O/T Norton renewal costs RIP OFF!

[Christies Child]

For those of you using Norton 360 be warned!

I've just received notification of my automatic Norton 360 renewal charge.

The auto renewal charge is almost double that if I choose to get rid and then buy a new version from PC world or similar. What a fu**ing rip off..

Looks to me as though Norton haven't heard of trying to retain customer loyalty.

Well they can p*ss off.

It's now AVG for me...which people tell me is just as good if not better!

[Burnley Shrimp]

I've used the free anti virus protection from the Microsoft Security Essentials website for some time now and it does the job fine and for free. It was recommended to me by individuals who work in IT. I'ts also easy to download.

[John L]

It's been the same for a few years now, CC. I use NIS and am more than happy to nip down to PC World to buy a new one half price, and I don't worry about what Symantec charge for renewals.... it's up to them!

[marky No.1]

Congratulations guys you have just notified any potential phishers and hackers which protection they need to get round on your individual PC's !

[John L]

[Burnley Shrimp]

Congratulations guys you have just notified any potential phishers and hackers which protection they need to get round on your individual PC's !

They'll be able to nick a fortune from my Shrimps Voices account and the kids My Maths site That's about all it's used for, plus they might do the kids homework while they're in there, cos the kids sure as hell struggle to do it.

[nobbyshrimp]

Over the years i've tried Norton, AVG + Kaspersky. AVG i had free for a number of years without any problems but when i bought a new PC it already had Norton installed and what a pain in the arse it was. It took over everything and made the PC run very slowly. I couldn't get rid quick enough but then i was introduced to Kaspersky Security. It is brill!! Can run it on 3 PC's or laptops. Saying that though my son (you know what kids are like) somehow manage to get a virus on the pc a number of months ago and i couldn't get rid. I contacted Kaspersky on another PC and they were absoloutly brilliant with no charge. Their advice cleared the virus straight away. I can't sing their praises enough. Cheap to renew as well on-line. Well worth the money!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kaspersky-Inter ... 709&sr=1-1
or why not use last years as it'll automatically update date itself to cover the latest threats...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kaspersky-Inter ... 709&sr=1-3

[Curly]

Norton is and has been crap for years, it burrows so deep into your system that removing it often leaves traces of it behind and until you fully wipe a drive, you'll find bits of it hanging around in various folders.
A point to note though, is why so many people have everything set up for autoupdate, autorenewal, autocontrolyourpc! Often in a menu or behind a service, is the option to do it manually, but people don't bother, "it takes too long"
If you know why half the updates are added, you wouldn't add them.
Would you put it beyond a software/hardware/operating system/browser/engine to want to
know what you look at, use your pc for etc?
They can then "target" they're ads, etc, at you, autocharge you for renewals you didn't know
you'd signed up for etc and generally clog up your system.
When you see "automatically do this for you" in an options menu, ask yourself why?
Its like reading the small print in a contract.

[shrimpnsave]

norton is i agree crap ,so to manually get rid for good follow these steps


You will be asked to restart your PC. Do so.
4.Now go to Start --> My Computer --> Program Files. Right click on each Symantec folder and select Delete.
5.While you are in Program Files go to the Common Files folder at or near the top of the Program Files window. Delete every Symantec folder there. And, again, restart your PC.
6.Go to Start --> Search --> All Files and Folders --> More Advanced Options. Check each option except for "Case sensitive"
Now type in Norton and delete each Norton folder from the search results (Again, right click, choose "Delete"). One more time, restart your PC.
7.Repeat step 5 except type Symantec in the "Search" box.
The next step is trickier: go into the Registry.

1.First thing to do is Back up the Registry. . But suffice it to say that the presence of uninstalled security software in the Registry can conflict with newly installed security software and cause system freezes. So can folders of "uninstalled" programs for that matter.
2.Once again, go to Start, then click on "Run". Type in "regedit"
3.Go to the top of the Regedit window. Click (+) next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Go down the thread until you see Software. Click on Software and scroll down the thread until you see Symantec. Right click on Symantec and choose "Delete".
4.From there go down to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and repeat step 3. Restart your PC.
5.Click (+) next to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, now: Click (+) next to Software, Click (+) next to Microsoft, Click (+) next to Windows and Click (+) next to CurrentVersion.
6.Select the Run folder. Right-click and delete each Symantec entry you see (if present). Restart your PC.
That should completely eradicate Norton Antivirus from your system!

[Christies Child]

Thanks to all who have contributed to this O/T subject.

One thing for sure, the subject is a bloody minefield.

Buy or not to buy? That is the question. Whichever, Norton will be given the boot..that's for sure!

[Curly]

Remember when removing/installing any security to be disconnected from the internet.
If not, I'd give you about 30 seconds before you've been attacked by a virus.

[shrimpnsave]

Remember when removing/installing any security to be disconnected from the internet.
If not, I'd give you about 30 seconds before you've been attacked by a virus.

how can you install any security without bein online unless of course you have a cd....most people download these days and your not going to get a virus within 30 secs..............

[Curly]

Remember when removing/installing any security to be disconnected from the internet.
If not, I'd give you about 30 seconds before you've been attacked by a virus.

how can you install any security without bein online unless of course you have a cd....most people download these days and your not going to get a virus within 30 secs..............

I think you've answered your own question.
Most people also have everything on auto.
Please uninstall all your security, get a stopwatch ( Keith will lend you one )
then tell me how long it took to get infected, "Ahh , I'm sorry you were right it took 3 mins"
Lets now go over to pedants prize corner and get you the Chopper bike off the top.
Mind you, you'll be too busy sorting out your PC to have time to ride it

[Posh]

If you're looking for a robust free anti-virus that's, in my view (and others too), better than AVG then use Avast! www.avast.com.

For anti-spam Spamfighter www.spamfighter.com is pretty good.

However if you're looking for software, free or paid, then the best place to go is http://download.cnet.com/windows/ and use the simple dropdown search on the right. You get a good choice and a wide range of user reviews. Ignore the sponsored matches and you'll soon see the products. Avast scores higher than AVG but Avast has 'only' been downloaded 71 million times compared to AVG's 250 million from CNET.

[shrimpnsave]

Remember when removing/installing any security to be disconnected from the internet.
If not, I'd give you about 30 seconds before you've been attacked by a virus.

how can you install any security without bein online unless of course you have a cd....most people download these days and your not going to get a virus within 30 secs..............

I think you've answered your own question.
Most people also have everything on auto.
Please uninstall all your security, get a stopwatch ( Keith will lend you one )
then tell me how long it took to get infected, "Ahh , I'm sorry you were right it took 3 mins"
Lets now go over to pedants prize corner and get you the Chopper bike off the top.
Mind you, you'll be too busy sorting out your PC to have time to ride it

one nasty reply with nothing to add,grow up curls i was just tring to help the guy......curly is a pc geru

[Curly]

A little harsh sir, just a bit of banter me thought
When you've finished licking your wounds, can i have my ball back
pc geru? whats that? did T REX have one?
I'm no expert, just thought after you'd gone to the decent effort to help Mr Child that you
might want to remind those that remove their security, its best done offline.
I always buy the cd, easier to shoparound and you have a hard copy (ooer missus )

[wijit]

I use avast, like Mr Posh. Norton was giving me so much trouble it got me to the point where I couldn't actually connect to the internet anymore. So, yes, it offered me total protection because there was no way of getting in or out on the computer via the internet.
Avast has been absolutely superb and it was a computer repair shop who advised me to use it. They could've sold me anything at that point and made money, but told me to go for a free one!

[mrpotatohead]

Of course your best bet is to do what every penny watching average person does, look around for a local bank or building society having a refurb, pop round the back, get a perfectly good pc 2 or 3 years old out of the skip with all the software installed, and sell your old pc on ebay, but do not steal any money off the personal info left on the said items as this is real it theft

[Curly]

An excellent suggestion Mr PH!

[mrpotatohead]

I think i have a new friend

curly meet baldy

[durianmuncher]

The auto renewal system some of these companies push on their customers is disgusting. I had PC Tools spyware doctor and antivirus and wasn't happy with it. Thus I changed to the excellent Kaspersky which found so many viruses and trojans that pc tools missed, for only £20.
However, PCTools automatically charged my card for a renewal without informing me first. It took almost a month to get it reversed.

[Curly]

When your Kaspersky license runs out, they offer the new on-line download upgrade for
about £40! Yet you can get a new single user one year o.e.m for less than £15.
Overclockers do for £14.50 inc vat.
I've seen it as cheap as £12 inc vat + postage before.