Symantec Gripes

More Gripes

The big guys try to take advantage of unaware consumers. Microsoft, McAfee, Symantec charge cards repeatedly By Scott Dunn in the May 17, 2007 edition of the Windows Secrets newsletter.

May 13, 2007. Who Killed My Computer? Part 2 by Larry Seltzer. Problems with Norton 360.

Is This A Crime?

McAfee, Symantec and Microsoft (with Windows Live OneCare) all set your credit card up for automatic renewals when you purchase their security software on-line. For some people this is the right choice, but the gripe is that you can't opt out of this during the purchase. After purchasing, Symantec sends an email with a link to a cancellation form where you can opt out of auto-renewals. From: Gotcha: Automatic Security-Software Renewals Robert McMillan in PC World magazine. December 21, 2006. Be aware of auto-renewal agreements before you sign up. This is a follow-up to: Antivirus Vendors Shift to Automatic Fees by Robert McMillan, in PC World magazine. November 22, 2006. 

January 9, 2007. Based on the above, I tested this myself by starting to purchase Norton Internet Security 2007. First, they ask you if you want to buy it for two years instead of one. If you say no, it costs you money. They will auto-renew your purchase every year, saying "No" just means you pay more for the second year. In fact, Symantec will auto-renew the software every year until the end of civilization as we know it. Here is exactly what they say:

By placing this order, you consent to Symantec automatically renewing your annual subscription. Symantec will notify you by email prior to expiration of your current subscription. Do nothing and the regular subscription renewal price (plus applicable tax) will automatically be charged using the credit/debit card provided in connection with your original purchase of downloaded product. You authorize Symantec to use the contact and billing information you provided for your purchase to charge each renewal. You also authorize Digital River to transfer the contact and billing information you provided for your purchase today to Symantec for this purpose. If you do not want your credit card to be automatically charged, you my discontinue On-going Protection at any time after completing this order. Your confirmation email will include the instructions for how to cancel On-going Protection.

And Symantec adds a $7 charge by default to let you download the software again for a period of one year. 

Knowing full well most people just take the defaults, this should tell you everything you need to know about Symantec. 

A Recycle Bin Problem

A story from a trusted source, who simply wanted to remove an external drive from a Windows XP computer:

Assorted Gripes

Hassle-Free PC: Dump Pricey Antivirus for a Freebie by Steve Bass in PC World November 22, 2006. About removing Symantec products he says "Some people have tried using C4 plastic explosives to remove Norton products--and the Live Update still survives." Symantec/Norton has a program dedicated to getting rid of its software. Typical of them, it has two names: Removal Tool and the Autofix tool.

Norton 2007 Incompatibility Warning Breeds Insecurity by Ed Foster October 10, 2006. Installing Norton AntiVirus 2007 forces you to uninstall Spy Sweeper and ZoneAlarm. 

Norton Goes Back on Documented Features by Ed Foster September 15, 2006. The User Guide for Norton Internet Security 2006 says, on pages 20-22 that the software comes with Data Recovery and Performance features. Not true. Those features cost an extra $50. 

Here's an interesting twist on the old bait-and-switch. Carefully describe some nice features in the product's documentation, but then require the customer to buy a more expensive version of the product to get them. 

An Invite to a Symantec Bash by Ed Foster June 6, 2006. Another of his periodic collections of Symantec gripes from readers. 

An Open Letter to Security Vendors by Michael J. Miller April 19, 2006. Quoting: "...  Norton Internet Security is bloated and occasionally messes up my machine. When I upgraded it this year, my Web browsers stopped working, and I spent two hours on an Internet chat to get the Registry patch to fix it. The software still sometimes interferes with my Internet access for no apparent reason."

Symantec Caught in Norton 'Rootkit' Flap by Ryan Naraine in eWeek magazine. January 11, 2006. Symantec Corp. has fessed up to using a rootkit-type feature in Norton SystemWorks that could provide the perfect hiding place for attackers to place malicious files on computers. 

Symantec shows how not to do security December 14, 2005 by Carl Siechert. Gripes about installing Norton Internet Security 2006.

What's a 'Stack Overflow'? by Leo Notenboom. December 14, 2005. Quoting: "I've now received a couple of reports of stack overflow problems after people have upgraded to Norton Internet Security 2006."  

Symantec quietly hikes Norton renewal prices CNET News.com October 12, 2005. It's now $30 a year for Norton AntiVirus. Ouch. 

Security Suites Are Rife With Problems  by Rob Pegoraro October 9, 2005. Two quotes from this article: 

• ... the complexity of the Symantec and McAfee suites seems to cause them to fail in ugly and destructive ways, according to readers who have written in to complain about these problems week after month after year. Most important, the latest McAfee and Symantec suites just don't work all that well. 
• Symantec's firewall tries to educate itself with a one-week "learning mode," when the firewall watches your use and stops only known offenders. After that, it will flag unknown programs that attempt to contact anything online -- but its default recommendation will be to give them free rein.

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FYI: A reader of this page claimed to get all his problems resolved after sending at email message to john_tompson at symantec dot com. I can't verify this. John Thompson is the head honcho at Symantec. January 23, 2007.

See my gripes about: 

• Norton Anti-virus 2005
• Norton Anti-virus 2004
• Norton Anti-virus 2003  
• Norton Anti-virus 2002 
• Norton Anti-virus 2001 
• Norton Anti-virus 2000

If you have gripes about Norton AntiVirus, leave a comment using the computer gripes blog.