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computerwriter.com
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New Norton UtilitiesToronto Star Fast Forward column for November 9, 2000 During the summer of 1999, press releases from many companies started arriving with a disclaimer on the end, saying that the release might contain "forward looking statements" and going on to suggest in a round-about way that anything in the release may or may not come to pass. One of the first of them I received came from Symantec, predicting that the company was in effect pulling out of the consumer computer utility software business to concentrate on "content security and remote device management" for the corporate market. Because it left out any mention of products such as WinFax and Norton Utilities, I felt it was important enough to follow up, so I arranged an interview with Symantec Canada's general manager, Chris Monnette, and wrote a column in August 1999, reporting on it. Monette confirmed the release, saying, "We've looked at all of our products and the growth of our business, and our core competency is in content security with our anti-virus products, remote connectivity, and notebook support. When we look at our profits, it's true that our consumer products are still highly profitable, but the biggest growth for the company is in the corporate sector. In order for Symantec to reach the next level as a company, we have to focus on our core technologies. The days of Symantec selling products that work only on a single computer is not the future." I guess the press release disclaimer had more weight than I though, because since that time, I've seen no evidence that Symantec is abandoning the consumer market at all. In the interim, the company has released a new version of WinFax. In fact, it has issued new utility programs twice, including just recently. There are new editions its consumer (or if you prefer, single-computer) products such as Norton Utilities 2001, Norton CleanSweep 2001, Norton Anti-Virus 2001, Norton Internet Security 2001, and Norton Ghost 2001. Each can be purchased separately, but some of them have also been assembled into two collections: Norton SystemWorks 2001 lacks Norton Ghost and SystemWorks Pro 2001 includes it, along with a copy of WinFax 10 Basic. Neither version includes Norton Internet Security 2001, nor is there a backup utility in the packages. Closer Look:Norton Utilities 2001 contains four main sections: Optimize Performance, Find and Fix problems, System Maintenance, and Registry Management. Each of these sections contains additional utilities. Under Optimize Performance, is a disk defragmenter, Speed Disk, and a utility called Norton Optimization Wizard that contains two more sub-applications to fine-tune your Windows dynamic swap file and to "Reorganize the Windows registry data for efficient storage." Under Find and Fix Problems are four more utilities. The vaunted Norton Disk Doctor will analyze and fix hard drive errors. The UnErase Wizard is to protect you against your own eagerness to delete files. Norton System Doctor is more of a monitoring tool that allows you to keep constant track of many of your computer's operations, including memory allocation, CPU usage, hard drive space and many more. Norton WinDoctor is a more active tool that checks for problems with the registry, system files, and core applications. It can identify and repair lost or invalid shortcuts, invalid registry entries, broken applications, and missing .dll (dynamic link library) files. I was frankly amazed at how many it found in my system. Under System Maintenance, there are five utilities, allowing you to compile information about your computer (System Information), erase material from your system so thoroughly that no one (not even you) can get it back (WipeInfo), save a "snapshot" of your hard drive(s) master boot record and file allocation table (Image), compare different file versions (Norton File Compare), and attempt to diagnose hardware issues (Norton Diagnostics). Last, but not least, under Registry Management, there's a full-featured Registry editor and Registry Tracker. The Registry Tracker is a useful tool, particularly if you're installing - and uninstalling - a lot of software. It takes snapshots of your Windows registry and allows you to quickly undo any questionable changes you make by mistake, or that that an ill-behaved software application makes for you. Norton Utilities has undergone many changes over the years and the application's reputation suffered from a problem-prone version that was released too soon after Windows 95. Those problems appear to have been swept out in Norton Utilities 2001. The user interfaces are easy to use and the amount of help and explanation provided should keep most neophytes out of trouble. This is still one of the must-have utility packages for anyone with a PC running Windows. Norton CleanSweep 2001 is another must-have utility. The largest single type of request for help I get from readers is from those saying they were trying to clean up their hard drive to make more space, but, "I must have erased some files I shouldn't have, and now my system doesn't work properly any more." It's sad, because there are few clean ways to recover from the problem unless you follow safe deletion practises. There are tedious, long and drawn-out ways to go about deleting files safely, but there's also a much simpler solution, and that's to use either the program's own uninstall feature, to use the Add/Remove Programs applet in Control Panel, or to use a program such as CleanSweep. With its "SafetySweep" engaged, it will clean out a no-longer-used program efficiently, and simply won't let you delete critical files or those it can't determine are safe to remove. Even if you decide to turn SafetySweep off, it still won't let you delete critical files and in all cases, it makes a compressed backup of your deletions in case you change your mind later. This program, too, is highly recommended and I don't run a computer without it. Norton Anti-Virus 2001 keeps taking the honours every time one of the US glossy magazines does a review of anti-virus software. It also gained top marks in a recent <italic>PC Magazine<italic> survey of customer satisfaction with software products. The newest versions of NAV not only let you check your hard drives and removable drives for viruses, but it can also be configured to automatically check Internet downloads and e-mail messages. It also comes with Live Update, a program that will nag you to visit the Symantec Web site every 15 days or so to update your virus definition and security files. New in the 2001 version, Live Update acts continuously for those who have "always on" Internet connections. Live Update is also part of Norton Internet Security 2001. It's a "firewall" designed for those who spend significant amounts of time online, whether through dial-up or "always on" phoneline or cable connections and are concerned that hackers may enter your system without your permission (yes, it's a real problem). At its highest security level, nothing gets through, either into or out of your single system or network, without your explicit permission. By the way, if you want to see how vulnerable your system is, check Steve Gibson's "Shields UP!" site at https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2 Make sure you're sitting down when you run his tests. When I ran the tests on my system, it was simply invisible to anyone sniffing around looking for trouble. You'll also find alternate firewall programs by going to any Internet search engine ( www.google.com , www.askjeeves.com , or the standards at Yahoo, AltaVista, or Excite) and typing in "firewall" as a keyword. Then follow the links to products such as Black Ice Defender, Officer Friendly, and Zone Alarm. Norton Ghost 2001 is about the only application in the new batch that I'm a little sceptical about. Its description is simple: Norton Ghost will make an accurate image of any hard drive or hard drive partition in your system, then allow you to recover all or part of it, later. Why? Say you want to replace your hard drive with a new one. It's tedious as heck to have to reinstall Windows, then all your applications, then all your data (you did back it up first, didn't you?). Instead, you can make an exact copy of the old drive's contents, using Norton Ghost, then re-copy it to your new hard drive after installation. You can make the copy to another hard drive on the same computer, to a CD-RW drive, to a Zip drive, or to a hard drive on another computer. So far, so good. However, Norton Ghost is a DOS command level program. It doesn't run in Windows. It can run in a DOS session under Windows, but if you do that, it won't accurately mirror your Windows folder(s) when you do a copy. It has what appears to be a ton of command line parameters that have to be typed in by hand. Because Windows Millennium Edition has no "real mode" DOS command level, several of its functions for Disaster Recovery won't. And it is not useful for selective backups, either (although you can, very, very tediously, exclude folders on a partition so that you only make an exact copy of part of it.) In short, this is not an application for people frightened by the DOS command level or for those to whom, "...a bootable floppy," sounds like what you look for in a street fight. Like the other applications, it's sold separately, but it's appropriate that it only comes in the "Pro" version of SystemWorks. SystemWorks lets you get the core applications (except for Norton Internet Security) in one box for a lower aggregate price, and you get an integrated menu on screen leading to all of them, But, SystemWorks also includes one more section, called Symantec Web, that contains five Internet "applications." Don't get excited; two are basically duplicates and the remainder are primarily advertising come-ons. This is not the reason you'd run right out to buy it. Norton Web Services doesn't want more of your money. It connects to a special Norton page at ZDNet.com with links leading to software application and hardware driver update sites. There's yet another Internet Security Advisor, a Hardware Advisor (check your system against other benchmark tests) and a few other features. ExpertCity is a Web site that promises "A human behind every click," and you get one free question related to SystemWorks answered for you - after you register, and with a warning that all future help sessions (not necessarily related to Symantec products) will require a credit card. Maybe not such a great deal, after all. Understand also that this and the two sites below are US-based sites and that what you pay will be in US funds (gotcha!) PromiseMark offers "Protection for data loss, hackers, or ID theft." It, too, is a pay-as-you-go site. X-Drive, another service you have to pay for, offers to let you backup your hard drive(s) to an Internet site, where of course, your data is held hostage to (a) your ability to keep paying, and (b) the company's good business practises. It's not a new scheme and frankly, I don't like it. Last, but not least, is a one-click route to Symantec Security Advisor that's also available through the Web Services site above. I get the impression that the failure to put Internet Security in the SystemWorks packages, then all the opportunities you get to check your system's security are somehow related. You, too, eh? More Info:
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