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Norton 360 Version 2.0

From: Symantec

List Price: ~~$79.99~~
Buy New: $44.86
You Save: $35.13 (44%)

New (70) Used (5) from $39.99

Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars

156 reviews
Sales Rank: 79

Format: Cd-rom
Platforms: Windows Xp, Windows Vista
Media: CD-ROM
Edition: Standard
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Operating System: Windows Vista
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 0 x 0.1 x 0.1

MPN: 13535436
Model: 13579212
UPC: 037648625036
EAN: 0037648625036
ASIN: B0013A5GGE

Release Date: March 13, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Features:

•	PC security defends you against a broad range of online threats--protects your computer and makes your online experience more secure
•	Identity protection safeguards you against online identity theft--protects against fraud and theft
•	Automatic backup and restore protects your important files from loss--safeguards irreplaceable photos, movies, music, and more
•	PC tuneup keeps your PC running at peak performance--helps your PC run faster and keeps it running the way it's supposed to
•	Network monitoring--helps protect your home network

Comprehensive, automated protection.

Enhanced performance
Provides industry-leading protection without sacrificing performance:

Fast scan and browse speeds
Less memory use than the average used by competing products
PC Security with industry leading virus, spyware and firewall protection

Identity Safe
New--Protects your personal information and your identity when you buy, bank, and browse online:

Blocks fraudulent Web sites and verifies trusted ones
Conveniently and securely manages user names and passwords for you
Phishing Protection guards online attempts to steal your personal information by blocking fraudlent websites and verifies trusted ones.

Backup and restore:

Protects photos, music, and documents with automated backup
Supports new backup destinations including Blu-ray Disc, HD-DVD, and iPod
Automatically detects and backs up your critical files
Includes 2 GB of secured online storage (with option to purchase additional storage)

Network monitoring:

Lets you view your wireless network and each device connected to it
Displays the security status of all the Norton products on your network
Alerts you when you connect to an unsecured wireless network

Browser Protection
Protects against Web-based drive-by downloads that use vulnerabilities in your browser to insert malware on your PC

Easy protection of your PC and online activities
Norton 360 threat handling, scans, and tuneups are conducted quietly in the background:

Automatically optimizes and maintains your PC for peak performance
Automatically cleans up unnecessary Internet clutter and temporary files
Helps optimize Windows performance by removing unneeded registry files

One-click support
Provides one-click access to expert support right from your Norton product:

Fast access to expert support through email, live chat, or phone

Protection updates
Includes protection updates and new product features as available throughout the renewable service period

Ongoing protection
Keeps your computer protected from the latest Internet risks by automatically renewing your subscription at the regular subscription price (plus applicable tax), so you don't have to do it. For more information, click here.

Optional antispam and parental controls
Enables you to download antispam and parental controls via the Norton Add-on Pack

Free Technical Support
NEW! Free tech support delivers the help you need, however you need it.

Which Norton Solution Is Right For Me?

Customer Reviews: Read 151 more reviews...

1 out of 5 stars

So close, but so far March 27, 2008
Truth Teller (Colorado, USA)
70 out of 77 found this review helpful

This is my revised review of Norton 360 version 2.0. I previously had given a positive review and my review was rated as "The most helpful favorable review". However, after extended use of the product I have to remove my first review and mark this product as DEFECTIVE. I believe that if the professional review sites that have given this product positive reviews were to run extended trials and followed a policy of revising their initial ratings that they also would drop their ratings after they find that the product starts failing after extended use.

I installed the Norton 360 version 2.0 trial edition downloaded from Norton's website and ran it for 13 days on my Windows Vista SP1 PC before activating it. During that time my system did not have any noticeable computer slowdowns and it ran in the background without any need for intervention. It also ran just fine for another 7 days after purchasing a license and activating it.

Sounds great, right? Well, in my second week of owning it, Norton 360 v2 suddenly started having "Service Framework" failures and told me I should reboot my PC to ensure stable operation. I found that I better heed the warning and reboot, because my Quad core PC with 3 GB of RAM would turn into a brick that barely functioned. This is really, really annoying when you are in the middle of doing something and suddenly you have to interrupt your work to reboot the computer... oh and saving your work takes about 10 times as long since the computer suddenly doesn't want to function.

I went through tech support and they had me try a lot of different fixes, including doing a complete uninstall and reinstall of the product. Doing a reinstall actually seemed to make things better for a few days and then suddenly Norton 360 decided it was time to start failing at random intervals again. I looked on message boards and found that some people claimed that there might be a corrupt file on your system that Norton was scanning and failing on. The problem with that claim is that is 1) Reinstalling the product and doing a "comprehensive" scan didn't cause a failure so I don't think that is really the root cause and 2) even if that was the root cause, if a security product like Norton is going to crash when it finds a corrupt file, then exactly what value does the product provide? Do you really want to go on a witch hunt for corrupt files on your computer every few days when Norton starts failing on you?

BOTTOM LINE: I wish I could recommend the product, but I CANNOT RECOMMEND. It simply is DEFECTIVE. When it works, it works great, but it is NOT STABLE and I believe that any installation of it WILL EVENTUALLY START CRASHING EVEN IF IT SEEMS TO WORK AT FIRST.

If you decide to buy anyway, here are a few notes:

- By default eavesdropping protection is turned off. You can enable it via the settings page. I saw in a professional review that they really recommended turning this feature on.

- You need to ensure that any other virus or firewall programs that you have installed are fully uninstalled before installing this product. Having multiple competing products installed can really mess up your system. I used the Norton removal tool from their web site to fully remove the trial version of Norton Internet Security that I was using prior to installing this software.

- If you are uncertain about this product, download the free trial from symantec first, but note that my problems with the product didn't show up until about day 20 of having it installed.

- If you choose to download the full version of the software from symantec, they place a copy of the full version under C:\ProgramData\Symantec Temporary Files on Windows Vista. Just grab a copy of the software and back it up. This way you don't have to pay to have an "extended download period". Or just keep a copy of the trial version around since it allows you to activate it using the product key that the symantec store gives you.

- If you are deciding between purchasing the shipped package from Amazon or Symantec, I would choose Amazon in a heart beat. Amazon customer service rocks. You also could probably download the trial version from symantec, buy the package from Amazon, and then just enter the product code from the Amazon package in the trial software once the Amazon package arrives.

5 out of 5 stars

With Proper Setup Runs like a Charm July 13, 2008
Lisa Shea
36 out of 39 found this review helpful

While I can review a computer game after "beating it" - often a week or two after purchase - with Norton 360 I waited several months after installing it to come to any judgement. There is always a learning curve with any serious software product where you tweak the settings, learn what combination works well for you, and so on. I really feel a serious package like this should be tested out for many weeks - not days - before a decision is made about it.

I run Norton 360 on my main home PC, from which I run several websites. This means I am running database development software, graphic editing software, video editing software, logging software and much more on this machine. Plus I'm a game reviewer, so I'm running some pretty intensive games on it as well. My machine does a great variety of things. You would think if an issue was going to trigger, that I'd probably trigger it.

I definitely agree that you need to spend a little time setting up the software to work well with your surfing and net patterns. Someone who does a lot of networking operations might need ports more open than someone who just reads email and wants their computer locked up tightly. Now, that being said, the interface is rather straightforward to do this. Once you set it up, you're all set.

I haven't run into any issues with Norton 360 once it was set up well. Yes I had to do some tweaking to get my various POP mail accounts working - many of which are customized and using non-standard ports. It was a one time operation, and has been set since then.

In terms of the quality of the anti-virus software, I always give Norton very high marks. Our cable company provided free anti-virus software as part of our cable bill. Virusses got right through their "shield". When I put on Norton, Norton instantly spotted those virusses and eliminated them without any fuss.

I completely agree that some systems out there might have issues with this software package, just like some people are deathly allergic to peanuts. Where an XBox 360 is a perfect clone of every other XBox 360 out there, every PC is unique. Every person has different internet settings, different mail software, and perhaps most importantly, different virusses and spyware that have snuck on your system. Undoubtedly there is always going to be some unique blend of these things that causes a system to crash - with OR without Norton 360. In general, though, I really feel Norton 360 should work extremely well on most systems.

Well recommended - but as always, back up your system before beginning, and have your network documentation handy so you know which specific ports you happen to be personally using, to keep those open.

1 out of 5 stars

Stay away and save your bank account..... May 13, 2008
Scott F Feighner (houston, tx USA)
18 out of 21 found this review helpful

If I had read the reviews at AMAZON or EPinions before I shelled out 59.99, my blood pressure would be normal and I wouldn't be suffering from an everwhelming urge to throw my computer monitor thru the wall because of my frustration with the Norton 360 software I downloaded and purchased from their site. This is a complete and utter rip-off of consumer dollars. After three days I have yet to even to get the software to activate. Nothing works, and customer support is a joke. Less than none. It's as if NORTON moved to India and disconected the internet and took the phone off the hook. They seem to be in business only to charge credit cards without providing the service that's been paid for. Based on the number of bad reviews, it's almost a RICO statute court case waiting in the wings....

Again, stay away from Norton. It's better to have a virus and have your identity stolen on-line that to have to deal with both the anger and regret that comes from purchasing a Norton product.

3 out of 5 stars

I guess it's okay... May 20, 2008
Jem (MD, USA)
16 out of 22 found this review helpful

I've noticed a lot of other poor reviews for this product. I haven't encountered such major issues, but I've only had the product installed a few days. I will revise this review once I've had it 30 days. But, so far...

I have an HP laptop with Vista Home Edition. I found this product fairly easy to install. I uninstalled my previous antivirus software before even putting the disc in, as I figured they couldn't run at the same time. After inserting the disc it asked to download some updated installation files. This took about 5 minutes. Then the program began to install. That took about 25 minutes, including the initial scan for spyware/viruses. Overall, no worse than any other software I've installed.

I selected this product from Amazon Vine because Norton is a trusted brand and I initially liked the extra options this has. It is supposed to identify phishing websites, protect personal information while banking, prevent hackers from hijacking your computer, prevent spyware and viruses, and offers 2G back-up space online. However, when I installed this product, Vista informed me it was connecting to a website whose certificate was expired!! This is something Norton is supposed to catch and their own website fails? That's when I realized I already had software to do all these extras. While those Mac commericals are right on the money about what a pain Vista is (cancel or allow), it does protect my computer. The Vista firewall verifies website certificates and protects from hackers. Vista's Defender protects against spyware. While the backup space is nice, users can buy a 4G jump drive and have more space than Norton offers - without paying a renewal fee. That leaves the main function of having Norton 360 - virus protection.

I haven't gotten any yet, but I wonder if Norton is that much better that I shouldn't go with McAfee which is free through my internet service provider? Also, I hate the Norton menu bar added to my browser window. I can turn it off, but each tab I open causes the menu bar to reopen, in every tab! Locking the menu bar doesn't help either.

Overall, I'm not sure if I can recommend this. If you have Vista, you have a lot of these options already and likely cheaper alternatives to Norton 360 just for viruses. If you don't have Vista, it appears from others' experience it slows your computer. Overall, this isn't a bad product, just not the high quality I would expect from a name like Norton.

Update: I've had this a while now and I have noticed one recurring issue. The program constantly asks me to manually address a"virus issue." The issue? Tracking cookie, from a website. Which I get every time I surf the web. When I open the Norton interface, I have to click ignore. There is an option to ignore all, but every cookie is different so it doesn't really work. This happens every day. Once my free subscription is up, I won't be paying to renew this. I'll be going with McAfee. 360 is not worth the annoyance.

1 out of 5 stars

Needs A Tweak March 21, 2008
C. De Luz (Canton, GA USA)
14 out of 16 found this review helpful

I recently upgraded from Norton 360 version 1.0 to Norton 360 version 2.0. I never had any problems with version 1. Since installing version 2, I have received this error message several times: "A Norton 360 process has stopped running. To ensure stable operation, please restart your PC." I contacted Symantec's Tech Support Team via live chat and a support tech completely uninstalled and then reinstalled this program. Today, the same problem resurfaced. I checked several chat boards and other Norton users are experiencing the same problem with this program. Norton 360 version 2 has a bug. Doing a clean install will not fix it. Symantec is playing stupid. Don't buy this program until the bug is fixed.

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