Re: FYI: Security Problems Plague XP SP2 via Symantec/McAfee

From: Dan (spamyou_at_user.nec)
Date: 02/25/05 

Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 02:48:55 -0700

As you yourself have said Drew that you are using version Symantec version
2002. Why should a user have to use such an old antivirus product to get
protection. When your subscription runs out, how do you plan on unistalling
Symantec (Norton) 2002 product? Do you have the expertise to remove the
associated registry entries? I agree with Gary S. Terhune, that EZARMOR by
E-Trust Computer Associates is a great antivirus and firewall product.

"Charles C. Drew" <ccdrew11@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OPB6OLqGFHA.904@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
I just checked my machine and NAV 2002 has 3 processes running...

00:00:02 C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security
Center\SymWSC.exe
00:00:01 C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
00:00:07 C:\PROGRA~1\NORTON~2\navapw32.exe

With my machine running for 13 hours the processes have only uses the above
listed amount of CPU time (as seen with TaskInfo 2003 task manager program.
This is with me running Outlook and processing about 40 pieces of mail,
browsing to 30-40 web sites, using Pocket PC sync software, and running a few
games. It doesn't look like a CPU hog to me. By the way, my PC is an AMD
Athlon 2500 with 512 Mb of RAM and an WD 80 Gb HD with 8Mb cache (not the
fastest machine, but no slouch either).

Norton System Security, Norton Utilities, etc. are another thing altogether.
These programs eat up CPU, memory, and disk space making any PC sluggish. I
do have Norton Utilities 2002 installed but all the automated stuff is turned
off (Norton System Doctor, Norton's recycle bin, etc.). I only use a few of
the tools like unerase and Speedisk to defrag floppies and memory cards (none
of the other defrag tools will do floppies or memory cards and that includes
Diskeeper which I have or Perfect Disk which I tried).

Please provide some details on what makes NAV 2002 so bad. So far, I've not
got any infections in over 10 years of use of various NAV version, and none
since NAV 2002 came out. I have to say the older version of the Virus update
tool (LiveUpdate) were unreliable at best. They kept failing to update for
no apparent reason, but the latest version (2.6) has been perfect.

Symantec has definitely lost their reputation in the past 5 years or so. The
"innovations" appear more like "bait" and "fluff" instead of useable
features. This is the main reason I stopped buying their software since
2002. Norton Utilities stopped improving after they came up with Norton
System Doctor and Norton Recycle bin. Both of these "features" caused more
problems than they fixed.

  "Dan" <spamyou@user.nec> wrote in message
news:%23liTRWWGFHA.1296@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
  I'm Back!!! You tell them Gary. I personally do not like Avast! because
of
  its constant scanning and annoying interface. I use AntiVir on 98SE and it
  is made in Germany. AVG is fine and Gary is absolutely correct on Norton
  (now Symantec) products as well as McAfee products. I only use GoBack for
my
  98SE and although it is made by Symantec it was created by Roxio and only
  recently (a few years I think) bought by Symantec. Symantec did a few
  enhancements to GoBack and some cluttering up of the user's registry which
is
  in all their products. I accept the more clogged registry for the
protection
  of System Restore that GoBack (latest version) provides a user's PC. Also,
  with my beta-testing of Microsoft products I need to make sure my PC is
safe
  as well as having the burned cd's, jumpdrive with backups (256 mb) on my
  keychain and assorted 3.5 floppies that I need to consolite to a cd some
day
  I think I am pretty safe. I now have a Plextor DVD burner -- model number
  PX-708A that I bought a while back and some day I will consolidate but time
  is too valuable for that now. (I saw Ground Zero and let the death of my
  brother's friend go and the death of my maintenace man's nephew go and I
give
  all the glory to God who protects me and gives me strength to live another
  day! GodSpeed Everyone!)

  "Gary S. Terhune" <grystnews@mvps.org> wrote in message
  news:uwx$NUdFFHA.1260@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
  : I've been attending this group since early 1999--and Norton AV has
  : *always* been problematic during that entire time. So has McAfee. So has
  : PCCillan. Problematic in the sense that they caused problems. Back when
  : Norton 2000, and then 2001, came out, people were saying the same things
  : about those versions compared with past solutions that you guys are
  : saying about newer versions now.
  :
  : Whereas other solutions, like InoculateIt Personal Edition (which became
  : eTrust EZAV), AVG and AVAST may have had problems with automatic
  : updating or other minor issues, but they *never* interfere with the OS.
  :
  : The only reason Norton and McAfee still exist in the "home" versions is
  : that they have long had deals with the major computer vendors such that
  : they come preinstalled.
  :
  : --
  : Gary S. Terhune
  : MS MVP Shell/User
  : http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
  : http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm
  :
  : "Rick Chauvin" <justask@nospamz.com> wrote in message
  : news:uJqpSDcFFHA.2180@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
  : >
  : > "Charles C. Drew" <ccdrew11@hotmail.com> wrote in message
  : > news:uMJck6SFFHA.1936@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
  : >
  : > This is the main reason I use the following products on my machine.
  : >
  : > 1) Symantec Anti-Virus 2002 (doesn't have any of the described
  : fatware that
  : > was added to the newer versions. Works great with low CPU
  : utilization.).
  : >
  : > [...]
  : > That's just not true, 2002 absolutely is the first version With all
  : the added
  : > anti theft extra modules fatware that is and has been included with
  : every
  : > version since and including 2002 that has plagued millions of users
  : > penalizing them at every turn; just notice all the extra running
  : processes.
  : > Consider yourself lucky so far, you have no idea.
  : >
  : > I will say that the Norton AV (stand-alone) 2001 version is their
  : greatest
  : > accomplishment, however it's too bad it will not work properly with
  : WXP.

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