång under detta år kommer jag garanterat att köpa detta.

På min stationära dator har jag Windows Vista Premium installerat och jag har aldrig haft några större problem med detta OS som tydligen många andra har haft. Det fungerar klanderfritt och är snabbt, både i uppstart och avstängning. Så jag kommer fortsättningsvis köra Vista på den stora burken. Nu är det bara att hålla tummarna för att Windows 7 blir så bra som Microsoft säger att det ska bli.

Over and out!

hoy más de lo mismo … o bueno, de hecho un poco peor … esta noche se ha roto la tarjeta nVIDIA Quadro de mi workstation de sobremesa, así que ahora me toca comprar una tarjeta y explicar que no va a ser un regalo de reyes sino una emergencia. Sin el PC de sobremesa como apoyo, estoy bastante vendido a la hora de recuperar mi laptop.
En lo referente al software, no ha acabado aun la película de miedo, porque visto el fiasco del back-up de Norton 360 2.0 estoy evaluando otras soluciones de back-up.
Al ser Symantec la empresa del Norton 360, se me quitan las ganas de usar Veritas (que al menos hace 3 años era lo mejor de lo mejor) o incluso de Norton Ghost (señores de Symantec: ¿podrían dejar de asociar a sus productos el apellido del Sr. Peter Norton que tantas parejas salvó en los 80 y usar uno más actual como Gates 360 más adecuado al comportamiento de su software?).
Estos dos, Ghost y Veritas me confirman amigos que serían el fin de mis problemas de copias de datos, aunque va tomando más peso mi conversión a Apple (en cuanto mejoren mis finanzas) y la instalación de una “Time Capsule”.
Por el momento estoy evaluando un software que en castellano tiene un nombre cachondo: MEMEO.
Si funciona bien, enviaré un email al director de marketing de esta empresa norteamericana para sugerirle que cambie el nombre de su producto y lo llame TECAGAS
Para quien no me crea, que vaya a la web de esta gente: www.memeo.com
Lo acabo de instalar y tiene buena pinta … veremos.
Qué divertido sería trabajar para ellos teniendo un email del tipo … risas@memeo.com

Norton 360 3.0

Jetzt Vollversion für EUR 69,99 kaufen.

Wichtigste Funktionen:

• Schutz für alle Ihre Online-Aktivitäten
• Sicherheit mit extrem geringen Auswirkungen auf die Systemleistung
• Blockiert Botnets
• Online Store Sicherheits-Überprüfung
• Identitätsschutz
• 1-Klick-Logins auf Websites
• Wappnet für Browser gegen Angriffe
• Regelmäßige Updates für Virenschutz
  
• Schutz vor Datenverlust
• Schutz für WLAN-Netzwerke
  
• Kostenloser Norton-Support

Quelle:www.symantec.com

Weitere Informationen direkt beim Hersteller.