Hm. Interesting. While I can see that such a hidden directory would be a good hiding place for stuff, in actual practice, everything in there gets deleted when you purge it. So it's not much of an exploit. Still, I think Norton could have done this without the hidden directory bit. It's not the same thing as the Sony debacle because with Norton, I knew I was installing software. In Sony's case, I thought I was listening to a CD.
I've never had bad results from a Norton product. Why did you stop recommending them?
I find their protection software is system intrusive. It slows down the computer for "protection" and generally makes a real nuisance of itself.
The "internet suite" came with my laptop. I uninstalled it after a LOT of frustration with the way that it basically slapped my fingers after any type of internet access. Screw it. I hate 'em.
Aw, now don't be asking stuff like that or you'll get me ranting again.
I liked their product up until about 2002. After that it turned into a bloated resource hog. I've got some personal horror stories involving both the installation and uninstallation of the 2003 and 2004 versions of the program.
I have become unimpressed with their product, their support, and their responsiveness to new threats. I think that there are other, better products on the market to fill the niche. Symantec needs to go back and do some serious retooling on many levels before I'll recommend their product again.
Heh. I would go into more specifics about my woes, but I'd start ranting again.
I've never much cared for either Norton or McAffee. Both are excellent methods of reducing performance and stability. But aren't really much good for anything else.
I'll probably just stick with f-prot for awhile yet.
The only problem with everyone being in an uproar about this is that Norton told you flat out it was a hidden folder. Hell I KNEW it was a hidden folder.
What they've done with the folder actually goes a step beyond the normal definition of "hidden" in Windows. A better description would be "stealth". I think the main reason there's been an uproar is because this revelation comes right on the heels of the Sony fiasco.
I question their need to stealth the folder, but unlike Sony, I think Symantec's motives were somewhat more benign. I think they just wanted to quarantine things in a place where the user wouldn't mess with them.
My main quibble with Norton is that I think their software has become crap over the years.
Like you suggested, I don't think this was anything malicious, and I too have often wanted to hide certain things from clusers. Anyone remember the < a href="http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/jdbgmgr.exe.file.hoax.html">jdbgmgr.exe hoax? They also owned up to and eliminated it pretty quickly once it was found, and didn't quibble over it.
That being said, what M$ compatable anti-virus solution DO you reccommend?
I've been pretty pleased with the performance of Trend Micro's PC-cillin (and I'm not just saying that because I got it for free under a company group license). As virus scanners go it's got a decent footprint on system resources, and they are very responsive to new threats (it checks for updates every 3 hours or something like that). It typically finishes at or near the top on most test sites as well.
If I hadn't nabbed this one free through work, I'd probably have gone with Kaspersky. Apparently some people find the interface a bit confusing, but it's easily the best antivirus program out there that nobody has ever heard of. I think it's made in Russia, so you can be sure it's probably got pretty efficient, tight coding within.
I've not heard much bad said about Panda, and it typically gets very good writeups in most of the reviews I've seen.
Avast! and AVG both have free versions. I used to use AVG free, and atara still does. Never gave me a moment of trouble. My brother uses Avast! free and he says that it works well for him.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 05:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 05:36 pm (UTC)I've never had bad results from a Norton product. Why did you stop recommending them?
no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 06:26 pm (UTC)The "internet suite" came with my laptop. I uninstalled it after a LOT of frustration with the way that it basically slapped my fingers after any type of internet access. Screw it. I hate 'em.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 07:51 pm (UTC)I liked their product up until about 2002. After that it turned into a bloated resource hog. I've got some personal horror stories involving both the installation and uninstallation of the 2003 and 2004 versions of the program.
I have become unimpressed with their product, their support, and their responsiveness to new threats. I think that there are other, better products on the market to fill the niche. Symantec needs to go back and do some serious retooling on many levels before I'll recommend their product again.
Heh. I would go into more specifics about my woes, but I'd start ranting again.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 10:27 pm (UTC)Catch me at a con sometime.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 06:45 pm (UTC)I'll probably just stick with f-prot for awhile yet.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 08:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 11:45 pm (UTC)*grin*
no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 04:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-17 11:58 am (UTC)I question their need to stealth the folder, but unlike Sony, I think Symantec's motives were somewhat more benign. I think they just wanted to quarantine things in a place where the user wouldn't mess with them.
My main quibble with Norton is that I think their software has become crap over the years.
Hmmmm...
Date: 2006-01-18 02:06 pm (UTC)That being said, what M$ compatable anti-virus solution DO you reccommend?
Re: Hmmmm...
Date: 2006-01-18 04:25 pm (UTC)If I hadn't nabbed this one free through work, I'd probably have gone with Kaspersky. Apparently some people find the interface a bit confusing, but it's easily the best antivirus program out there that nobody has ever heard of. I think it's made in Russia, so you can be sure it's probably got pretty efficient, tight coding within.
I've not heard much bad said about Panda, and it typically gets very good writeups in most of the reviews I've seen.
Avast! and AVG both have free versions. I used to use AVG free, and