Arthur Fox

I have Norton 360 on my computer. I was offered the opportunity to test a Beta of its new version. It did not have spam protection, but I lived with it. I had to remove the original program first. I got word that my subscription was about to expire and they sent me a renewal key of $59.99. It did not work. I believe it was short a character, but thinking it might have been for the original, I uninstalled the beta and reinstalled the original. The Renewal key still did not work. So I tried contacting customer support. They do not take e-mail currently so I tried live chat--guess what! Even with all protection turned off it will not down load the software! And it will not even start the process in Mozilla.

How do I resolve this? I refuse to pay the fee for phone service.

Arthur Fox

ejames82

arthur,
the first thing that you need to do is install an AV. i recommend AVG. make sure your symantec/norton is completely removed first.
i have heard alot about their policy of charging money for phone support, and it makes you wonder how much money they make as a result of this policy. does it offset the loss they incur as a result of the decision of the user not to purchase their software in the first place? i wonder if the user is informed of the phone support policy before the purchase.

TheShadowFl

To repeat something I've personally said at least a thousand times on one forum or another over the past years....

"The worlds best computer security software is absolutely 100% FREE!"

Just to name a few that I personally use and share with my hundreds of customers to keep our PC's completely malware free:

AVG 7.5 FREE, a great anti-virus program. Effective and user friendly.
AVG Anti-spyware, great FREE anti-spyware prog.
AdAware 2007, FREE anti-spyware software
Spybot Search & Destroy 1.5.2rc1, world class Anti-Spyware
SpywareBlaster 4.0, new version of famous old Anti-Spyware prog.
HostsMan, a custom HOSTS file downloader and installer, from MVPS.

The list just goes on and on.

However, the first thing I delete off of a customers PC on a tune-up or repair is Norton xxx.
It's bloatware to say the very least, and a huge resource hog.
It's even been known to bring a decent PC right down to its knees.
After de-installing Norton, I run the "Norton Removal Tool" supplied by Symantec.

How many companies do you know of that has to put out a special removal tool for their software?
I personally consider Norton to be as bad as any virus and it's the first thing I remove from any PC I work on.

That's just my personal opinion. (based on years of experience)
I'm sorry if that steps on any toes.....that's never my intent.

The Shadow

koala

Couldn't agree more It's in everyone's interest to stop the spread of malware, so the companies who offer free software ensure it's just as good as the subscription ones.

I would also add a-squared to your list.

Arthur Fox

I hear you. But I already paid the $59.00!! Plus, what do I then do for a fire wall-surely windows fire wall is not good enough!!

koala

The XP firewall will only block incoming traffic, so you'll need a proper one like Comodo or Zone Alarm. Both have free versions that block incoming and outgoing.

Any luck getting a reply from Norton yet?

Arthur Fox

I finally got through using support function in software. But it should not be that difficult. Already blasted them in their survey. I asked for either a code that would renew or my $59.99 back. It is a memory hog! Surely they can do better! Problem is partly that I like the spam blocker for outlook. Thanks for the feedback.

TheShadowFl

Why pay for an inferior product, when all the Superior Products are free?

I was called to a lady's house one day, where she had just paid for an update to Norton, but every time she booted up her PC, Norton opened a window telling her that there was a virus found that it could not remove.

I removed Norton, installed AVG7.5 FREE and ran the updater, then the scan. The scan found and removed the one virus that Norton had detected......then it found and removed 150 more that Norton had never even seen. That lady was livid! She immediately called Symantec and demanded her money back. I don't know if she ever got it or not.
But that day, she got a much better AV program and it was FREE.

Firewall, why do you think you need an outgoing Firewall?
Ya know, if you'll just keep your computer free of malware, there won't be any ET's wanting to "Phone Home".

Then shut down all the auto-updaters installed by Java, Real Player and many other programs you've installed, or allowed to be installed.

And, the Windows firewall will serve you well.
That's all I've used since the day I installed XP-SP2 and it's all I've ever needed.

Bi-Directional firewalls are only needed by those who don't know how to keep their PC's clean of those little ET's.

Good Luck,
The Shadow

Arthur Fox

I understand about the firewall. I do have adaware (free) and the full superantispyware and they do a good job. You may have a point. But where do I go for a spam blocker for Outlook?

Arthur

TheShadowFl

Sorry, I don't and won't ever use Outlook.
I know some folks think they can't live without some of its features, but for me it totally wets the bed.

I don't and won't ever use a spam blocker. There is one built in to my GMail and I'm constantly finding email from friends in my spam folder. That's very frustrating.
I only use Outlook Express and it has a neat little feature called, "The Block Sender List".
I get very little spam, but if I do get one, it goes right into that list.
There are probably as many Spam Blockers around as there are Screen Savers.....something else I don't even want on my PC.
So if you think you really need one, I'm sure you can find one.
What you really DON'T NEED, is Norton.

Get Spybot Search & Destroy, besides a great Spyware finder and remover, it's also a very good Spyware blocker. And it pairs up nicely with AdAware. It finds a whole different bunch of stuff that AdAware does not.

Replace Norton AV with AVG 7.5 FREE. You'll be happy you did.

Cheers Mate!
The Shadow

Arthur Fox

Who knows what evil lies in the heart of software companies? The Shadow knows!

I hear you. But I use spam blocker and check for friends and important mail. What I do not want is porn and letters from lawyers in Nigeria coming into my inbox and wasting my time.

Thanks for your advice. I am awaiting Norton's answer, promised in an e-mail the other day (within 96 hours!) so that my money will not be wasted. I will consider your counsel at home, though. It just slows down the cpu too much. Thanks mate (RU Aussie?)

Arthur

Arthur Fox

Mischief managed! Sent an e-mail telling them their customer service was lousy and wanted my money back. Bingo. In 24 hours they were back, told me to try to renew again and let them know what happened because I had been given a year subscription as I paid for. They gave me TWO years. I did follow Shadow's suggestion, and removed Norton from the home and laptop computers, put on AVG, and things sped up. But since I paid for the renewal I figure I will keep using it on the work computer. Thanks for the help.