Entered CNET Catalog: 08/10/2005
SKU: 10430042
Manufacturer: Symantec Corporation
Manufacturer description
Protect your computer from viruses, hackers, spyware, and spam with comprehensive security. Enjoy your connection to the world. Norton Internet Security 2006 gives you the confidence to travel the Internet like never before, protected against viruses, hackers, spyware, and spam. A comprehensive set of security tools, Norton Internet Security helps keep you safe online as you surf and email, swap files, download programs, and chat.User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88
User Rating:
1/10
It's Terrible.
Pros: I hate it like the Devil himself!
Cons: You could find better protection at jail.
User Rating:
3/10
Poor a glass of Coke in your hard drive, get same effect
Pros: Good virus detection
Cons: Poor system performance & application behavior
User Rating:
1/10
It was half price and now I know why
Pros: it custs down your heating bill by getting your PC to heat the study
Cons: there is no point going in the study because the PC cant do anything else
My poor PC spent all its time doing Nortony things and forgot what it had been bought for.
I replaced this stuff with Zonealarm 6.5 which is great. See review there.
User Rating:
2/10
Crashes; Rebate offer welched; uninstall didn't work.
Pros: Little to report here.
Cons: Tech support responsive, but of little use
User Rating:
1/10
A load of garbage!
Pros: Stops viruses and worms.
Cons: Slows the systems to less than a crawl.
User Rating:
2/10
Okay product, Horrible support
Pros: Product does its job; user friendly features
Cons: Horrible tech support; tough installation
I began having a problem with the installation and, having been my first problem with Norton (which I have used for many years), I attempted using the internet chat to solve the problem (after the knowledge base failed). I used the chat twice and both times the person had no idea what they were doing and were telling me to try things I had told them I had done. This was on Oct 13. That same night I tried calling the tech support and got connected with a gentleman who basicly told me to uninstall and reinstall the product and then said "Good-Bye" and hung up. After taking the time to do what I had done several times (and failed again) I called back and was connected with a different person. We talked for about 22 minutes and got no where. After about 5 minutes I realized that she was basicly reading off of the same knowledge base I had just been on! After telling me to do several things I had already done, I finally said good night, and to try back the next day. I was so fed up I dreaded the call, but I did it anyway because I use my computer for my video production company and it needs some kind of security on it. I got connected with a gentleman (on the 14th) who, after just 5 minutes, had me remove a file and it worked with out issue. This gentleman was so helpful and I was they had all been like him. I was very unhappy with the service provided. I have used Norton for many years and I am seriously debating whether to use the product next year. This is the way you turn people off of a product and I hope that I never have a problem in which I have to call.
I would not buy Norton again and would not reccomend it to others.
User Rating:
1/10
Broken and unfixable by Symantec Support
Pros: Easy to contact Symantec support via chat.
Cons: Symantec support wasted my time by guessing instead of analyzing
I write software for a living. I am an expert at this stuff. If my software was this bad, I'd be out of business. NIS 2006, along with its miserable support, is an embarrassment to our profession. Symantec should be deeply ashamed.
User Rating:
4/10
Still working with Tech Support
Pros: Good protection - Great Rebates
Cons: Blocks email downloads in Outllook 2003 & Tbird
User Rating:
1/10
Unresolved load problems, unreliable and unresponsive technical support
Pros: Broad protection
Cons: Major system conflicts (XP) and terrible support service
User Rating:
2/10
Protection through abstinence...
Pros: Keeps your computer 100% Virus Free
Cons: Who needs a computer anyway?
I installed the product on a couple of computers. Both systems, slowed down to a crawl. I have no idea what the software was trying to do. After installing: No Internet access; All sorts of memory resident programs clogging up memory; My hard disk just churned away, as if it were failing.
I bought the product, as I blindy trusted Norton...NO MORE. That's it!
But, my computer was Virus Free!!!
User Rating:
1/10
Absolute CRAP
Pros: There were no pros at all
Cons: Installation is terrible
I ultimately ended up getting the ZoneAlarm 6.5 Suite. There were no problems with installation and configuration.
I WILL NEVER use Norton anything!
User Rating:
8/10
It does the job and is reliable
Pros: Always gets the virus and has NEVER been a problem
Cons: You MUST remove old Norton programs using the Symtool
It's much faster than Mcaffee for system loading (50% less) and I really don't notice it at all. It's really important to do a Fresh Install of Windows every 6-12 months depending on your usage since most all PC's have corruption in the OS & registry and installing a New Product like this will break the back of an already weak OS. It's not as good as previous versions but I'll take it over Mcaffee any day.
User Rating:
1/10
Absolute waste of time
Pros: I really found none it never worked properly
Cons: It didn't install correctly, it bogged my PC down and made it freeze up, it would not update it's components,the worst was it would not uninstall I had to reformat my PC
After using this or should I say not being able to use this, I do not trust Norton at all anymore this was a piece of junk and nothing but a big disappointment. Much more trouble than it was worth. Don't waste time or money on this.
User Rating:
1/10
A RAM-sucking hellbeast.
Pros: Mama told me not to tell lies - there are none.
Cons: See summary.
Well, no duh! That's what I paid for, that's what I expect it to do. Only - the failure of the installation? - not.
In addition - the RAM-sucking hellbeast part? This is the Humvee of the system, fat and bloated and thirsty for everything it can suck. And suck it does - it slows everything down to the point where I got SpeedUpMyPC.
Also, tech support? Ha.
A crappy, echoing transoceanic connection with a lag that would do justice to calling the moon. The 'techs' are script-oriented, plodding, and desperately in need of a clue.
They also do not seem to think that females know anything about computers - the last one asked to speak to my husband. HUH?!
So, next renewal period, someone else gets my dollars.
User Rating:
1/10
BE ADVISED: If you don't need a working computer, then this is the best software for you!!
Pros: THERE IS NOTHING GOOD ABOUT THIS
Cons: THERE IS NOTHING GOOD ABOUT THIS
I pray very hard that the people who complained BUY this garbage.
If you want to RUIN your computer to the point that unless you are very tech savvy, it will cost you plenty when you call the computer guy to come to your house.
This is the worst software that was ever made and I feel that it was sabotaged by an employee. Perhaps, someone from the number 2 or 3 spot was recruited by Symantec and he is working as a spy and deliberately set forth to destroy this company. There is no other reason. How could a happy dedicated employee write such damaging code that digs deep to do it's damage and the damage is not mild, but rather quite severe. The phone help is worth nothing.
I am using avast free and zone alarm free. They work like a dream with features that Norton never had like a boot scan with avast.There is no drain on my computer and it runs very fast now.
I beg and pray that those who had me taken off will PLEASE SUPPORT NORTON NIS 2006 AND BUY IT FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR LOVED ONES.
User Rating:
1/10
The runaway train continues it's downward spiral!
Pros: You must be kidden?
Cons: Where do I start?
But, if you are into self pain, continue to use it. Thank you.
User Rating:
1/10
Ruined two computers
Pros: Can't think of any
Cons: 4 hours to install and crashed two computers
Tech help is extremely poor. I've been with Norton for 10 years...each year gets worse and this will end it for me.
User Rating:
1/10
If I wrote software like this I wouldn't have a job for long!
Pros: None that I can see
Cons: Symantec advertising
User Rating:
4/10
Disappointed in Norton
Pros: Easy User Interface
Cons: Long Install, Slows Computer Start-up
If you aren't upgrading an old Norton product, I would look at purchasing another product.
User Rating:
1/10
The WORST product on the market
Pros: There is NOTHING good about this program
Cons: Many installation
User Rating:
10/10
Very goog product, does all it says!
Pros: Clean the virus and Spyware what other anti virus and anti spyware could not
Cons: nothing I notice
Right after I installed Norton Internet Security, it found and removed 7 spyware, and some of them hide in system32 folder.
From that moment on, I never have a single problem with any spyware and virus.
User Rating:
9/10
Keeps me virus free
Pros: Keeps me virus free, very easy to use
Cons: Nothing I can't live with
User Rating:
4/10
Norton is a "Borg" of a program
Pros: Strong firewall, virus protection
Cons: Program itself is not trustworthy, uses large amount of computer resources, slow, updates painful,takes over desktop with constant popups etc., design and user interface
Installing Norton was very slow, compared to other programs. The update process is very slow. Keep your fingers crossed when Norton installs and updates itself, if your Windows XP is not in perfect order, it won't update the program files at all.
I installed it on my other computer which is a few years old, and all the XP updates are current and has SP2, but Norton will not update the program files, only the virus definitions. Why I don't know?
After installing on a new computer, it took awhile, but everything seemed to update and work fine. After rebooting Norton takes alot of memory and computer resources. It will slow your computer down.
It does not quietly protect your computer you will know Norton is installed by the numerous banners poping up.
System works has a program in it called GoBack which I decided to uninstall since Windows XP has a fine restore feature. I looked around and found in GoBack an option
with a tick box "Disable GoBack", I thought simple enough, so I ticked the option. The computer shut down and restarted. GoBack froze in a neverending loop.
ARghhhhhhhh!!!!!! I knew it! I should have listened to the other peoples reviews. Why does GoBack have this tick box and option if it does not work properly!
Sure Norton does have a good fire wall and virus protection when it wants to work, but what good is it, if you pray everytime your computer starts up, or when the Norton files update. The odds are Norton will crash your computer before any virus or hacker will.
I had to completly reinstall Windows and delete the hard drive. If you really want to buy Norton, I suggest backing up any sensitive files to CD on a regular basis.
I have now purchased a hardware firewall, which took 1 minute to install to my cable providers modem. All traffic is sent through it, no software is needed except for virus protection. No more worries.
Norton does have a 60 day return policy, I am returning the Internet Security and System Works. I do not recommend this product.
User Rating:
1/10
The first product download causes poor performance. No help from Symantec.
Pros: not enough...
Cons: Very poor performance for Client Server environment
User Rating:
2/10
The "New Norton" is BAD NEWS
Pros: Will work if you don't mind a slow computer!
Cons: Will not un-install properly without "removal tool"
Daddy Died April 1st... (An electronics engineer) Ran Norton on both of his XP computers from day 1, and was very security conscious. Used Netscape browser and restricted ActiveX (and even cookies) for good measure.
Step Mom got a message from Symantec in May... Time to renew! She asked me for advise on the options Symantec offered to simply renew the virus definitions or go with NIS 2006 upgrade. I told her to just renew the definitions as this was the safest and easiest (and cheapest) way to go.
I suspect the renewal processes failed due to the Netscape browser and ActiveX security. After jumping through many hoops to contact Norton help. Norton talked her into going with the full upgrade to NIS 2006 as the "best fix" for this problem. After the $64s was paid, the downloaded version from Symantec refused to install... Suspect the same problem as the definitions renewal. After much fussing on the phone, Norton said they would send her a disk by overnight mail. Two weeks later the disk arrived! Step Mom followed the prompts, and NIS 2006 seemed to load fine, however the computer CRASHED on the re-boot, and wouldn't even start in recovery mode.
Geek Squad came to bail her out (for a small fee!) but even after the successful install of NIS 2006, Norton still was giving warnings that her subscription was about to expire! A second visit from computer repair seems to have her on an even keel, but the jury is still out on this. This little adventure wound up costing almost as much as the desktop coputer did when new!
Just can't believe Norton is still flying so high with a product like this on the market... I discovered the free antivirus software last year. AVG worked fine, but I tried Avast and liked it even better! I switched from Norton because I found I could not send email attachments through Nortons outbound email scanning, and that even if you disabled the outbound scanning it would still run!
It was during my switch from Norton, that I discovered that Norton absolutely refused to un-install properly! After un-installing the antivirus and re-booting, I attempted to un-install "Live-Reg"... Got that nasty little message: "We still detect Symantec software on your computer... We strongly recommend you do not un-install LiveReg until all other Symantec software is removed". Looked high and low for the "other Symantec software" but it wasn't there!
After a lovely hour or so on google, I find this problem is not the exception, but the norm! And a special removal tool is needed! Finally killing the beast brought the greatest satisfaction I have felt in some time...
Now, LIFE IS GOOD! Avast uses far less system resources than Norton! Avast updates the program software and not just the definitions. Avast never tells me to "re-boot and run live update again, and AGAIN" (a Norton favorite)! Avast suggests a simple boot time scan to remove viruses, instead of having to turn off system restore and start in SAFE mode like Norton. Avast will download and install, even with Netscape browser, and ActiveX and cookies restricted. And, Avast will probably un-install cleanly if I ever wish to do so (no never) UNLIKE NORTON!
Lets all do this world a great favor and spread the word... That compared with about every other option available, The "New Norton" stuff is BAD NEWS!
William Bolam,
San Diego CA
User Rating:
4/10
BAD PRODUCT: Damages PC Perfornance like no other.
Pros: There is no Pro when a Security Suite slows down your computer 75%.
Cons: Slows down PC Performance to a level that you will be forced to uninstall this product and go with something else.
User Rating:
1/10
Don't Buy! Cannot access internet with Norton Internet Security
Pros: None. I would try others.
Cons: When working bogs down apps, nuisance, need to be technical.
User Rating:
8/10
Excellent protection from all threats
Pros: Antivirus with good spyware protection
Cons: May be heavy but that's it.
User Rating:
8/10
Above average security suite
Pros: all-in-one, little more explicit than previous version
Cons: slow on start-up, and i think slowing my internet browsing
i bought a hp laptop dv8000t with a 2.16gz intel duo core processor, 2gb ddr2 memory, 100gb sata 5400rpm hard drive, nvidia geforce go 7400 512mb memory graphics card, ultra bright view LCD display, and i got 2 yrs. subscription of nis2006 on it for $49.00, besides the trial version that came with the computer.
well all i can say is that it works very good, have not had any problems with it conflicting with anything, i have it on automatic update but not automatic viruscan ijust manually scan when i want to, i try to take as much stuff from running in the backround as possible and out of my startup folder.
i think though it slows my system down more than it really should because with the speed and type of system i have you would think i would never see any slowing down, i have had the computer now for 2 months, it also has windows XP Professional edition on it, so i tried to buy a computer that had the best security and was fast and last 4 years so we will see how i do.
i just felt to voice my opinion because of all the bad reviews and other brand software reviews. i have thought that if i were to change the security software i would try zonealarm, but and that is a BIG BUT, i feel that since it isn't broken do not fix it, and i would probably open up a can of worm transitioning over and then find out there really is not much difference so i am playing it safe and leaving everything the way it is.
but i would like some comments from techies to see whatt they think of what i said about it.
i do go to sysinfo.org to see what to take out of my start-up folder and try to the best of my knowledge run a clean computer hopefully, i also have a maxtor one-touch backup external hard drive that i backup my laptop weekly, and a belkin pre-n router that is hooked up to my desktop by cable and wirelessly to my laptop, no problems thank God.
User Rating:
2/10
When upgrading from earlier versions installation is a NIGHTMARE
Pros: Haven't had a pleasure to observe
Cons: Installation almost impossible, Activation impossible
Then I tried to activate the software and received this message: You have -1 day on your subscription. So, I figured that there is a bug or somthing, but I can call tech. support and activate it by phone, a feature that have been always available in previous versions. Here is a history of my calls:
1st call: Was advised to go to Help&Support menu item and select Support submenu. I didn't have this one. Was given another activation key, which did not work. At last they told me to uninstall the software and use their removal tool to do that. I followed all these steps and tried to install NIS again, but this time it threw me an error message during installation. Asked if I want to upload log files for diagnostic purposes. Answered yes, but the uploading program just chocked up and did not send anything.
2nd call: They still insisted on reinstalling the software and sent me yet some other tools that should help me to clean up my machine from any trace of Symantec software. Followed steps, got the same problem with installation
3rd call: They were still insisting on reinstalling. This time a tech guy guided me through manula process of removing the software using their removal tools, plus I had to go and manually remove Symantec directories from Program Files, Documents and Settings and from registry in Safe Mode. This guy wasd pretty sure that it would help. Nope.
4th call: Still insisted on reinstalling the software, but this time suggested that the system may have caught a virus as well. No s%$t! Advised to run online virus scan. ran it, and sure enough got some virus going on on my machine. Note, that before that day I had an active subscription that was protecting me from viruses. So I guess I caught it during numerous times I unistalled the software. Ok, I got some other tool that cleaned up my machine from a virus. Ran installation again and this time instead of selecting Install with Accounts and Parental Control option (I was selecting it all previous times) selected standard install. It went fine and finally installed the software. Tried to activate it again, the same stuff - You have -1 days left o your subscription
5th call: They were insisting on finding a Subscription menu item under Help&Support. But I don't have it! They again insisted on reinstalling the software, but this time I told'em that there is no way I'm going to reinstall it again. Either find a way to fix it without reinstalling, or ELSE...
It's very very dissapointing.
User Rating:
1/10
Abysmal, not good
Pros: None I can think of
Cons: Many, please see below
User Rating:
9/10
You guys have it all wrong
Pros: Comprehensive Scanning, Highest Firewall Security
Cons: Uses more system resources than most.
User Rating:
9/10
The Best Of 2006!
Pros: Excellent firewall,anti-virus,anti-spyw are,content-blocking..
Cons: Slow on out-date pc's
User Rating:
8/10
An excellent security suite
Pros: User interface second to none but F-secure, does not slow the computer, superior firewall, excellent anti-virus
Cons: Anti-spyware not as aggressive as McAfee's
The only drawback I can find to this excellent package is that its spyware protection isn't on-par with its hacker and virus protection, and that McAfee's security suite is even better.
After carefully monitoring system response time, I now realize that this security suite does reduce system responsiveness. Owing to this, I'm reducing my rank to 7.
User Rating:
1/10
Extreme piece of ...
Pros: None that I am aware of
Cons: Locks your computer, prevents internet access, free support is non-existent.
Bought new pc, tried to install on new pc, install took forever, then the install attempted to autoconfigure my network, BIG MISTAKE, locked my computer, and prevented access to internet. Called norton, Abdul said, try our autofix tool if that doesn't work (it didn't) I have to pay to resolve network config issues. Just uninstalled the piece and am going to through the software in the trash.
Would like to return the $70 piece of ..., but don't want to spend 4 hours trying to get that done.
The slider for the rating should go negative, 1 is too high of a rating for this product.
User Rating:
1/10
THIS SOFTWARE SUCKS
Pros: Seemed to work initially...
Cons: Does not allow users to set WORKING parameters for scheduled scans. Slow as molasses, going uphill, in the dead of winter. The 'norton protection center' should be called 'symantec spam center'.
Without wasting too much time bashing this to oblivion and losing more than just money to symantec I'll say this:
1. If you buy this you WILL regret it.
2. If you install this you're computer will slow by thirty percent.
3. If you don't believe me go back to 1.
User Rating:
6/10
Product performs as stated.
Pros: Ease of use.
Cons: Dismal chat support (don't speak with Ashith).
User Rating:
1/10
Complete Crap!
Pros: Easy to install
Cons: Doesn't work as advertised; crappy tech support
User Rating:
3/10
just too many problems
Pros: a useful set of features
Cons: takes too long to load at startup; too many problems
User Rating:
1/10
Someone should be fired!
Pros: Not worth a lick a *9%#6%^_!
Cons: A Nightmare
Dont call!
Run!
User Rating:
9/10
This is a bad a** program
Pros: great user interface, great parental controls
Cons: You may need to "think" that's right use ur brain to install
User Rating:
1/10
Unethical selling practices
Pros: I'm not so sure anymore
Cons: Shady selling practices
Since when does one have to pay to redownload something they have already purchased? Shouldn't I just get a key to redownload for free? And why is it that the cost of the upgrade is now $10 more? If I make the purchase today, I am going to have to pay almost $20 more than had I made the purchase a few days ago.
I'm looking for another security package.
User Rating:
8/10
Great product from Norton
Pros: Comprehensive, integrates well into Windows XP
Cons: Could be a little complex to understand
User Rating:
1/10
Resource hog with conflicts galore.
Pros: Well the reviews say it catches most viruses??
Cons: Huge resource hog. Conflicts with Adobe Acrobat and Shared Printers
User Rating:
9/10
Very useful, helps keep your computer workin
Pros: This suite remooved many viruses from my computer and keeps out unwanted predators all the time. It also blocks unwanted intruders that i dont even know about
Cons: Norton slows up your computer. It is so effective becasue it scans everything, but that takes time. It also runs a quick scan every time you logon
I would reccomend this product.
User Rating:
3/10
Poor combination--better to mix and match
Pros: Detects more spyware than Netscape
Cons: Incompatible with peer-to-peer software
Its next to impossible to turn off the email checker. I don't read email on a PC anymore (too many virii) but the software keeps trying to scan my non-existant mail.
The biggest problem is with the software firewall. I configured the default rules, but it doesn't seem to pay attention to them. P2P software like Shareaza uses a lot of different ports for parallel connections and its not reasonable to write a specific rule for all 60,000+ of them. The reports generated saying another computer is attempting to access my computer are too brief and don't provide any information about which programs are establishing the connection. And of course, you can't go on the Internet to search for the information because the firewall is modal and won't let you do much until you either accept or block the connection. That brings me to the next point, why does the answer have to be "accept always" or "block always?" Why can't I just accept or block once and then deal with it next time?
The inability to properly configure this product for P2P software means that at least once a day (when the virus checker runs) I have to restart the P2P software. Again with the virus checker, it can be on or off, but I don't see any way to change the frequency of automated system scans. The feature is probably in there somewhere, but the documentation doesn't say how to change it.
All-in-all, if you didn't get it for free with your tax software then you probably paid too much.
User Rating:
8/10
I disagree with the editor review
Pros: no breaches of home computer
Cons: slow startup
User Rating:
1/10
Biggest and reliable pc killer software ever known recommend it to your enemies.
Pros: Nice catchy interface
Cons: resource hog ,virus reporter not remover,spyware friendly ie never bothers to find spyware leave alone removing
User Rating:
3/10
Can't use because it slowed my system down too much
Pros: People say it is secure
Cons: Slowed down system absurdly
First I noticed that my Internet Explorer startup time was up 4x. Then I tried to transfer about 800 MB from an 80x SD card via a USB 2.0 card reader to my HD. Time went from 2 minutes to about 16 (8x reduction). I thought my SD card had gone bad (lost speed) so I tried another and the same speed reduction. So I uninstalled NIS2006. Here is where it gets really weird: The internet startup time seems to be normal but the SD card transfer rate is still 8x slower than before installation. I have no idea how to fix this problem.
User Rating:
1/10
Norton really blew it on this one.
Pros: The Norton name....
Cons: Too many to list. Read review.
I actually work as a tech support rep for a very large computer support company. Ever since Norton came out with the 2006 editions of their software, we have been getting swamped with calls about problems created by THEIR software. Suddenly sluggish performance, failure to delete items that it should be able to get rid of, to total hosing of windows XP. You name, Norton did it.
What could cause this? Maybe the beta testers were out partying when they should have been actually TESTING the software. Or maybe the software programmers got drunk and decided to make the 6 (no, that's not a misprint) processes it puts in a system use up 25-35 megs of memory EACH. We don't know.
There are some people here that have commented that, "It's not the software, it's your computer." Both NAV and NIS have received a combined score, if you put them together, of 3.5 from over 100 people here on Cnet. I can see if only 10 people had issues but when 95 out of over those 100 people have serious issues, then it's NOT their PCs.
Many of the people who call in about this are NOT novices, either. A man called in, he had a brand new 4 day old PC with a huge hard drive and a gig of memory, he installed NIS 2006 and it hosed his OS, he had to format and reload windows - I gave him the URL to Grisoft and told him to try their software. Another person upgraded to NIS 2006 and it made his system run pathetically slow. We got rid of it and installed AVG+firewall edition, and it ran like a champ.
Oh, and about those people who blame it on people's PCs. I can make a safe bet those are Norton reps, angry that their precious Norton dropped the ball on this one.
BTW, the reason why we are getting so many of these calls is because Norton's tech support is really NON-technical support and people are fed up with them. 90% of the time, people can't understand what they are saying, and they often times make things worse.
This's isn't limited to NIS. NAV is having the same issues and now there is a glitch with the licensing that makes it unusable where even uninstalling will not fix the issue - and Norton will NOT provide a fix for 2 weeks.
Even Ghost 10 has issues - I had a call from a man who installed Ghost 10 on a PC that had an AMD dual-core 4400+ CPU and all the bells and whistles. Before he installed it, it took 5 seconds to shut down and with Ghost it took about 25. Norton tech support's answer? "It's because you have an AMD processor." I told him that's not the case and the new Norton software has been widely reported to be a bit buggy - he agreed with me and said he will use another imaging program.
So, what do I suggest? For free protection, use the freeware version of Grisoft's AVG antivirus and Zone Alarm. For antispyware use Ad-aware and Ewido (be sure to not install the real-time feature, though). You won't get tech support, though.
If you don't mind paying, get the version of AVG that includes the firewall. For $50 it gives you a 2 year license and it makes Norton instantly seem like jumkware. And from what I hear, their tech support is one of the best. For spyware, download the two above mentioned apps and you'll be set.
Oh, and about AVG: it find things that Norton misses.
Finally, to get rid of Norton 2006 easily you'll need SymNRT. You can do a search for it here or on majorgeeks.com
That's all I have to say. Remember, just because a product has a name, doesn't mean it's good!
User Rating:
1/10
unusable - Total waste of money
Pros: -non ggggg no prodss
Cons: difficult to uninstall , causes system unstability
User Rating:
7/10
Still a strong firewall/antivirus combo
Pros: Intercepts viruses/trojans during download
Cons: Does seem to drag a bit on startup
User Rating:
2/10
Not worth the cost, there are much better free alternatives.
Pros: Does provide a wide range of different protection.
Cons: Does not seem to protect very well, and slows down your computer.
While in theory it packages together a wide range of protection, from anti-virus to anti-spam, and seems like a good all-round tool, on paper it seems week in the fundamental issues (like spyware which I will explain) and more of a hinderance than benefit. The biggest downfall of this program is that it's a huge, and I mean HUGE resource hog, more than should ever be allowed by ANY program. If you have a fast computer, it will slow down noticeably in every regard, no matter what you're doing or running program-wise (and whether you're online or not). If you have a slow computer, I feel for you. I noted my resources before and after I uninstalled the program, and I was appalled to find out that Norton took up a 100 (yes, one-zero-zero) MB of memory. I can understand taking up that much memory during a system scan, but not at idling process. To make matters worse, I would leave my computer sitting idle, no internet connection, no programs running or loading, not doing anything whatsoever, and norton suddenly takes up 80-90% of CPU time. Surely it's not a quick scan, as that was already performed when I booted the computer. Surely it's not that something is being loaded, or files are being downloaded. Again, no, as my computer is just sitting on my desk. So what is it scanning or doing? I don't know, but that doesn't seem normal.
The two sections of the program that should be priority in their performance (beyond the default behaviour of the program in general) are the anti-virus and spyware features. Now, with the anti-virus portion, I cannot honestly say whether it works well or not, as I don't know if the scans I have done confirm that there is nothing, or have merely detected nothing. (if anyone has more detailed experience about this, please feel free to comment). However, with spyware, I did an online Trend Micro spyware scan (which I highly recommend) and it detected two spyware programs and a parasite (which ironically my other two spyware programs did not detect either, a good reason to run more than one). This begs the question, if Norton has anti-spyware built in, and it supposed to have the protection running real-time, then where was the flaw that it missed those? My definitions were always up to date, along with the program itself. What good is real-time protection to prevent spyware in the first place if it doesn't work?
Thirdly, I browse with Firefox (another program I can't recommend enough) and I constantly had page loading errors while using Norton... pages would load fine in Internet Explorer, but I got Firefox to avoid the torture (and insecurity) that is IE. After uninstalling Norton, pages work fine in Firefox. A security suite should not dictate which browser you have to use just to get pages to load properly.
Thankfully, I did not have any problems with uninstalling the software, which I'm sorry to have had to do. Norton always used to carry with it a name of confidence and dependability in the computing world. It's a shame that this software does not live up to the name. Even for people who want the convenience and automated options of controlling all the protection that NIS offers in one program, the hassle and computer lag just don't seem worth it, as well as the uneasy feeling that the protection may not be up to par. There are much better free alternatives out there to protect your computer...
Firewall - ZoneAlarm, but really, with a hardware firewall, anything software is redundant and unnecessary.
Antivirus - Avast or AVG... I personally am going with Avast, but the jury still seems to be out between these two.
Anti-spyware - AdAware, Spy-Bot and Spyware-Blaster are all good choices. Microsoft also has Defender, though I'm not too sure the scoop on that one yet.
Anti-spam - careful email behaviour can eliminate the need for this entirely. Don't use your email address unless you know the site is reputable, or make up a "dummy" account on a free-mail site (hotmail, yahoo, whatever) to use with any kind of sign-up, etc. You may get spam to that address, but what do you care, you're not checking it anyway. And use anything other than Outlook, which seems to be a magnet for email attacks... Mozilla's Thunderbird is an excellent choice.
Don't forget the Trend Micro site, which has excellent online scans for both anti-virus and anti-spyware.
In conclusion, caveat emptor when it comes to NIS 2006. While beefy and broad in scope, it is too beefy in it's resource requirements, and the scope may not see everything it needs to.
User Rating:
1/10
HORRIBLE-do not use-you will be sorry!
Pros: THERE ARE NONE
Cons: I tried to install this on a family members computer. I followed directions-turned off antivrus, and spysweeper. It completely destroyed the registry files.
User Rating:
1/10
The cost of this program maybe the same as similar products, but the price of using it is too high.
Pros: New Interface look.
Cons: Not comaptiable with NSW 2005
Since I uninstalled NSW and PFW 2006, I am just running with the protection provided by MS. The performance is great. It just means I need to be more vigilant about what items I open and be more religious about backing up.
User Rating:
8/10
don't see any problems
Pros: Interface seems better
Cons: I had to unistall antivirus even though manual said I wouldn't have to.
I am surfing and everything seems fine. I have went to my yahoo account. I have got e-mail through outlook on POP. It seems as though all the bad things are people related. I installed firewall 20o3 with updates and internet security 2006 seems to be a lot better.
I did click on
Open norton protection center--> general
uncheck both
show protection status on windows taskbar
always show status window after login.
User Rating:
10/10
Theeeeeee Besssssssst!!
Pros: Fast, fast and fast
Cons: The norton status bar thing that sits on your taskbar. That gets anoying sometimes.
Alot of people say it's slow installation and hogs memory... what the heck!?!?
It only took me 2 minute to install the full thing!! 2 minutes is nothing!
Hogs memory!? What do you mean by that? cause my pc starts straight after the 'Windows is starting up' display and goes to the Desktop and everything is loaded FAST!!
This might not happen to you guys but it does to me.
OS: XP Home edition
2.93Ghz, 512MB ram, 120GB hard drive.
User Rating:
2/10
NIS 2006 nothing but problems
Pros: Alot of features, spyware, firewall, virus protection
Cons: Problems installing, and updating using live update
User Rating:
1/10
Terrible. It ruined me
Pros: none, it came free with my PC
Cons: it simply doesn't work
User Rating:
8/10
TAKES CARE OF BUSINESS
Pros: SIMPLE INSTALL AND EASY CONFIGURE
Cons: MISERABLE SUPPORT
User Rating:
1/10
I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow
Pros: NORTON CAME PRELOADED
Cons: Trouble All My Days
User Rating:
8/10
Effective integrated Security suite
Pros: Good Configurable Firewall and Antivirus + useful Spam and Spyware protection
Cons: Very slow system scans when actually using PC. Does not recognise Webroot Spy Sweeper thereby causing numerous log entries
I write Database programs and to compile a program with ZASS in place it took between 30 and 45 seconds, turning it off did not work, uninstalling was the only solution I could find. Using NIS 2006 the same compile takes less than 5 seconds. With NIS you can turn off particular file extensions etc from the on access virus scanner. As I don't want the 36GB of Database scanning every millisecond that I use it NIS affords me a solution. ZASS does not. I also tried Avast 4 for free and that was also pretty good at 15 seconds.
A typical system scan on my system with ZASS would take around 2 to 2.5 hours. The first one with NIS 2006 took over 8 hours and was almost a deal killer. However the system was inadvertantly set to re-scan that same evening whilst I wasn't actually using the PC. The same scan than took 3.5 hours; still too slow but not unuseable. Just configure the scan schedule for periods of inactivity. I am also looking at removing some of my 300GB of Data and programs both from my system and from the NIS scan list
One other minor con is that in the logs I notice that Webroots Spy Sweeper is constantly reported for trying to interrogate Symantic files. I can find nowhere to tell NIS that scans from this product are OK! To be fair I can find nowhere in Spy Sweeper to say "Don't Bother with files in this location" either.
Overall, and in contradiction to many here, I do not find that NIS 2006 has slowed down my system to any great degree, if at all. There is some sluggishnes to the suite itself when you open it and when I re-start my system. However, my programs all seem to run pretty much as before. I do a lot of photo editing of RAW files and Tifs upto and beyond 50MB in size and I see no degradation in performance when using NIS in comparison to ZASS.
My system is decidedly trailing edge with an Athlon XP2600 on an Abit NF7-S 1.25GB PC2700 ATI X800pro 3 fairly slow PCI drives and XP SP2.
User Rating:
2/10
Worst software upgrading experience EVER!
Pros: The uninstall function works...thank goodness!
Cons: Not compatable with prior versions, abysmal support experience
User Rating:
3/10
Not as good as other Norton Product Line, Really!
Pros: One-stop centre, Able to detect Virus quickly
Cons: Slows down PC, Bulky, Firewall Not Sensitive
User Rating:
1/10
Junk - save yourself now!
Pros: Are there any?
Cons: slows down machine, crashes,
Installation took forever on my 1.67 mhz machine with 1024 mb memory. During the first full scan the machine froze up on me and I had to restart it. This happened twice, and I've yet been able to run full scan. I am also unable to run the windows task manager on my machine... it just sits down on the taskbar, but the window never pops up. After turning OFF most of the options (pop up block, firewall, e-mail scan, etc..) it was finally working better! BUT - why pay for all that technology, install it, and then have to leave it turned off to have your machine run correctly??
Trying another un-install tonight, and re-install - but not much hope that things will go better. It will probably go back tomorrow and I'll look for something else.
User Rating:
6/10
Don't let Norton expire!
Pros: no problems with it yet
Cons: secure sites held hostage when older version expired
User Rating:
3/10
This version of NIS is unstable.
Pros: Upgrade rebates
Cons: Firewall ignores user assigned settings. Depletes system memory resources. Elements of program remain loaded after program is terminated in Task Manager. Radically slows down system shutdown.
User Rating:
2/10
This product is not very good...
Pros: similar to other Norton
Cons: Wiped out my sound, turns off Windows auto updates
User Rating:
9/10
great program
Pros: all the security you need
Cons: slows down computer in some ways, and takes a while to load
dont let other reviews from the others fool you. If you look they rate this a bad program because it is not compatible for there old PCs or costomer service is bad.It still offers great protection and updates about every 3 days.
If you are not convinced just try out the program for 15 days free and see how good this really is!
User Rating:
1/10
norton internet security 2006 should be removed from the market, retested, corrected before resell.
Pros: nothing good to say about this product
Cons: It corrupted my win 2000 operating system.
I would not recommend purchasing this product and I have not loaded it on my other 2 computers.
User Rating:
1/10
Unusable...had to uninstall
Pros: Seems to provide fantastic security
Cons: MONSTER system resourse PIG
So...I bought the 3-user pack to upgrade to Internet Security 2006 and cover my 2 systems and my wife's. I should have smelled trouble when I told my wife, "Man, this is a hard install"...about 4 times during the install. (By hard, I mean that it seemed hard for my computer, not me).
We don't have extremely powerful computers, but we're adults and don't play games etc. The first system to get installed (mine) is a 4-year-old AMD Athalon 1.33 GHz Compaq w/256 MB RAM and XP. It's been able to handle just about EVERYTHING up until this Norton installation. It took a while to install, and I noticed an immediate performance hit...but I've only had to curse about performance *occasionally* since, and it seems to work better since it finished "learning" my firewall requirements after several weeks. Still takes a huge amount of time to boot up and power down.
My wife's computer (on which she installed Norton herself) is the best-performing of the three, as she has 1+ GB of RAM. She has also grumbled about the performance hit. I heard her as recently as today yell out "Fu*%&@g Norton pig" from upstairs.
My work laptop, on the other hand, simply could not deal with this program. It's newer...a little over 2 years old. It's a Sony VAIO with a 1.8 GHz Celeron and 256MB. It's always been slower than my desktop, but definitely fast enough to handle Word, Outlook, IE and a few applications for my business. This program gound my laptop to a HALT. I tried to make due and be patient. It went from 30 sec to boot up to 2+ min...and similar to power down. It ground internet surfing performance to just above useless, particularly on my office network.
The last straw came one weekend day when I nipped into to my office to print something up before a meeting. Had to power the laptop up...which took a long time...and then open a moderately-sized Acrobat document and print it out. Should have been a 5-minute stop. The whole exercise took about 20 +/- minutes, and I was late for my meeting.
I uninstalled Norton from my laptop that night and it's run great since. We've left Norton on the other two computers as they seem to be chugging along, though still much slower than before. I figure I'll wait for the laptop to get infected and then install for the virus sweep and then uninstall (can you believe that I have to even consider operating like this?).
Oh, and frickin Symantec charges for support, so who knows if they could have helped. It's an outrage that they don't have support included for a brand-new, arguably BETA product. And don't forget, the whole reason I upgraded is because my 2003 product was "unsupported". I really wish I could just go back...
I promise, I'm not an idiot, and run lean-and-mean systems. I uninstall unused stuff with a vengence. I don't have any answers for what else to use...but I encourage you to look elsewhere unless you have a very beefy system.
User Rating:
8/10
SLOW DOWN WINDOWS BUT CAN BE FIXED!
Pros: VERY SECURED, MANY TOOLS
Cons: SLOW LOADING AND CLOSING
AFTER CHANGE SOME FEATURES ABOVE, NIS 2006 SEEMS TO BE FASTER. NOW I TURN OFF MY WINDOWS WITHIN 10 SEC.
Since it requires a lot of memory to run on your system, it does a good job of keeping your system clean and secured. What does this program do? I used McAfee before, McAfee never automatically scan things that I download from the internet, and only detect virus when the virus is already in my system - bad program. But Norton AntiVirus always automatically scan, scan and scan every single file which comes in your system. When you download a file from the internet or install new program on your computer, NAV always scan the file to make sure it has no virus or spyware. Doing this way, it prevents threats from spreading on your system. I surf webs a lot, so being hacked usually happen to me, and Norton Personal Firewall help me block those bad ass hackers. The ad blocking and pop-up blocking features of NIS are also helpful; when I enable these feature, I can see no ad or pop-up on my browser...
So if you are an internet addict, if you like downloading and installing, if you need high security for you PC, and if your PC have enough memory (at least 1GB), this program will be your best choice.
User Rating:
3/10
As the song goes: "I have become cumbersome"
Pros: Ad Blocking, something few other security suites offer. Host of integrated products
Cons: Really slows Windows XP Pro boot time. Browsing is noticeably slower, Yahoo Mail doesn't work well through it.
1. use the 15 day free trial first!
2. Backup your operating system before you install it (so you can restore it clean after you finally see how bad of a software suite this is.)
3. at least try another security suite trial before spending any money.
If you still like it afterward, then at least you've made an informed choice.
I used NIS 2002 for several years, liking it very much. In NIS 2002 I would lock down my system completely with ease, and then let in only web traffic I wanted. After 15 days of using NIS 2006, I'm very disappointed. It appears as if no consideration was given to system performance. 33MB of RAM consumption on one module! And there are several modules. I was continuously prompted to allow applications that I had already said "Allow always" to.
Getting the new Yahoo! Mail Beta to work through this firewall is impossible. In fact, some regular Yahoo Mail buttons will not work through it. But if you Disable the firewall software the Yahoo mail works just fine. That is not good. It's our PC not Symantec's. And yes I want security, but i want to be able to choose what I want to let in.
This suite's performance has gone steadily down hill year after year, in an inverse proportion to how much it has bloated in size and system resource consumption.
Symantec's policy of charging for tech support is also ridiculous. You should get free tech support for 90 days or so.
I will be looking at other brands.
User Rating:
2/10
Terrible Software Package
Pros: Known company
Cons: Buggy, expensive
Issues:
Internet security software kept telling me I didn't have anti-virus protection when it comes with the software package.
The internet security software kept telling me that I was vulnerable to an attack, yet could't solve the issue and nor could the tech support website. It kept interrupting me so I eventually had to disable to notification.
I just purchased the product on Dec. 17th and 2 days later on Dec. 19th I requested a refund.
That should tell you something symantec. Terrible software.
User Rating:
2/10
NIS2006 presumes it works well
Pros: Familiar interface
Cons: No "uninstall" while preserving subscription
NIS appears to have no "uninstall" provisions as necessary for logical troubleshooting. To use MS "remove application" it asks for a WinXP module that surely is present, but disallows getting it.
NIS 2006 is my new definition of frustration!
User Rating:
1/10
DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT. This Norton product wiped out my Windows Registry
Pros: There are none
Cons: This product can cause DEATH to your computer.
User Rating:
2/10
This is Junkware
Pros: Can't think of any right now
Cons: Norton AntiVirus causes computer to crash during every scan
User Rating:
1/10
Bad program
Pros: None present
Cons: None present
User Rating:
1/10
Norton secuity 2006 crashed xp pro
Pros: non that I could figure out
Cons: Intallation cause major problem
User Rating:
4/10
Not worth the bucks
Pros: Easy to use
Cons: slow down my brand new computer
I think this will be last purchase of Symantec products.
User Rating:
6/10
Safety vs. Performance
Pros: Good protection
Cons: Awfully slows down performance
User Rating:
9/10
Great Program
Pros: Norton Internet Security covers all, its great
Cons: I don't have any cons
User Rating:
8/10
better then 2005 version
Pros: added a protection center
Cons: cost a little pricy
User Rating:
10/10
LOVE IT PEOPELE!!!
Pros: It is so smooth and cutting edge. It works great, has perfect firewall and virus protection, has Norton Protection center, which as you know is better than not so secure security center.
Cons: Tech supp stinks
User Rating:
8/10
easy to use, all the security you need
Pros: Full featured, quick boot time
Cons: Slow graphic interface, confusing options
The AV protection and firewall are top notch, plus you get spyware protection, an antispam feature, and a lot more.
User Rating:
2/10
Not compatible with other earlier Norton Products (such as System Works)
Pros: Learnt a lesson
Cons: Terrible Terrible Fatal Conflict of Products
Required to remove all previous Norton products before install otherwise you get a Fatal Installation error. One reason for sticking to a similar product upgrade is such that it would make upgrading easier. This turns out to be a nightmare.
If Norton cannot even get NIS 2006 to work with its own line of products, then I am not too confident about whether it can do the job.
User Rating:
8/10
Norton Cheats on Upgrade
Pros: Security, Ease of Upgrade
Cons: You lose any time remaining on previous version
Other than the perceived fraud with the license period, the product works great.
User Rating:
2/10
Upgraded from 2004 --> bluescreen --> had to reformat HD
Pros: 2004 seemed to get job done
Cons: Very fatal error, had to reformat, no phone support
