Either Safer Networking Ltd. or Symantec leaving the Anti Spyware Coalition...

[macbd1]

Here is more on this topic from Symantec's Tech Support this morning:

**Begin quote by Symantec Tech Spt:
I understand from your message that you wish to know if Spybot-S&D program is compatible with Norton Internet Security 2007 program. The manual claim Sypbot-S&D is *incompatible* however, you have reinstalled the Sypbot-S&D program after installing Norton Internet Security 2007 program.

-Mac-, please be informed that due to error free installation of Norton Internet Security 2007 program it is instructed not have any third party program installed while installing Norton program.The other antivirus program can conflict with installation.However, as you have re-installed Sypbot-S&D along with Norton Internet Security 2007 program and not faced any issue, there is nothing to worry.

I have passed your feedback along to the appropriate group. If you wish to provide additional feedback regarding our products and services, please do so at the following website:

>Web URL:
http://service1.symantec.com/discuss/support/feedback2.nsf/internet+services+feedback

This web site is reviewed on a regular basis by our management and product development staff. It is the best forum to have your feedback heard.

Please note that Symantec strongly recommends that you run only one security product at a time. Having more than one security product active in memory uses additional resources and can result in program conflicts and false virus alerts. Symantec does not support our products running more than one security product at a time.
Your best defense against computer threats is to keep your definitions up
to date, and run Auto-Protect. If you choose to install more than one
security product on your computer, then only one of them should be active
in memory at a time.

Thank you for your patience and co-operation.
**End of Quote.

No surprise here, just further info for any commentary.

Regards,
Mac

---------------------------------------
Sloboban Milosevic went on trial for allegedly ordering 8,000 executions, as genocide. 'Che' Guevara's executions had already reached 10,000 by the time of his 1964 UN visit, excluding tens of thousands who died while attempting to emigrate. And tee-shirts with Guevara's image sell on the internet as prizeware? What a travesty!!.........Mac

 

[Lynn1102]

Mac, Sorry for missing some of the points made earlier - I went back and re read some of the posts.
At this time I don't use NIS - only the antivirus on this machine and Nortons Utilities on the other machine.
At one time I tried NIS (don't remember if it was 05 or 06) and gave up trying to set it up for my use. I use the Windows firewall and haven't had a virus in years. I've had several attempts, but Nortons stopped them.
I don't know why, but last time I installed Spybot, it is not trying to run resident, which is one problem I had. Now I can run it whenever I want.
I need a clean machine because I usually download stuff here, scan them, then send to my business machine. I could download from there, but don't want to chance losing days or weeks of work.
I agree that Nortons tech support is worthless, maybe even less. Everytime I have contacted them, they always tried to fix something other than my problem. On the phone, if you can understand them, they are very nice and polite, but still can't fix much. Keep smiling - things can only get worse.
Let us know if you get a response from Norons.

Lynn

 

[iNsuRRecTiON]

laughable

Here is more on this topic from Symantec's Tech Support this morning:

**Begin quote by Symantec Tech Spt:
I understand from your message that you wish to know if Spybot-S&D program is compatible with Norton Internet Security 2007 program. The manual claim Sypbot-S&D is *incompatible* however, you have reinstalled the Sypbot-S&D program after installing Norton Internet Security 2007 program.

-Mac-, please be informed that due to error free installation of Norton Internet Security 2007 program it is instructed not have any third party program installed while installing Norton program.The other antivirus program can conflict with installation.However, as you have re-installed Sypbot-S&D along with Norton Internet Security 2007 program and not faced any issue, there is nothing to worry.

I have passed your feedback along to the appropriate group. If you wish to provide additional feedback regarding our products and services, please do so at the following website:

>Web URL:
http://service1.symantec.com/discuss/support/feedback2.nsf/internet+services+feedback

This web site is reviewed on a regular basis by our management and product development staff. It is the best forum to have your feedback heard.

Please note that Symantec strongly recommends that you run only one security product at a time. Having more than one security product active in memory uses additional resources and can result in program conflicts and false virus alerts. Symantec does not support our products running more than one security product at a time.
Your best defense against computer threats is to keep your definitions up
to date, and run Auto-Protect. If you choose to install more than one
security product on your computer, then only one of them should be active
in memory at a time.

Thank you for your patience and co-operation.
**End of Quote.

No surprise here, just further info for any commentary.

Regards,
Mac

Hey,

lol, Symantec is laughable, they don't even go into further details with that app and problem.
This is an common answer and not specific!
They don't answer this issue, they say you should not use an active anti-virus (lol, it's not an anti-virus app..) app at the same time you use an symantec app in background.

Yes right, it's ok, but isn't the case here, Spybot don't conflict with Norton apps and Spybot isn't realtime, only on-demand/passive, if you don't use the TeaTimer, which is optional and not used at default..

best regards,

iNsuRRecTiON

 

[Lynn1102]

I think the trend for the past few years is canned answers such as this. Open a word processor, copy this sentence, and that paragraph and send it out. Very seldom do they answer your original question. I think the want you to pick up the phone and pay them 30 or 40 dollars to find out they can't answer the same questions.
For me, any software that has live teck support (whom you can understand) is a winner, even if the program sucks.

Lynn

 

[marzet]

I've hated Norton for the last couple of years since they total my computer with NIS 2005. I don't think much to Microsoft either because of all the dogey updates that have caused all kinds of trouble for me over the years. Although I thoughly dislike Norton, Adding ANY NIS products to the definitions list would be corporate suicide since Synmantec would sue you to death and your good name would be dragged through the dirt. I personally belive the best way to go about this unfortunate mess is to just keep delveloping Spybot and getting it as good as you can and eventually people will decide to ditch NIS and its system destroying "Issues" (e.g. wreaking Outlook Express 6 and causing it to crash Windows when you try to shutdown the computer) for the better product that is Spybot.

This is my first post. (Sorry if my English is not good) :
I fully agree with Terminator. Just keep do the best you can do, that is providing us with a top quality, free and dependable product. :bigthumb:

 

[Mele20]

I was surprised to read some posters in this thread recommending Bit Defender. Bit Defender does not allow the use of SpyBot and/or Spyware Blaster along with BD 9.5 and above. They are just as bad as Symantec so why is this thread just about Symantec? I ran BD 9.0 Pro just fine with Spybot and Spyware Blaster. Then BD did a forced upgrade to 9.5 which I didn't want because it had their new spyware detector. After the forced upgrade (which could not be declined), I immediately began getting BSODs on XP Pro on boot caused by BD. BD support informed me (after requesting a Belarc Advisor report) that I could not run Spybot or Spyware Blaster with BD. They said I had to remove both. I replied that Spybot was not using TeaTimer and that I had no problems using BD 9.0 with both of the applications ...that it was only with the forced upgrade to 9.5 which had BD's new spyware detector that I started encountering BSOD's on every boot caused by BD. Support was adamant, I was required to remove both Spybot and Spyware Blaster. I removed BD instead even though I had gotten the Pro version only about six months before...wasted my money. But as I told BD support, there was no way I would remove Spybot and Spyware Blaster and I asked them again if I could simply use BD 9.0 instead of 9.5 and was told no. Isn't that unreal? JavaCool told me he had no idea how Spyware Blaster could conflict with Bit Defebder and I posted here about the conflict and was told ...ho..hum...no big deal. So, I don't understand why the Symantec problem is a BIG deal worth 13 pages of posts but the conflict with Bit Defender is "ho-hum".

At any rate, this is not just a Symantec problem. I went and got KAV 2006 instead and it works great with Spybot and Spyware Blaster.

 

[NH1_me]

I was surprised to read some posters in this thread recommending Bit Defender. Bit Defender does not allow the use of SpyBot and/or Spyware Blaster along with BD 9.5 and above. They are just as bad as Symantec so why is this thread just about Symantec? I ran BD 9.0 Pro just fine with Spybot and Spyware Blaster. Then BD did a forced upgrade to 9.5 which I didn't want because it had their new spyware detector. After the forced upgrade (which could not be declined), I immediately began getting BSODs on XP Pro on boot caused by BD. BD support informed me (after requesting a Belarc Advisor report) that I could not run Spybot or Spyware Blaster with BD. They said I had to remove both. I replied that Spybot was not using TeaTimer and that I had no problems using BD 9.0 with both of the applications ...that it was only with the forced upgrade to 9.5 which had BD's new spyware detector that I started encountering BSOD's on every boot caused by BD. Support was adamant, I was required to remove both Spybot and Spyware Blaster. I removed BD instead even though I had gotten the Pro version only about six months before...wasted my money. But as I told BD support, there was no way I would remove Spybot and Spyware Blaster and I asked them again if I could simply use BD 9.0 instead of 9.5 and was told no. Isn't that unreal? JavaCool told me he had no idea how Spyware Blaster could conflict with Bit Defebder and I posted here about the conflict and was told ...ho..hum...no big deal. So, I don't understand why the Symantec problem is a BIG deal worth 13 pages of posts but the conflict with Bit Defender is "ho-hum".

At any rate, this is not just a Symantec problem. I went and got KAV 2006 instead and it works great with Spybot and Spyware Blaster.

I don't use Bit Defender myself, so I didn't know about this problem... but after reading it, I get the impression that all company's are starting to make certaine that you can only use their product... and so have to remove any other good free product... (it has an opposit effect on me though).
I hate that, don't they see, that it is the user that buy's a computer and it's the user who has to use the software and it's the user who decide what software he/she wants to use on that computer... It is not up to the company to decide what software the user should be able to use once their software is installed, but they don't seem to mind that...
I have the feeling that almost no-one looks at what the costumers want these days (only the free tools, listen to their costumers, but certainly not the big pay company's they are to buzy with money...)

 

[**JameS**]

Yes

:bigthumb: I agree with him Norton is a waist i had it for 7 mouths and i have a computer with 256 ram sis vid card and intel pet 3-1.2 gz's and it took 10 minets to load up. Avast is the best i'v seen yet it's been around for 20 years since 1986 so i would download 30 trial for pro or register for home edition it free but pro had more protection but go for home and i use Spybot S&D and i use AVG Anti spyware get no problem with that program it detects over 530.000 Types of spyware it problley better then Webroot anti spyware

Heres Some Programs That Are Good

1. Trend Micro Anti Virus ##NEW## Just Came Out
2. AVG Anti Spyware 7.5
3. AVG Anti Virus 7.5 Free

Yes i would Remove Norton. Any thing that was made bye norton or Part of the Software.

 

[djpailo]

Yeah, I got a 256MB RAM on a computer and norton literally took 5-10 minutes to load up fully. It's just so bloated and highly annoying.

Interesting that the top brands are happy to coincide with ad-aware se (which has a professional version you have to pay for etc), but free products such as spybot, they apparently have conflicting problems.

The funny thing is, the big companies like BD and spymantec probably know what is conflicting, and infact probably intentionally made the programme to conflict with free programmes, just so that people would go for their products because you pay for them, so apparently they are better quality as such.

Symantec can't make an anti-spyware solution. I remember when they did try but it didn't work at all. Perhaps they nare jealous that spybot are able to do it, despite their limited resources, and who know's maybe they wanted to buy spybot, and when the spybot company refused :bigthumb: , they got angry.

 

[Gaming4JC]

I would say none of the above.
Simply Ignore Norton and his threats and stay out of it.
If they really make a mess of things then bother them by removing them completely...

A better option also would be to make some kind of script to detect how Norton tells users to remove Spybot S&D and then deny them from doing so

Just some thoughts

Gaming4JC

 

[raiderxl7]

I have noticed alot of talk about norton adaware mcafee and even pccillen mucking around with spybot and my view is that some of them are just bad configuration or poor management on the users part

norton by many technicians hes been classed as a mediocer product

mcafee Ive heard alot of complaints of its misbehaviour

and adaware Ive read reports of it conflicting with spybot
but as far as im concerned it all comes down to how you set it up

because of all the increased malware spyware and adware attacks by hackers and non trusted companies anti virus companies have tried to catch up by introducing what you might call silent scanning to detect what they think is malisious software to keep one step ahead some have even introduced regestry control into their products to have better comtrol against hackers

if i get a product like adaware conflicting with my other security programs like spybot search and destroy and teatimer I configure them until I get no more conflicts and when I had norton the program did conflict but was soon rectified by changing settings

I now run bit defender and it cooperates with spybot better than ive seen any product and as a strange coincident I know someone else who runs avg
pccillen adaware and spybot sandd and not a single trouble
..
basicly it all comesdown to this every security program wants complete control to do the job it was designed for but not all parts of the programs work as good as others by putting the one you want on to run the main components first and configuring the other programs around them their should not be a problem in the world even if the program says so because you have to configure them around them and tell the program to ignore or standby sincronise around eachother or just disable theparts that dont work for you

 

[raiderxl7]

from what I said eirlier pleasec do not take it the wrong way ive just run in to to many people that have had conflicts just because of a simple configuration
but according to norton and their program conflicting with spybot s&d norton is useless when you put them on they even go so far as to replace windows security center with its worm protector and when you uninstall it you cant get rid of all of it
it hangs around like a piece of spyware or adware

basicly if I were even paid to sell it I would have no trouble listing it as pups
I would however suggest that if you list it you advise the user about why it is listed and list it as unpopular software and make sure that spybot get rid of it completely better than their uninstall program or advise the user to uninstall it first then scan again and let spy bot pick up any left over debrie
and completely remove it sort of like this or similar to the above..

down with norton

ps and I surpose it wouldnt be such a bad idea to get others
like bitdefender kaspersky mcafee pccillen f-secure adaware and avast on your side to get norton to change its mindd but dont turn it into another unix wars with law suits because the one with the most money always winss

:

 

[smokethapimp]

I would not accept Norton for free on a new system. If I buy from a vendor who includes Norton as a part of their "free software" package they will either agree not to install it on my system or I will buy elsewhere. I have seen too many systems that seemed to be fragged by Norton rather than by a virus. Nuh-uh, not on my systems!!

 

[dmick1954]

NIS - a resource Hog

I have completely quit using their products. They gobble up resources and slow down otherwise fast computers. I voted to detect them completely as a means to easily remove all their crap from our computer systems.

I am also in favor of documenting in your help files why they are being detected and how to override the detection for those foolish enough to want to continue using their products. Personally, I think that NIS and Microsoft are twin brothers with exactly the same personality traits.

 

[7cures]

A tempest...

C'mon
I use NIS 06, Spybot S&D 1.4, Java Cools Spyware Blaster, and Java Cools MRU Blaster. Apart from the post install warning from NIS that S&D was incompatible, which I simply ignored, I have had no problems. Each program has its' own quirks, and each is remarkable in its' own right. Stop bickering. Has it not occurred to y'all that Norton might be a little worried. U r incurring on their market share. It doesn't matter that S&D is free! What matters is NIS is not! So, lighten up! Remember, it's always the progressive elements in any argument that end up walking out on a good fight, and thus, lose the war.
Academically speaking, Tea Timer and Symantec's detection engine are incompatible with eachother. Like the wild beasts that they are, they must be tamed. Remember, we still control our machines. I hope...:crowned:

 

[SpySentinel]

Reply

I agree with 7cures, I currently have the Norton 360 Beta and Spybot with TeaTimer enabled and have no problems. I justed ignored Norton's warning about Spybot being installed and everything works fine.

 

[bjblackmore]

I wouldn't worry about Symantec! From what I've read M$ are going after them, I read somewhere that one or the other was planning a law suit. M$ are releasing OneCare, which will compete directly with NIS, and if M$ pre-bundle it with Vista, people who don't know better will use that, rather than opting for a separate product, it'll be just like the old Explorer/Netscape wars all over again!
Let M$ & Symantec fight each other like the giant beasts they are, for soon after Linux, Firefox, and Safer Networking will rise up through the ashes, and re-take home computing :fear:

 

[flasuncoast]

I have never had Nortons crash my system or know anyone who did. There are many minor imcompatability between many programs. If you have a Windows system, you have to learn to live with them - even if you don't have windows system, you have other problems. That's part of computer life.

Lynn

Wow. You've been lucky!

 

[flasuncoast]

Stop bickering. Has it not occurred to y'all that Norton might be a little worried. U r incurring on their market share. It doesn't matter that S&D is free! What matters is NIS is not! So, lighten up! Remember, it's always the progressive elements in any argument that end up walking out on a good fight, and thus, lose the war.

LOL.. I can see why someone would think this. But I remember a nasty spyware coming out.. Coolweb I think.. and complaining to Symantec Support that NAV did not detect or remove it because they said it was not a virus! SSD is not stepping on Norton market share, it's the other way around. Spybot was around long before Symantec released NIS or cared about spyware.

 

[bkemp]

If NIS behaves as spyware then any reliable anti-spyware should detect it as such. However if NIS is not treated in the same way by ALL the members of the ASC then Symantec will continue to get away with their bad behavior.

Now, the biggest player in this game is Microsoft and I would be very surprised if they will add NIS to their detection list since their behaviour in the past has been far from impeccable, but if they did then Symantec might sit up and take notice.

If the ASC does not do something heavy as a unified body against Symantec then the ASC will lose its relevance and the spyware creators will fiddle while Rome burns.

It would appear that Symantec thinks that its NIS software is the great cure all in anti-spyware but my experience has shown that no single anti-spyware program can find everything.

I vowed back in 2000 never to use another Symantic product of any kind when my copy of NAV 2000 started behaving like trial ware and they were impossible to contact for help. I spent good money on dud software!

Recently they bought Power Quest whose Partition Magic and Drive Image I had been using for years and still use. I can't seem to win on this one. It seems that they have already stuffed up Drive Image. I wonder what they will do with Partition Magic 8.

Now I am on the lookout for decent software to replace them when the time comes that those two programs become obsolete. Symantec will not get another red cent out of me!

Bernie