Does Norton provide tech support

  • Thread starter Thread starter alexy
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A

alexy

I'm getting rid of McAfee's VirusScan Online after repeated attempts
to get tech support to help fix it to install updates. But before
jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, I wondered if people
here have had any experience with Norton tech support. If you need it,
do they have people who understand the product and are willing to try
to diagnose a problem, or do they also just send out faqs based on a
keyword match with your question?
 
I'm getting rid of McAfee's VirusScan Online after repeated attempts
to get tech support to help fix it to install updates. But before
jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, I wondered if people
here have had any experience with Norton tech support. If you need it,
do they have people who understand the product and are willing to try
to diagnose a problem, or do they also just send out faqs based on a
keyword match with your question?
Click to expand...
If you're expecting _any_ vendor of personal AV products to
supply you with responsive, cheap/free, easy tech support
that's personalized or incident based, you're in for heartache.

If you spend lots of money, you _might_ get such service, but
normally it requires some enterprise or corporate multi-seat
multi-year licensing arrangement, and even then the support may
be priced separately.

I really think your best option is to find an AV product that
is reliable and simple, one for which you're unlikely to need
such "support." In my experience, neither McA. nor Norton
is such a product.

NOD32 (eset.com) _is_ such a product in my opinion, but it
can't be the only one. I'm sure others here will chime in.
Some might even disagree and tell us that Norton will do
everything up to and including wipe your bung clean with
a Q-tip for just the price of a stamp. I dunno.
I'd disbelieve such claims, but then that's just me.

Gunther
 
alexy said:
I'm getting rid of McAfee's VirusScan Online after repeated attempts
to get tech support to help fix it to install updates. But before
jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, I wondered if people
here have had any experience with Norton tech support. If you need it,
do they have people who understand the product and are willing to try
to diagnose a problem, or do they also just send out faqs based on a
keyword match with your question?
Click to expand...

I have been a NAV customer for several years. NAV spotted and alerted
to me attempts to infect my system. However, I have found their tech
support unsatisfactory. They replied to me with what looked like
boiler plate with references to their knowledge base. I am currently
evaluating EZTrust.
 
I have used Norton for years, no problems or loss of resources. Always
catches the culprits that try to come in my computer. This summer I tried
McAfee, E-Trust, Bit Defender, Trend Micro, Nod, F-Secure, and KAV. They
all work, but you must feel comfortable with your choice. I found McAfee
slowed my system way down, Kav is OK, PC-Cillin is simple to use without any
fuss, Bit Defender worked better than I thought it would, Nod is fine but if
you do high risk email activity such as attachments then Nod gets a thumbs
down from me since they don't scan mail like the others. I will stick with
Norton. It all boils down to what you personally like and trust. Good luck
searching and by all means try these products, they offer trialware so you
can see how they work.
 
"Robert said:
Nod is fine but if
you do high risk email activity such as attachments then Nod gets a thumbs
down from me since they don't scan mail like the others.
Click to expand...

Nonsense!

It does here, and I'm using a 'non-standard' mail reader.

Cheers,

Roy
 
"Robert said:
.... Nod is fine but if
you do high risk email activity such as attachments then Nod gets a thumbs
down from me since they don't scan mail like the others.
Click to expand...

As of version 2, NOD32 does indeed scan email, and quite well, too.
 
Gunther said:
If you're expecting _any_ vendor of personal AV products to
supply you with responsive, cheap/free, easy tech support
that's personalized or incident based, you're in for heartache.
Click to expand...

Gunther, you are absolutely right -- only an idiot could expect
competent technical support on a $40 retail piece of software, so part
of my frustration is anger at myself for believing them when they said
they did! I don't expect vendor help with any Eudora or Agent
problems, but each sponsors or participates in user "support" forums,
which can provide good assistance. I was hoping that might be true of
Norton. Have to check out their usenet forums...
I really think your best option is to find an AV product that
is reliable and simple, one for which you're unlikely to need
such "support." In my experience, neither McA. nor Norton
is such a product.

NOD32 (eset.com) _is_ such a product in my opinion, but it
can't be the only one. I'm sure others here will chime in.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look forward to what others might
suggest.
Some might even disagree and tell us that Norton will do
everything up to and including wipe your bung clean with
a Q-tip for just the price of a stamp. I dunno.
I'd disbelieve such claims, but then that's just me.
Click to expand...

You're being rational! ;-)
 
I have been a NAV customer for several years. NAV spotted and alerted
to me attempts to infect my system. However, I have found their tech
support unsatisfactory. They replied to me with what looked like
boiler plate with references to their knowledge base.
Click to expand...
Great. Who can tell, they might outsource tech support to the same
low-bid vendor! Thanks for the warning.
 
<snip>

I've used NAV since 1995. I still have it on my systems that
I use for E-mail because the proxy server catches quite a
few infected E-mails and keeps them from being D/L.

Try to get hold of NAV 2002 instead of 2003. There's very
little difference except for the registration verification
features of NAV 2003.

I'm using F-Prot 3.14a for Windows on a number of systems
and it only costs $30 USD. Home users can legally install a
single copy on all of your PCs. It's very resource easy and
has regular free updates.

Chas.
 
Roy said:
Nonsense!

It does here, and I'm using a 'non-standard' mail reader.
Click to expand...
Me too. NOD works perfectly with both my non-standard mail clients
(Turnpike and The Bat). So far it's picked up everything which has come
into the inbox of both programs.

AFAIC NOD32 is the best antivirus I've come across in years - small
footprint, uses hardly any resources, is easy to set-up and updates
itself completely automatically.

Gets great reviews, too.
 
I'm getting rid of McAfee's VirusScan Online after repeated attempts
to get tech support to help fix it to install updates. But before
jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, I wondered if people
here have had any experience with Norton tech support. If you need it,
do they have people who understand the product and are willing to try
to diagnose a problem, or do they also just send out faqs based on a
keyword match with your question?
Click to expand...
I have attempted to use Symantec's support for the the Corporate AV as
well as one of their firewalls. I have also tried to use their web
based support (knowledge base). Based on my experiences, I would never
purchase any Symantec products for any reason.
 
Thanks for pointing out the NOD now screens email. I may consider giving it
a try again just to see the changes.
 
"Robert said:
Thanks for pointing out the NOD now screens email. I may consider giving it
a try again just to see the changes.
Click to expand...

I don't think you'll regret that.

The previous version, which is the one I believe you probably tried,
also scanned e-mail being downloaded, but it was less straight forward
to set up, but possible. The new (current) version is a no-brainer to
set up.

Good luck!

Cheers,

Roy
 
I have been a NAV customer for several years. NAV spotted and alerted
to me attempts to infect my system. However, I have found their tech
support unsatisfactory. They replied to me with what looked like
boiler plate with references to their knowledge base.
Click to expand...

That pretty much sums up my experience with them, as well. You'll eventually
get a response, but I think what you get is an automated email, though not a
bad one I'll admit.
The product seems to be pretty good, but God forbid if you have a problem with
it, good luck.
 
Most of the "standard" anti-virus software vendors do not have a direct line
to the "REAL" tech support phone lines. We must first go thru a call centre
and if they (call screeners) can not help us, we get "pushed" to the next
level of tech support.

I have used another a/v software package before (2-3 years ago) which had
excellent tech support. Unfortunately, I had a corporate site license
($$$$$$$$$). The software was from Sophos.

Yves
 
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