Safer surfing, an essential tool. (Symantec Norton SystemWorks 2002 Upgrade)

Member Name: babajane32

Product:	Symantec Norton SystemWorks 2002 Upgrade
Date:	19/07/04 (787 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Virus protection, excellent utilities, price

Disadvantages: No firewall

#####~~ Norton system works 2002~~#####

As technology has swept the internet, home computer access and the world of technology along at an amazing pace, the need for software to combat the down sides of this fast moving phenomenon has become ever more important. Norton systemworks covers the main aspects of these needs in one neat package.

~~ So what are these needs?~~


One problem for computor users is that operating systems are not fool proof, and as more and more affordable software and games are around, people tend to install and uninstall software more and more regularly. Even without these installs, O/S's (operating system)can degrade and become unstable. Formats (wiping down your hard drive and starting afresh with O/S) can be expensive, time consuming and can lose important data. Not an ideal solution unless unavoidable.

~~How can these problems be overcome?~~


Anti-virus software can identify and remove virus's that infect your computer. A good software is needed, preferable one that is capable of updating too, as new virus's are being created and unleashed all the time.

A band-aid software is always a handy tool to have for your O/S. A good one will identify small errors or problems with your O/S and be able to fix them.


~~The solution~~


Having always been a user and appreciative admirer of Norton anti-virus software, I was so happy to find Norton system works, which the tools discussed above, in one software package.


~~So what exactly does NSW 2002 (Norton SystemWorks 2002) offer?~~


**Anti-virus.**

Addressing the priority issues first, NSW offers a very comprehensive Anti-virus program that will detect and deal with any virus?s that land in your computer. It has the facility to monitor and scan your entire computer, along with email, file downloads and any other source of input from the internet.


You have the ability to select which features you may want to auto-protect (NSW will automatically scan and check these features). Alternatively you can manually check these at any time you like. The auto-detect facility is especially useful where email is concerned.
If you check you email on line, through such facilities as msn, this feature is not always so important as you are not actually downloading any mail to your hard drive, you are merely viewing
You email through your browser.
However for people, like myself who accesses their email through outlook express, it is an essential feature of NSW. 90% of all the virus?s my NSW detects arrive along with my email.
Once detected I have two options, either to repair the infected email file or to delete it altogether. I almost always opt to delete it altogether. If this is unsuccessful (which it occasionally can be), I still have the option to quarantine the offending virus and manually delete it. This is still very easy to do and fulfills my coverage completely.
Having different options may sound complicated, but I assure you it is not.


**Utilities**

The utilities feature is another great part of NSW. It covers three main areas, Find and fix problems, optimize performance and system maintenance.

Optimizing performance consists of ?speed disc?, which is a ?defrag? option (defragmenting, sorts out the location and best storage of information stored on your hard drive). You will find most O/S?s offer a ?defrag? facility somewhere, but here rather than optimizing your data storage for maximizing available storage space, it optimizes for fastest data access.
It?s a simple on click tool that offers a little extra to your system. Hardly essential, but always handy.

System maintenance will allow you to access information about your system. It?s an easy way to take a quick look at exactly what hardware you have in your system (chip, memory
etc)
along with information about external hardware or connections (such as printers, monitors, or networked peripherals).
It also has a facility to allow you to easily remove data from your system, this can include any type of file working on a drag and drop system. You simply click on any file and move it across to the interface and it will be removed from your computer. This can be a quick and easy way of clearing out a lot of different files that you have finished with, but it always pays to be very careful when using the facility. It?s all too easy to accidentally lose important data, or even remove part of your O/S!!

Find and fix problems, is by far the best tool in the utilities section. It consists of four sub-sections Norton System doctor, UnErase wizard, Norton disc doctor and Norton O/S doctor.

Norton System Doctor places a toolbar on your desktop that displays and shows any possible system problems. It also offers an instant access panel to almost all of the Norton system utilities.
It can be handy although it will use more of your system resources to be running all the time.

Unerase wizard is a most useful little tool that can enable you to recover erased files. It is an easy one-click option, that enables you to search for lost or deleted files by name or content. It is not guaranteed to find all your lost or deleted data, but it can be invaluable for those accidentally deleted bits of information!

**Disc doctor**

Norton disc doctor is a slight variation of the defragmenting tool offered earlier. It will test and fix problems with all your connected drives in a similar manner. You can select just one, two or all of your drives.
It has one neat little bonus, and that is a discrete option to play music files whilst it is running! Great when you have a huge H/D (hard drive) that?s going to take a while to sort out!


**Norton O/S doctor**

Norton O/S docto
r will be
named relevant to your O/S. As mine is for Windows it is actually called Norton Windoctor. This tool will look at your O/S and detect problems or missing files etc.
Once completed it will list categories of faults, e.g invalid shortcuts, missing files, invalid application paths. You will then have the option of manually repairing each category by simply highlighting it and clicking on the repair icon (a spanner).
I tend to avoid fixing invalid shortcuts as experience has taught me this can occasionally lead to another problem and the need to fix such shortcuts is negligible.
Occasionally a missing file cannot be fixed as it actually requires the original file from your O/S to fix it, but this seldom presents a problem.
Overall this is an invaluable tool that helps keep your O/S running smoothly and effectively, negating the need for so regular formats or similar drastic practices.
Amusingly if you run this on a freshly installed O/S it will immediately find a few problems.


**Web tools**

Another feature incorporated in NSW is the Web Tools section.
This includes web clean up and connection keep alive.

Web clean up is a quick way of deleting all your temporary internet files, cookies and such like to keep your system from getting junked up with heaps of needless files, although you will want to bear in mind if you like to keep track of the sites you recently visited and pass words you usually opt to auto save.
Connection keep alive is purely for dial up connections, with the theory that it an help prevent so many disconnections. I have never had cause to use this option and am a little dubvious of how effective it could be.


**Extra features**

Extra features is another section offered by NSW which tests your system for security and virus threats and also offers a 24 hour support site for any computer problem. To use this however it is necessary for yo
u to be connect
ed to the internet. (not much use if your connection is your problem!).

**Live update**

Live update offers one of the best points to NSW, enabling you to update your software itself, the virus definitions (essential for those newly released virus?s), and to update almost all features incorporated within the bundle.
It can be set to auto update as soon as there is an update available or you can opt to update manually whenever you feel you need or want to. Again easily configured or accessed by a one touch option form the main NSW control panel.


~~ Instillation~~

Instillation couldn?t be easier, simply click the next button throughout the installation wizards displays. Basically, put the in the CD rom, let it auto boot and keep clicking next. Once completed reboot your system and away you go!! Couldn?t be easier.
(see trouble shooting for installing on windows XP)

~~Using~~

Throughout my review I have tried to show how each function is easily used and operated. All the features are accessible through the main control panel, clearly listed on the left hand side of the panel and operated by simply clicking on your selected section and then task.

The control panel is easily reached by double clicking the NSW icon that is placed on your desktop when the instillation is done. It is closed just as easily by clicking the cross in the top corner once you have finished (the same as explorer windows).


~~Performance~~

What can I say? Second to none!!
Having tried and tested many different softwares I have always reverted back to one or other editions of NSW.
It meets all of my (and most internet users) requirements with a few extra bonus?s thrown in for good measure.
The functions and options work and prove most effective measures.

~~Cost and Value~~

The price varies from place to place, but you can p
ick up the complete
system works from about £40 presently and is available from most computer retailers, amazon.co.uk and .com, and even directly from www.symantec.com (for around $60 U.S).
Newer versions are available too.
Of course I wouldn?t advise you to download it from a file sharing program (Kazaa, Morphius, super nova etc,) as it is Illegal (although free) and you may get a virus!!!

It is superb value for money and will pay for itself the first time you avoid a format!!


~~Compatibility~~

I have found no compatibility issues with it at all (although that?s not to say there aren?t any).
It does recommend using Norton Firewall with it, and I can say it is certainly worth while doing so, however it runs fine with other firewall software I have tried (black-ice defender, zone alarm etc.)
If as is wise, you do run a firewall with it (to prevent intruders on your system whilst on the internet), remember to configure your firewall to allow the update facility to work and if necessary allow any shared (networked) drives to be scanned.
It's available for all current Windows operating systems and also for Mac users.


~~Trouble shooting~~

One small problem can be encountered when installing NSW 2002 on Windows XP, where you will encounter errors.
You must remove the LiveReg directory. Located in \Program Files\Common Files\Symantic Shared directory.
After you remove the LiveReg, you can install NSW 2002 properly.



~ ~ # ~ ~ Thanks for reading and safe surfing ~ ~ # ~ ~

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