Newsletter Archives

• Microsoft removes the update block for August Win7 patches on Symantec/Norton systems

  Posted on August 28, 2019 at 07:18 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Symantec advises that it and Microsoft have come to an agreement about Symantec and Norton antivirus problems with the August Win7 and Server 2008 R2 patches. As a result, MS relaxed its weeks-long block on installing the August Monthly Rollup and Security-only patches on systems running Symantec and Norton antivirus products.

  Details in Computerworld Woody on Windows.

  Thx, @RDRGuy

  Windows Patches/Security August 2019 Black Tuesday, KB 4512486, KB 4512506, KB 4512514, Norton, Symantec

• Yet another reason to hate Norton

  Posted on May 17, 2010 at 05:05 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  SANS Internet Storm Center reports that several Symantec products – presumably including most of the Norton line – are claiming that a recent update to World of Warcraft is infected.

  Other Norton

• AVG Free begging for money

  Posted on March 23, 2009 at 11:01 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Reader SA writes:

  It appears that AVG wants to sell the new upgrade AVG 8.5. The popup warning rather dire looking: threat of no more updates after April (something like 14th). I only want to use the Free edition.

  I remember when someone posted a comment, recently on your newly designed website, about how angry he got at another company doing that.

  I recall about a year ago, or a bit longer, they did the same thing: giving a date that it will end and then it didn’t.

  You noted you like using free AVG in your comment.

  The scary warnings are ….scary. They didn’t stop last year.

  I still use AVG, although I’m getting less and less enthusiastic about it because of this bogus warning, the attempts to steer you to a for-pay package, and its default installation of a “phone home” component that sends your complete browser history to the folks at AVG. I turn off LinkScanner (that’s the “phone home” piece) through AVG’s control panel, but it’s a pain in the neck.

  Seth, who’s a regular here, prefers AVIRA. NOD32 used to have an excellent free package, but it looks like they’ve changed to a free 30-day evaluation only.

  It you want to stick with AVG Free – I still run it on most of my computers, including my Windows 7 computers – here’s how to do it:

  1. Download but don’t install AVG Free.

  2. Disconnect your computer from your network and the Internet.

  3. Click Start, Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs and remove AVG Free. You’ll see some detailed instructions about stopping AVG Free before it can be removed, and you’ll have to re-boot your machine.

  4. Double-click on the downloaded copy of AVG Free. Follow the instructions to install it.

  5. When AVG Free says it wants to check the Internet for updates, then – and only then – plug your compute back into your network and the Internet. Then proceed with the installation.

  That’s a generic sequence for uninstalling an old antivirus product and installing a new one, safely and effectively. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work very well with Norton, which leaves pieces of itself scattered everywhere, and it notoriously difficult to remove completely.

  Uncategorized AVG Free, Avira, Free antivirus, NOD32, Norton

• The PIFTS Norton conspiracy

  Posted on March 10, 2009 at 22:44 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  SANS Internet Storm Center reports that Norton has been caught with its pants down, again.

  It seems that an update yesterday to one (several?) of the Norton products includes a file called PIFTS.exe that phones home, to stats.norton.com. ISC says that many people have reported the problem – PIFTS’s aberrant behavior was detected by Norton’s Firewall.

  That’s just stupid. Here’s what makes it a conspiracy. Hundreds – perhaps thousands – of messages posted on Norton’s support forums regarding PIFTS have been deleted.

  More info shortly.

  Other Norton, PIFTS