What's the deal with Norton Systemworks?

[Muse]

I bought the Norton Systemworks 2001 OEM CD a couple years ago and had no problems I can recall. I just reformatted my Windows 2000 partition and tried to install Norton Systemworks 2003 OEM CD, which I just bought, but I get errors. I Ghosted back the OS from before the NSW install, but nothing seems to work. No matter how I install, NAV Autoprotect won't enable. I tried installing Norton Systemworks 2001, but it tells me that my subscription has run out for Liveupdate of virus definitions. What's the deal? Do they just say, oh, it's been a couple of years since that version came out, we're going to make this guy buy a later version or fork over the bucks for a renewed subscription? Maybe it's because I didn't delete the installation, which was on another partition (not the OS partition). What's the deal?

 

[kingmike]

system works gives a 1 year free subscription. Whenever I install it on a reformatted drive or new computer, it gives you 1 free year.
I'm sure if you clean out the registry, you will get another year. But thats up to you.

 

[Miramonti]

some people said setting their clocks back worked, but I would strongly recommend against it because it is illegal and probably against the licensing terms.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: kingmike
system works gives a 1 year free subscription. Whenever I install it on a reformatted drive or new computer, it gives you 1 free year.
I'm sure if you clean out the registry, you will get another year. But thats up to you.

That's the funny thing. I expected that to happen but it didn't. This was a newly formatted partition with Windows 2000 just installed and updated with SP4. I installed NSW 2001 and it said the subscription for liveupdate had expired.

The only thing I can think is that I must have forgotten to delete the \Norton Systemworks directory and its subdirectories which are on a separate partition. Dunno.

 

[0roo0roo]

try windows 2k sp4 ?

i know system works works fine on xp

 

[0roo0roo]

oops n/m.


bah.. i only know it works on xp.

 

[lucky9]

i've always bought a new version every couple of years. never had a charge for virus updates. i do keep an image of my system without norton on it. and i don't have norton on any other disk.

 

[Jeff7]

I just buy the new version on eBay for like $10 (CD only - OEM copy I guess). I think that's cheaper than the virus updates, and it gives you the newest version of everything else.

 

[Muse]

I finally realized that all 3 of my Ghost images were made after I did the original NSW 2003 install. Restoring those Ghost images was just not going to work no matter what so I had to reformat the Windows 2000 partition and reinstall Windows 2000 from scratch. This time I installed NSW 2003 as soon as it was practical to do so, even before setting up Internet access. Next step was to get that access and do the Liveupdates and NAV Autoprotect is enabled and there have been no problems. I have no clue why it crapped out the first time but it was a hellish experience. When I installed NSW this time I only installed the things I really wanted, which are NAV and Ghost. Speed Disk would be nice, but it's not essential. Cleansweep? I don't know that I should trust it.

 

[SaigonK]

It sucks...pretty simple.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: SaigonK
It sucks...pretty simple.

I really think so. NSW leans very heavily on the interface, the GUI. They try way to hard to look spiffy and that belies the shoddy design underneath. Very aggravating sometimes. Definitely my opinion.

 

[TerryP]

I can live without it. Caused me too many problems in the past.

 

[Nomerc]

Muse,
I went through about the same problem with Norton Internet Security Pro with 98SE. I kept getting errors after fresh recoverys. After four recoverys and it still would not install, even following their helps, I sent two nasty emails. After several more tries and three more " not so nasty " emails, "the guy was nice after the first two, I let up with the 'choice' words," they sent me a new CD week before last. I haven't tried to install it again but yes it has been one hell of a pain in the A**. I need the antivirus, have a Linksys switch for the wall now.
I need to give this new CD a try.. just dreading it.. don't want to have to recovered or format this thing again.

There is a reason for the old saying " Norton SUC*S!"