Re: XP and Norton System Works 2003 ?

From: R. C. White (RCWhite_at_msn.com)
Date: 02/12/04 

Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2004 11:27:38 -0600

Hi, Rich.

After using Norton/Symantec utilities for a couple of decades, I quite agree
with the other posters' comments - both good and bad. I don't recall just
which version of SystemWorks was my last one; perhaps 2002 on Win2K. One
thing I do recall was: don't ignore the instruction to uninstall any prior
version before installing the current one. And that is especially critical
if you are "upgrading" from a Win9x/ME version of Windows to a Win2K/XP
version, because SystemWorks cannot handle the migration to the NT platform.

With WinXP, I don't need most of the trashware in SystemWorks, such as
WinDoctor and CleanSweep (or whatever the current names are). But I DO need
a firewall and antivirus - and a spam filter makes life online better, too.
So I now use Norton Internet Security. The package includes those three
functions. It takes a LOT of customizing to get the filters set right, but
it's worth it.

A couple of those settings are definitely not intuitive. For example, to
get Windows Update (and Office Update), I had to temporarily disable the
protections (which left me very nervous). Then I found the secret in
Privacy Control, of all places! Since I added the Update web addresses, and
configured those to allow cookies, the Updates have worked fine.

One aspect of NIS 2003 that I liked MUCH better than NIS 2004 is the
program's handling of "intrusions". In NIS 2003, there would be a mild beep
and a discreet flag on my screen that went away after a few seconds. In NIS
2004, an intrusion is announced by a beep and a warning screen that pops up
and won't go away until I click OK. I must choose whether to permit it, to
block it once, to always block it, or to manually configure for intrusions
from this specific intruder. If I choose to manually configure, then I'm in
for a dozen or so mouse-clicks to choose whether to monitor or block,
whether from just this single IP or ALL computers (why would I choose
that?), whether to log the intrusion, and so on, before I can get back to
work. Several times a day, there is a flurry of these intrusion warnings; I
may have to go through the entire routine several times in a row. Of
course, I only have to do this once for each of the 256*256*256*256 IPs in
the world; only about 4 billion more times to block them all. :>( There
MUST be a setting that I haven't found yet, but I've looked, both within the
program and help file here in my computer and on the Symantec website. The
answer is probably there in plain sight, but worded in jargon that makes no
sense, even to a 25-year veteran of personal computing. :>(

Enough of my rant, Rich - and all. Even with the frustrations, I'll keep
using NIS 2004. But not System Works any longer.

RC 

-- 
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@corridor.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
"Rich" <Rich@anon.com> wrote in message
news:sQAWb.33876$h41.18174@newssvr33.news.prodigy.com...
> Before I try it, are XP and Norton System Works 2003 compatible?
> Tks.
> -Rich

Relevant Pages