Norton Antivirus is making me mad...

[PainKilla]

Alright, I'm going to post up exactly what I've been seeing, and what's been popping up on my computer suddenly... For awhile now.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/PainKilla/annoyingcrap.jpg

Alright, this has never happened before, out of the plenty of times I've seen this error and my norton antivirus is out of date.

A) This thing pops up every 5-10 seconds after you close it or choose one of the options. It constantly does it, I've tried looking for a way to stop this, and it keeps it up. It sometimes even kicks me out of a game just so it can pop it's stupidass up, and guess what else, it pops itself up when it's even up. So you'd see it, and it pops up again to "Remind" you.

B) I have no idea how to fix this.

and C) I'm not planning on getting new norton anti virus anytime soon.

Does anyone know how to fix this? It's really, really starting to **** me off to no end.

[Bjossi]

I have no idea, I got this window alot too, but not every 5 - 10 seconds. You should go to Norton settings and configure the auto update so it won´t get out dated.

Btw, I´d get another AV program, Norton was good but is bad.
I´m using Panda AntiVirus Platinum 7. Deletes everything. :)
It´s rather cheap if I remember right.

[HARLEY]

Try this FREE version.... http://www.grisoft.com/doc/40/lng/us/tpl/tpl01

Works great for me! ... :cool: ;)

[Xyyth]

You better keep some sort of current anti-virus protection on your computer or you will eventually get hosed. Take that off and put something else on that's current.

[BloodBuster]

Hey, Painkillaaaaah, don't fret. I know it's a pain in the butt. You can try the following:

download the english updates from here:

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/download/pages/US-N95.html

This is a file that you can download and which contains the latest virus definitions - all of them. It is updated every single day.

If you still get the problem after applying the virus update, then I would uninstall, then reinstall.

If you still the same problem after that then you will need to uninstall and remove all traces of Symantec from your computer - specifically, check the Documents and Settings\AllUsers folder and your own folder - (the one named the same as your account). Also, remove any Symantec folders from Program Files\Common Files folder. Then reinstall.

There are very comprehensive instructions on how to get around most NAV problems posted on Symantecs helpsite:

http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/

Let me know how you get on

[PainKilla]

I can't update or use the file definitions thing because it says mine has expired...

Thank you anyway, I've heard about AVG from two sites now, should I use this instead?

[PainKilla]

Well I downloaded and installed AVG, let me say this looks a lot more interesting than norton anti-virus, but now I'm scared. I've never used this before, so I'm not sure the possibilities of what might happen if I uninstall norton...

[BloodBuster]

It's not a good idea to have two different antivirus programs running at the the same time. Disable NAV and run a full system scan using AVG. Once the scan has finished and assuming nothing has been detected why not uninstall NAV, unless you're going to renew your subscription.

[PainKilla]

I'm definately not renewing... How do I uninstall, exactly? Norton apparantly didn't come with an Uninstall.exe ...

[BloodBuster]

Well, I'd try looking in the Start>Programs>Norton Antivirus folder, Start>Control Panel or Start>Settings>Control Panel then use Add/Remove programs to uninstall it.

If you're really stuck you can check this download:

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039?Open&src=sg&docid=2004020909040706&nsf=tsgeninfo.nsf&view=docid/2004020909040706?open&src=sg&docid=2003090415405206&nsf=nav.nsf&view=d4578f66d8f00a0188256d4e006aaa94/9f87b423fda7cebe88256d97007bcdd0?opendocument&prod=norton%20antivirus&ver=2004%20for%20windows%202000/me/98&dtype=&prod=norton%20antivirus&ver=2004%20for%20windows%202000/me/98&dtype=&prod=norton%20antivirus&ver=2004%20for%20windows%202000/me/98&osv=&osv_lvl=

[HARLEY]

Let me know how you like AVG....From what I understand it is not the resource hog that Norton AV is...AVG updates daily and runs a test once a day, the schedule being adjustable. I like it very much..Good Luck... :cool:

[Luigibuddy]

Uninstall Norton, as a small fact, don't bother with Antiviruses anymore. As long as you know which sites you should visit, and what kind of files you shouldn't download then you're safe.

[BloodBuster]

Uninstall Norton, as a small fact, don't bother with Antiviruses anymore. As long as you know which sites you should visit, and what kind of files you shouldn't download then you're safe.

Sorry, that has to be one of the worse pieces of IT advice I have ever seen.

Antivirus is essential, otherwise, if your computer becomes infected (and there are sites that install malicious code silently - they are refered to as a driveby), your computer becomes a menace the rest of the web, pumping spam and viruses into the community, and if you're really unlucky, your PC will be infected with a rootkit which turns it into a bot. That's bad, because the only way to get rid of a rootkit is to repartition your drive.

If you are going to connect your computer to the web, you must be responsible for your PC and take appropraite preventative measures to ensure you do not cause anyone else grief. Also, you will have a happier computer which will run better and you are less likely to get any problems yourself.

[Luigibuddy]

Sorry, that has to be one of the worse pieces of IT advice I have ever seen.

Antivirus is essential, otherwise, if your computer becomes infected (and there are sites that install malicious code silently - they are refered to as a driveby), your computer becomes a menace the rest of the web, pumping spam and viruses into the community, and if you're really unlucky, your PC will be infected with a rootkit which turns it into a bot. That's bad, because the only way to get rid of a rootkit is to repartition your drive.

If you are going to connect your computer to the web, you must be responsible for your PC and take appropraite preventative measures to ensure you do not cause anyone else grief. Also, you will have a happier computer which will run better and you are less likely to get any problems yourself.


Antivirus is essential,
I can see an Antivirus being essential if you are the kind of person that visits warez and/or porn sites, or has way too many critical information in his/her PC.


If you are going to connect your computer to the web, you must be responsible for your PC and take appropraite preventative measures to ensure you do not cause anyone else grief.
Instead of wasting your money you should use your head and know what kind of things in the internet can damage your computer.


Also, you will have a happier computer which will run better
I fail to see how, considering Antiviruses make your PC take forever to load and Antivirus companies like Norton for example always take a long time to release a new update against the latest viruses.

[BloodBuster]

Warez and porn? Viruses don't restrict themselves to warez and porn. As for critical information, I think you'll find that a massive percentage of PC users have critical and at the very least, very important information on their PC's.

The whole point of the internet is being able to access and exchange information. Have you never used Google or another search engine? Does Google/Lycos/AllTheWeb/AskJeeves etc etc tell you which sites have malicious code?

My point is that you should be able to go anywhere you like on the web without worrying 'oooh, will I get a virus if I go here? Will I get a virus if I go there? Will my PC be infected by a rootkit??' It is impossible to know which of the millions and millions of web pages are safe to visit. Having antivirus and a firewall effectively gives you a passport to go pretty much wherever you like.

If you are experiencing problems with an antivirus program then you go to the antivirus company and get it sorted out. Issues of s-l-o-w loading, or similar speed related issues can often be sorted out. These companies are really helpful if you email them with your woes, and will usually do their best to resolve the problem.

I rarely have any problems with my copy of Norton Antivirus. In fact, I've only ever had one problem and uninstalling, then reinstalling sorted it out.

You should only install an antivirus program that your computer can handle. NAV is a polished professional product and has a very good reputation, because it really gets inside your system and monitors many processes.

Everyone should have antivirus installed. For their protection and everyone elses. Anyone who does not runs the risk of infecting other people with viruses.

Finally, you will find that Sophos, AVG, Symantec, Kaspersky et al release updates about the same time.

So, do you not have any protection at all on your computer?

[BloodBuster]

I feel I should add to my statement about my only ever having one issue with NAV. That statement is true as far as my personal PC is concerned. However, the PC I use at work has had NAV (several flavours), on it for years. During that time, I had one problem with it not scanning incoming email, and another time it slowed the machine up to the point where the PC became unusable.

What did I do? I contacted Symantec Support, and got the issues sorted out. I have not had a problem with it for over a year now.

[T'krau]

...considering Antiviruses make your PC take forever to load and Antivirus companies like Norton for example always take a long time to release a new update against the latest viruses.
I use McAfee, rather than Norton, and I hardly even notice it - plus, I get updates every 2 weeks or so. It's NEVER let anything in.

[BloodBuster]

Another good antivirus program which a lot of IT professionals have given the thumbs-up to is Avast http://www.avast.com/eng/desktop_protection.html

Give a try Luigibuddy, it's better than nothing at all, and the program is free for non-commercial use, and it has won several awards for its detection rates.

[Luigibuddy]

Warez and porn? Viruses don't restrict themselves to warez and porn. As for critical information, I think you'll find that a massive percentage of PC users have critical and at the very least, very important information on their PC's.

The whole point of the internet is being able to access and exchange information. Have you never used Google or another search engine? Does Google/Lycos/AllTheWeb/AskJeeves etc etc tell you which sites have malicious code?

My point is that you should be able to go anywhere you like on the web without worrying 'oooh, will I get a virus if I go here? Will I get a virus if I go there? Will my PC be infected by a rootkit??' It is impossible to know which of the millions and millions of web pages are safe to visit. Having antivirus and a firewall effectively gives you a passport to go pretty much wherever you like.

If you are experiencing problems with an antivirus program then you go to the antivirus company and get it sorted out. Issues of s-l-o-w loading, or similar speed related issues can often be sorted out. These companies are really helpful if you email them with your woes, and will usually do their best to resolve the problem.

I rarely have any problems with my copy of Norton Antivirus. In fact, I've only ever had one problem and uninstalling, then reinstalling sorted it out.

You should only install an antivirus program that your computer can handle. NAV is a polished professional product and has a very good reputation, because it really gets inside your system and monitors many processes.

Everyone should have antivirus installed. For their protection and everyone elses. Anyone who does not runs the risk of infecting other people with viruses.

Finally, you will find that Sophos, AVG, Symantec, Kaspersky et al release updates about the same time.

So, do you not have any protection at all on your computer?


Warez and porn? Viruses don't restrict themselves to warez and porn.
I never said they only restricted themselves to warez and porn.


Does Google/Lycos/AllTheWeb/AskJeeves etc etc tell you which sites have malicious code?
Did I say search engines magically tell you which sites have viruses or not? No.
What I am saying is that the user should know which sites he should visit and which ones he shouldn't bother visiting, it's quite obvious nobody in their right mind would check a site with random nonense.


Having antivirus and a firewall effectively gives you a passport to go pretty much wherever you like.
How does having an Antivirus allow you to visit websites without worrying? Most of the time an antivirus releases an update that protects you against new viruses there are already new ones that it cannot detect.


If you are experiencing problems with an antivirus program then you go to the antivirus company and get it sorted out.
They are releasing their product, they are supposed to test it in a few systems before bothering to release it.



I rarely have any problems with my copy of Norton Antivirus. In fact, I've only ever had one problem and uninstalling, then reinstalling sorted it out.
Of course, you rarely have problems with Norton, but what about other people that used it?


You should only install an antivirus program that your computer can handle.
So far I tried Norton, McAfee, Panda, AVG and a few others and they all do a bad job at protecting my computer. I remember McAfee screwing up my computer so badly I couldn't even boot it.


So, do you not have any protection at all on your computer?
Considering most Antiviruses gave me more trouble than protecting my computer against viruses, no.

[Frag Maniac]

Another good antivirus program which a lot of IT professionals have given the thumbs-up to is Avast http://www.avast.com/eng/desktop_protection.html

Give a try Luigibuddy, it's better than nothing at all, and the program is free for non-commercial use, and it has won several awards for its detection rates.

...often and fast. I heard about it from a guy that sells high end gaming PCs, his biz is called Predator Gaming Computers. He recommends it to all his customers, I've been using it for a while now, and just found out Varus uses it too.

They also have a very good forum with techs that help out on it regularly. I was answered very quickly with my question, and I only use their free version.

[[ThePact]]

if u connect to the internet and go to even the most official websites,
u'll still most likely NEED an antivirus,
since i used to think same as luigi,
and my pc DID get infected from just going to a well known game site or something like that, there r nasty spams installed on some "clean" web sites as well.

the best one in my opinion is Norton, it does slow ur system yes, but not all the time as long as its gaurding ur machine ! just in the start up and sometimes during the installation of some programs, but very rare !
other than that, everything works as fast as if theres no antivirus installed !
and i say best because i have had other ones missing a virus or a trojan and letting it get through...
but not Norton.

[BloodBuster]

I never said they only restricted themselves to warez and porn.


Did I say search engines magically tell you which sites have viruses or not? No.
What I am saying is that the user should know which sites he should visit and which ones he shouldn't bother visiting, it's quite obvious nobody in their right mind would check a site with random nonense.


How does having an Antivirus allow you to visit websites without worrying? Most of the time an antivirus releases an update that protects you against new viruses there are already new ones that it cannot detect.


They are releasing their product, they are supposed to test it in a few systems before bothering to release it.


Of course, you rarely have problems with Norton, but what about other people that used it?


So far I tried Norton, McAfee, Panda, AVG and a few others and they all do a bad job at protecting my computer. I remember McAfee screwing up my computer so badly I couldn't even boot it.


Considering most Antiviruses gave me more trouble than protecting my computer against viruses, no.

If you cannot be a responsible PC user then you should not use a PC. You obviously did not bother reading my posts, or if you did, you are being deliberately irresponsible. You are a menace to other users who connect to the Internet. If more people protected their systems against malicious code the Internet would not have half the problems it currently has with malicious code.

[Luigibuddy]

If you cannot be a responsible PC user then you should not use a PC. You obviously did not bother reading my posts, or if you did, you are being deliberately irresponsible. You are a menace to other users who connect to the Internet. If more people protected their systems against malicious code the Internet would not have half the problems it currently has with malicious code.


You obviously did not bother reading my posts,
Actually, I did. Can't say the same thing about you though.


You are a menace to other users who connect to the Internet.
You seem to think that those that do not use an Antivirus are irresponsible, yet those that have protection in their computers can visit any website they want. That doesn't mean anything, conisdering that those that have one can get virus and suddenly "become a menace to the rest of the web".

[BloodBuster]

Actually, I did. Can't say the same thing about you though.


You seem to think that those that do not use an Antivirus are irresponsible, yet those that have protection in their computers can visit any website they want. That doesn't mean anything, conisdering that those that have one can get virus and suddenly "become a menace to the rest of the web".

OK, this is my last word on this, then I'll 'desist'.

I work in IT, and I often have to deal with users problems when they have viruses/other problems with their computers. The reason they get viruses is that they mistakenly trust other people to set up web sites without malicious code and trust people (whether they know it or not), not to send them emails infected with viruses. Unfortunately, the world is not like that.

I teach them how to protect their data by visiting Windows Update and making sure their OS is protected against most security exploits. I also ensure they use antivirus/firewalls free or otherwise. I teach them that by being responsible for their computers they help lessen the amount of crap that is circulating on the internet. Once someone has lost important data, or has had to reformat because their computer was turned into a bot, it is amazing how their attitude to AV changes.

I know you say that a user should be aware of which sites are dangerous - but many users do not have this experience. They simply use their computers. They rarely know 'how' their computers work. I have used search engines to search for information - and I often just click on a link to visit a page. However, some sites that contain malicious code or porn also have random text, or text that is often used as a search term. One time I was searching for something, clicked a link and was taken to a page containing porn. I am glad my young son was not with me when this happened. People need to realise that if you do not have antivirus, then getting a virus is not a voluntary decision.

This is why I feel that people who deliberately do not have AV installed are being irresponsible, whether they realise it or not. If everyone used AV, the net would be a much safer place, and the number of viruses would be insignificant.

Your final comment makes no sense. As all AV companies update their definitions at about the same time, it stands to reason that if you are unlucky enough get hit by the newest virus before a definition is released, you will be infected whether you have AV or not.

How you and other people run your computers is your responsibility at the end of the day.

That's all I have to say about this.

[Luigibuddy]

OK, this is my last word on this, then I'll 'desist'.

I work in IT, and I often have to deal with users problems when they have viruses/other problems with their computers. The reason they get viruses is that they mistakenly trust other people to set up web sites without malicious code and trust people (whether they know it or not), not to send them emails infected with viruses. Unfortunately, the world is not like that.

I teach them how to protect their data by visiting Windows Update and making sure their OS is protected against most security exploits. I also ensure they use antivirus/firewalls free or otherwise. I teach them that by being responsible for their computers they help lessen the amount of crap that is circulating on the internet. Once someone has lost important data, or has had to reformat because their computer was turned into a bot, it is amazing how their attitude to AV changes.

I know you say that a user should be aware of which sites are dangerous - but many users do not have this experience. They simply use their computers. They rarely know 'how' their computers work. I have used search engines to search for information - and I often just click on a link to visit a page. However, some sites that contain malicious code or porn also have random text, or text that is often used as a search term. One time I was searching for something, clicked a link and was taken to a page containing porn. I am glad my young son was not with me when this happened. People need to realise that if you do not have antivirus, then getting a virus is not a voluntary decision.

This is why I feel that people who deliberately do not have AV installed are being irresponsible, whether they realise it or not. If everyone used AV, the net would be a much safer place, and the number of viruses would be insignificant.

Your final comment makes no sense. As all AV companies update their definitions at about the same time, it stands to reason that if you are unlucky enough get hit by the newest virus before a definition is released, you will be infected whether you have AV or not.

How you and other people run your computers is your responsibility at the end of the day.

That's all I have to say about this.


Once someone has lost important data, or has had to reformat because their computer was turned into a bot, it is amazing how their attitude to AV changes.
I have reformatted my computer due to a virus a few times already, funny thing is that I had an Antivirus all the time. In the end I gave up and didn't bother with them anymore, after a long time without one and some basic knowledge on what kind of things can damage my computer my system has yet to become unstable.


I know you say that a user should be aware of which sites are dangerous - but many users do not have this experience. They simply use their computers. They rarely know 'how' their computers work.
They should atleast have some basic knowledge on how computers work and know that some things in the internet can damage their PC's.


If everyone used AV, the net would be a much safer place, and the number of viruses would be insignificant.
Actually, the net would be the same. Considering a virus always finds a way to pass the Antivirus program.


As all AV companies update their definitions at about the same time
Yet when they update there are already new viruses out that it cannot detect.

[Bjossi]

Since I switched to Panda, my system has never had a virus before. It always detects it and either neutrelize it or quarantines it. :D

I was a big fan of Norton until it stopped removing viruses even though it was fully updated, it even couldn´t quarantine them, it was quite common.

I don´t want to sound like a fanboy, but if I do, I´m a Panda fanboy, I´ll admit it. :p

[T'krau]

Yet when they update there are already new viruses out that it cannot detect.
I used to work in Silicon Valley, and had a client who worked for McAfee. He said that almost any A/V program is reactive, rather than proactive, and if they could find a way to beat the virus before it hits the 'net (ie - be able to PREDICT a new virus), they'd all have more money that Bill Gates.

As far as I'm concerned, if you want to run your machine without A/V protection, that's your business. Me, I'm keeping mine up to date...one less thing to worry about.