A couple years ago, my mom had this computer that had come with Norton, and she bought the sub for a year. I had switched from Norton for my computers because of the resource hog it was, but I never hated it until I discovered that you have to use a separate tool to remove it. My mom’s sub had expired and I convinced her to switch to something more lightweight. So I ran the uninstaller, installed the new AV, and she was up and running. Then, her computer started randomly freezing, and could only be restarted by holding the power button. Did some digging and found that the symptoms reflected multiple AVs installed. “Well that can’t be right, I uninstalled Norton.” Did some more digging, found the removal tool, ran it, and everything was good. I have boycotted Norton since, because it left enough of itself behind to fool the computer into thinking it was still there. Sorry, if I want something gone, I want it gone. The first time. And I don’t want to have to download a separate tool to do what the uninstaller should do in the first place.
most antivirus programs are worth more trouble than good
Good to know, i’ve never had to uninstall norton 360 yet, but i have been dreading the day when that may become a request.
OMG! This could very well be the answer to why one of my colleague’s PCs is sitting at my house, waiting for me to work out why SHE can’t browse the interwebz unless she goes into safe mode!
Now I want to go home and test the theory!
The same is true for a lot of antivirus applications - including an uninstall that actually cleanly uninstalls seems to have totally passed the vendors by.
God, I remember trying to scrub Norton 360 out of my system.
“MY LICENSE HAS BEEN EXPIRED FOR OVER A YEAR! JUST LET ME UNINSTALL THE FUCKING THING! AHHHHHH!” -Me.
Same with avast. Fortunately, with avast if you run the removal tool in normal mode, it auto reboots into safe mode for you.
i think it’s probably because most people don’t use Norton 360 to protect their computer, hence don’t have the need to uninstall it so not as many people know how to remove it using the removal tool without having to resort to googling or looking up problem
Norton hooks it’s claws into the networking stack as a driver,
no fun is to be had.
One time my aunt uninstalled Norton and it removed all file associations on her machine. Even an exe didn’t know what to open with.
Specifically to Norton 360, I had a problem where I disabled the firewall for a client, left, and when they rebooted it came up again. A coworker went there and disabled it further somehow. They rebooted - it came back. Someone went back with Trend Micro Titanium the next day and fixed the networking problems on all PCs once and for all.
just remove nortan from startup processes.
Norton Removal Tool makes it a cake walk
Modern Anti-Virus software seems to work by breaking computers so badly, that nothing, not even viruses, can function in the resource depleted mess that Windows has turned into.
The best product Norton ever made was the removal tool. There is not a single av program that I don’t despise. None of them protect against the most common infections. The scumbag av profs ignore the rootkit they’re infected with but quarantine the keyfinders and hijackthis.
I’m not sure where you’re all finding these versions of Norton 360, or if I somehow had a miraculously nice version. Convinced my parents last month to discontinue their Norton subscription simply because the free stuff works just as well, for free. I know first hand that uninstalling it was simply running the uninstaller, waiting about 3 minutes, and then nothing. Not even a reboot. Straight off to the installer for MSE, and not a problem in the world.
Perhaps I’ve just been lucky, but I’m continually befuddled at all of the loathing towards the norton stuff.
One does not just uninstall Norton…
really?
That’s ridiculous! It’s a wonder Norton doesn’t try and sell you the removal tool- I wouldn’t put it past them at this point.
Reminds me of the tale of Robin Hood and Friar Tuck. (Third story down)
The fuck. How is that even legal?
At my old job we used to joke Norton removal is the only decent software symantec make.