I have heard numerous reports that Norton Utilities is something to be avoided. However, I was wondering if there is anything wrong with just the standalone AntiVirus software? My boss just bought it for my work computer, and I want to know if I should stay away from it too... thanks in advance.
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Is there anything wrong with Norton AntiVirus?
- Thread starter eyeon
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Yep...NAV for the Mac is a disaster.
It took me several days to fully undo the damage NAV did to my Mac. If, for some reason, you feel the need to waste CPU time and disk space on anti-viral software for the Mac (there are no OS X viruses), I suggest you get Virex.
NAV seems to work alright on windows, but keep it away from your mac.
Cheers
It took me several days to fully undo the damage NAV did to my Mac. If, for some reason, you feel the need to waste CPU time and disk space on anti-viral software for the Mac (there are no OS X viruses), I suggest you get Virex.
NAV seems to work alright on windows, but keep it away from your mac.
Cheers
i second bryanc's statements. first of all, there are no osx viruses yet, so it's a waste of time. secondly, anything norton has ill effects on osx - why does this happen and why does symantec continue to produce harmful software for the mac? who knows. i made the mistake of installing the public beta (although that's my fault) of disk doctor/systemtools back in the 10.0 days.
All anti-virus software is ludicrous. All it does is is take up hdd space and CPU cycles. Virus exploits are almost always (if not always) taken care of by the OS supplier. Apple has been current updating against the URL exploits and MS even had MSBLASTER and MyDOOM patches out before the viruses hit. Anti-virus programs don't even work if you don't update them. For me, it's just easier to update the OS rather than use anti-virus.
In my experience, Norton Antivirus for the Macintosh does its job and does it well. However, Norton Utilities for the Macintosh generates less confidence. Competing utilites DiskWarrior and TechTools (or Drive 10) are generally considered to be better. Darwin's UNIX facilities such as fsck, cron, and repairing permissions goes a long way toward fixing most problems. Back to NAV for a moment--whether it is NAV, Virex, or a competitor, you should install and use antivirus software. If you run M$ Office, your Office installation may be susceptible to cross-platform Office macroviruses. Your Mac can be a carrier of Windows viruses, even though it can't be damaged by them. Be a good citizen and don't pass on the grief.eyeon said:
How can you tell? And would you like to buy my new dinosaur protection system? You stick it in your nose and it keeps you from being attacked by all dinosaurs. It does it's job and does it well.MisterMe said:
eyeon said:
Period, no question mark.
Wierd, when I tried to boot from it using Systemworks 2.0 and OS 9, Norton Antivirus actually kept crashing on me early on during the scan - and I booted off the CD for crying out loud! This was about a year ago, but I'll never forget it...maybe it was from Utilities.
But, as stated, don't bother with anti-virus software. If you have a halfway-working brain, then you won't need to worry about whether or not you should open attachments in your email. And if you even use 1.9% of your brain, you'll stay off the internet while using XP or Windows 2000 (joking).
It removes those Windows viruses that I get from my colleagues. When you get a job, you will know what that's like.Horrortaxi said:
As for dinosaurs, I defend against them with an Army surplus cannon controlled by my old Mac IIcx. Any dinosaur that gets within 10 thousands meters buys the farm. I've gotten 17 of the Jurassic killers so far.
I'm going to enjoy the remainder of my childhood and try not to think about employment. Jobs are for old people, not kids like me. Hopefully by the time I'm old enough to shave jobs will be extinct.MisterMe said:
Except, of course, for jobs developing new dinosaur killing techniques and Macontosh antivirus apps. We need those.
Hey thanks a lot for the replies... I suppose I'll just hide it from my boss, and when he asks where it is I'll reply, "oh, I installed it already" and lower my head -- he probably won't know any better... I do not do a lot of cross-platform word document sharing, so I don't think I have to worry about transmitting viruses that way. Thanks again!
If your boss isn't too technicaly savvy you could take a screenshot of Norton Then copy the Norton icon, link it to the screenshot, and put it in the dock or desktop. When the boss asks to see Norton, you show him the screenshot. If he doesn't know Macs he won't notice that the menu bars says "Preview."eyeon said: