Item 7 again: Download counters borked - screen capture

Can't count.

The download counter is borked if there is more than one file per category.

This is fairly simple stuff, AND fairly obvious.

It shouldn't have happened in the first place, and if they made this mistake then it should have been caught by some sort of quality assurance process by now.

Those people voting that Symantec products are great, do you pay attention to such details?

Item 12: Default is to turn on Automatic LiveUpdate

Can I turn on Automatic LiveUpdate?

"Can I? Can I? Can I?"

Stupid morons.

Item 5 again: Look at this...

As just posted, I had to reboot today (because of a Symantec temp file error).

Look at the latest subscription count-down:

360 days...

One day decremented per reboot.

Maybe that's why Symantec wants to crash my PC - their way of addressing the subscription counter bug?

Item 11: Symantec Temp File corrupted

The desktop PC crashed today. When I cycled the power, it checked its file system and guess what it found? A Symantec temporary file was corrupted. Nothing else, just a Symantec temporary file. What software on this PC would be accessing a Symantec temporary file other than Symantec software? Rubbish.

I couldn't get a screen capture, because Windows hadn't booted.

If you're a 'Digg It' person, then Digg It!

Digg It! here...

Item 5 again: Subscription count-down bug - not that I really care...

I think I've figured out the bug. Their day-by-day countdown timer decrements a day from your subscription only if you've rebooted. On our desktop PC, we normally just 'Hibernate' the PC to save waiting for it to boot-up from scratch every time we use it.

Today's screenshot = 361 days.

This garbage NIS07 has been installed on my desktop PC for what? - probably approaching three weeks by now? And the subscription counter has decremented from '366 days' to '361 days'. Five? That's roughly how many times this desktop PC has been rebooted during that period.

So, if you want to extend your Norton '1-year' subscription, then just Hibernate your PC instead of shutting it down.

That's assuming you actually want this crap on your PC...

Item 10: Another week, another inexplicable error message...

I open Norton Internet Security and click on Run LiveUpdate.

Two updates found, so I click the [Next>] button...

Initializing...

It gags; NIS07 can't find the two updates that it just found a minute ago.

Oh so helpfully, try again in 24 hours.

Symantec - they're useless twits.

Item 2: revisited

I just want to check a website.

I can't.

Item 9: Installed, no wait. Still Installing...

Why does it say 'Installed' if it isn't yet Installed?

Perhaps Symantec should fill those vacant Quality Assurance positions?

Even MS Vista, which really isn't even done yet in my opinion, is better than this Symantec garbage.

Item 8: NIS 07 Firewall - might as well cut the wire...

On my recently-purchased Acer laptop, the Norton Internet Security 2007 firewall works really well. In fact, it is perfect - nothing gets through. Not through the Ethernet wire, nor the WiFi, nor the dial-up modem. Perfectly isolated. If it's 'On', then no Internet. Period. Might as well cut the wire. If I want to access the Internet, then it has to be turned 'Off'.

Yes, I've set it to 'Allow' for every installed program and I've double- and triple-checked every setting listed on every menu. I've also confirmed that the Windows firewall is off to avoid conflicts. I've gone through the support pages and they have no idea.

Note that the laptop came with Norton Internet Security 2007 free trial (trial by fire) pre-installed. All I did was click on the update buttons for Norton and Windows and it went screwy all by itself.

Oh, and another thing. I keep the NIS 07 Firewall switched off. Sometimes it silently switches itself back on after I manually run LiveUpdate. That's right. I turn it off, and it sometimes switches itself back on. Thus the Internet becomes unavailable with no warning or notice.

Worse yet, I often run LiveUpdate last thing before I go to bed (a normal dial-up approach; perhaps you understand, perhaps you don't...). I might not try to access the Internet again that night. It might be a day or two later when I discover the Internet is not available. Sometimes it takes a while before I remember to double-check the Firewall setting.

Are you starting to see why I started the Symantec Sucks blog??

Item 7: LiveUpdate download counters 'borked'

When running LiveUpdate, the downward-counting byte counters (the numbers that show you the total file size by category and then count backwards to 'Done' as the files download) are easily confused. In the event that a certain category contains (for example) two files to be downloaded, then the counters get totally borked-up. They display odd numbers that do not relate to reality. Basically the counters are borked when there are two files to be downloaded in a single category (as, for example, at a fresh install).

On the same LiveUpdate window, there are also discrepancies in the various definitions of kilo and mega (the old 1000 versus 1024 issue). The KB and MB are not consistent even on that one window.

Again, this is with a fresh install of Norton Internet Security 2007. I've seen these issues on both my fairly-new laptop and my home desktop PC. I've also seen the same sort of thing before with Norton Antivirus 2006 and previous editions.

I'll try to get some screen-captures next time I see these issues.

Item 6: Do nothing, takes 5 seconds

I run the Security Inspector function. It correctly notes that I have a custom Hosts file. I tell it to take 'No Action' and click FIX to close the program and update the last run date. Norton wanders off for five full seconds to do nothing.

A thousand and one, a thousand and two, a thousand and three, a thousand and four, a thousand and five.

Item 5: 366 days, 366 days, 366 days, ...

I installed Norton Internet Security 2007 almost a week ago. The one-year subscription is presumably counting down day-by-day.

On the first day it started with:
"Subscription: 366 days remaining"

Now, several days later, and having interacted with the program many times, it says:
"Subscription: 366 days remaining"

366 days on the wall, 366 days...

Not that I care, but geesh. These morons can't even count backwards?


Update 6 October 2007: It has changed to 365 days now (finally).

Perhaps the Day Counter number only gets updated once in a while, like when you reboot your computer, or get a haircut, or buy milk. Does that mean that these coding morons have never heard of the 'Standby' feature? Part of the Reboot-Your-PC-Once-A-Day club? Idiots.

Why not update the count each time it is displayed? Oh, I see. Because with the Symantec approach to programming - updating a simple number would require another eight minutes of CPU time.

Item 4: Vista not yet released?

On the Symantec support website, today (4 October 2007), it still says that MS Windows Vista has not been released.

This is on their main Vista FAQ page:
www.symantec.com/norton/themes/vista/faq.jsp
Link: Symantec's Vista FAQ webpage

Really? Is your webmaster still on vacation?

I clicked on submit feedback about their webpage and their link to their feedback page returns a 404-type error.

We Value Your Opinion.

I guess that they don't like complaints...

Item 3: The War of LU1812

My fairly new Acer laptop came with a trial of Norton Internet Security 2007.

When I run LiveUpdate it generates the world-famous LU1812 error message. So I follow the links and their support website tells me to wait two weeks and try again.

Link: "...wait two weeks and then run LiveUpdate again."

I've been waiting about two months.

If I follow the link to the next option, it tells me to uninstall the stupid thing! That's it, they just give up.

Link: "...double-click the Norton Removal Tool icon."

Idiots!!

Item 2: Automatic LiveUpdate setting ignored

Okay, look. I'm on dial-up. It's not my fault. There is no reasonable high-speed Internet option available in this neighbourhood. No DSL, no Cable TV, no WiMax.

I've got Norton Internet Security 2007. I just installed it on my home PC a couple of days ago. All up to date. I haven't done anything wrong.

Since my Internet pipe is so slow, I intentionally set Automatic LiveUpdate to OFF (note, 'OFF'). I'll Run LiveUpdate manually when I'm about to step away from the computer.

Off? Hello? Anyone listening?

Today I turn-on my PC, and connect to the Internet. A few minutes later I notice that my connection is really slow. I check and find that LiveUpdate is running in the background.

Can you see the problem here?

(Note: The above is a more-recent screen capture.)

I'd set it to OFF.

I hadn't asked it to run.

It was running.

It was plugging up my dial-up connection.

In spite of me explicitly setting it not to do so.

Sigh...

Honestly, I can see why people might go postal once in a while.

Item 1: User Guide error shows lack of care

This is trivial, but is indicative of their quality control or lack thereof.

Their manual for Norton Internet Security 2007, page 10.

"4 Review the If you..."

That's exactly what it says.

Sigh.

It's time to Name & Shame

That's it. I'm done being nice, reading their FAQ and asking polite questions.

Symantec's Norton-branded products, at least the ones that I've come into contact with recently, ...

THEY SUCK!