App Review My - 1 day - bad experience with Norton

It is advised to take all reviews with a grain of salt. In extreme cases some reviews use dramatization for entertainment purposes.
Product name
Norton Security Premium - 90 days trial license
Installation (rating)
1.00 star(s)
User interface (rating)
4.00 star(s)
Accessibility notes
A simple interface. I liked it first. But i got overwhelmed by the amount of configs. That is not necessarily bad, but i thing the configs could be cleaner and easier to read.
Performance (rating)
3.00 star(s)
Core Protection (rating)
4.00 star(s)
Additional Protection notes
That should be the good part. Norton have good results in tests. However, finding 2 false positives in the first day of use gave a very bad impression

For example i never found any FP with Kaspersky for the last 4 months. And almost none with bitdefender for the last 6 years.
Positives
    • Highly configurable
    • Easy to use
    • Simple and non-intrusive
    • Ransomware protection
    • Strong and reliable protection
    • Detects or blocks in the wild malware
    • Consistently high test scores
    • Accurate results and reliable antivirus engine
    • Virus signatures are updated daily
    • Excellent scores in independent tests
    • Great value for money
    • Effective malware removal
Negatives
    • Irritating privacy settings
    • Higher than average false positives
    • Scans can be rather slow
    • Browser extension extras can be unreliable
Time spent using product
Reviewed over a 30-day period
Computer specs
Ryzen 5 1400; 8gb RAM, 250Gb SSD, Nvidia GTX 1060
Overall rating
3.00 star(s)

Ink

Administrator
Verified
Staff Member
Well-known
Jan 8, 2011
22,361
I am a Bitdefender user, I am used to giving many opportunities to different antivirus programs in the case of Bitdefender, it has been worth using it for many years, when almost everyone criticized it, now it is one of the best.
Norton's case is totally different, an antivirus program is there to protect the computer, but when the antivirus program does more harm to the computer than the virus itself, it shouldn't give you more opportunities (norton technical service = 000000)
Are you looking for a reward on being able to copy and paste.. Norton is not a Virus, as user's claim, it's likely due to brainwashing or lack to knowledge about certain software. If you are unable to keep your PC clear from malware, then it's the user's fault.
 

roger_m

Level 41
Verified
Top Poster
Content Creator
Dec 4, 2014
3,012
The case of Norton is totally different, an antivirus program is there to protect the computer, but when the antivirus program does more damage to the computer than the virus itself, you should not give it any more opportunity (norton technical service = 000000):sneaky:
What damage are you talking about? Norton provides very good protection while being very light.
 

elquenunca

Level 3
Verified
Dec 23, 2017
138
Are you looking for a reward on being able to copy and paste.. Norton is not a Virus, as user's claim, it's likely due to brainwashing or lack to knowledge about certain software. If you are unable to keep your PC clear from malware, then it's the user's fault.
I notice in your comment a slight anger, perhaps it is because of:
Option 1: I am a Bitdefender user and I consider it to be the best antivirus.
Option 2: That Norton is one of the worst antivirus.
I am inclined to think that it is because he does not like me to criticize Norton, I remind him that there is freedom of expression.
maybe not on this website
For years they have criticized Bitdefender in this forum and nobody has been angry about it, but if it is said that Norton is bad enough, the insults from the staff begin.
you don't need to answer me
DELETE MY ACCOUNT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
see you never
(n)(n)(n):poop:
 

fabiobr

Level 12
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Mar 28, 2019
561
I notice in your comment a slight anger, perhaps it is because of:
Option 1: I am a Bitdefender user and I consider it to be the best antivirus.
Option 2: That Norton is one of the worst antivirus.
I am inclined to think that it is because he does not like me to criticize Norton, I remind him that there is freedom of expression.
maybe not on this website
For years they have criticized Bitdefender in this forum and nobody has been angry about it, but if it is said that Norton is bad enough, the insults from the staff begin.
you don't need to answer me
DELETE MY ACCOUNT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
see you never
(n)(n)(n):poop:
What a drama about a software.

Bitdefender is less annoying than Norton, they have different approaches. BD is automated.

Bitdefender never were bad, only thing that we criticize is the slow down adding new zero day malware signatures and too many bugs which was a fact before 2020 version.

Protection wise Bitdefender were great always, being on top with Kaspersky.
 

Vitali Ortzi

Level 22
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Dec 12, 2016
1,147
What a drama about a software.

Bitdefender is less annoying than Norton, they have different approaches. BD is automated.

Bitdefender never were bad, only thing that we criticize is the slow down adding new zero day malware signatures and too many bugs which was a fact before 2020 version.

Protection wise Bitdefender were great always, being on top with Kaspersky.
Didn't use bitdefender a log time but never had that amount of flalse positives as Norton .
 

bribon77

Level 35
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Jul 6, 2017
2,392
I don't think we should take things too seriously.
Everyone has their own concept of certain anti-viruses.
One can do very well and another person can do very badly.
Everyone has their own conclusions, but we mustn't lose our temper.
 

ChoiceVoice

Level 6
Verified
Oct 10, 2014
280
I notice in your comment a slight anger, perhaps it is because of:
Option 1: I am a Bitdefender user and I consider it to be the best antivirus.
Option 2: That Norton is one of the worst antivirus.
I am inclined to think that it is because he does not like me to criticize Norton, I remind him that there is freedom of expression.
maybe not on this website
For years they have criticized Bitdefender in this forum and nobody has been angry about it, but if it is said that Norton is bad enough, the insults from the staff begin.
you don't need to answer me
DELETE MY ACCOUNT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
see you never
(n)(n)(n):poop:
i don't know if you have a history here with this conversation in other threads, but to the casual viewer, like myself, you seem wayyyyy over the top. that happens, i can do it too (it's that Scottish gene i have), but i thought you should know a 3rd party perspective. :)

that said, from what i could tell (and my initial reaction was the same as spawns) - was that your criticism with Norton was likewise over the top harsh. no one is saying bitdefender isn't an excellent antivirus (they'd be kinda ignorant to say it wasn't),. it is. but you said norton does more harm to a computer than good. that statement is likely hyperbolic, but rings strongly untrue and invites pushback. both norton and bitdefender do excellent in the tesing labs. both are excellent AVs. in my subjective opinion as a casual viewer of the 5 big labs, bitdefender does better than norton. but norton does friggin excellent in those labs too - frequently in the top position with kasp and bit. and i have been using norton on one computer now for a good 5 years (it comes free with my isp) and i have never had a problem with it. dif avs sometimes have something that sets them apart, i would say bitdefender's sigs set it apart. and to me, nortons insight module is very useful and sets it apart. i had never seen something like it in other AVs (though, i see it now in Kaspersky. i think they copied Norton :) - which is a high compliment from the likes of a powerhouse like Kaspersky, it means you were doing something right). it always reminds me of some friends that argue about which truck is better, ford or dodge or whatever, they wear the hats and will have bar fights over it ... but they're both good trucks, lol. anyway, I'm drifting into rambling now (likely that dang Scottish gene again) so I'll stop :p
 

plat

Level 29
Top Poster
Sep 13, 2018
1,793
I don't use Norton products right now but respect the firm greatly. Any service that treats its free products (like Power Eraser) with the same gravity and timeliness as its paid ones is worthy of that respect. If my ISP was to switch to Norton from McAfee right now, I would demo it, and that's saying something as I genuinely dislike antivirus software in general.

That said, as the author of quite a few clunkers, I take a time out, in the fervent hope everyone would have forgotten everything and things would go on like nothing happened. This has always been a favorite delusion of mine and I would appreciate it if no one messed with it, OK? :D
 

Durden

Level 3
Verified
Well-known
Dec 21, 2013
132
I know it's an old thread, but regarding norton safe web extension, I think it got more useful now, and it will complement Norton 360 !
Norton Safe Web extension now includes these new features :
  • Online Banking Protection
  • Intrusion Protection System (IPS) Scanning
  • Link Guard New Isolation for suspicious sites .
And regarding that IPS I quote "IPS has been a part of Norton Device Security solutions for some time, but now that it is also a part of the Norton Safe Web browser extension, the content of suspicious web pages, advertisements and popups are now cross-examined in an additional way, giving you even more protection when you browse the Web."

You can read more about these features here :

Currently I'm setting up a new system and I'm torn between Bitdefender and Norton, both run really well and I have licenses for both!😅

Unfortunately Norton deserves a better reputation in this forum. Maybe someday more users will give it a good trial and it's reputation will get better -as it deserves- just like what happened with the NEW Bitdefender!
 
F

ForgottenSeer 89360

I know it's an old thread, but regarding norton safe web extension, I think it got more useful now, and it will complement Norton 360 !
Norton Safe Web extension now includes these new features :
  • Online Banking Protection
  • Intrusion Protection System (IPS) Scanning
  • Link Guard New Isolation for suspicious sites .
And regarding that IPS I quote "IPS has been a part of Norton Device Security solutions for some time, but now that it is also a part of the Norton Safe Web browser extension, the content of suspicious web pages, advertisements and popups are now cross-examined in an additional way, giving you even more protection when you browse the Web."

You can read more about these features here :

Currently I'm setting up a new system and I'm torn between Bitdefender and Norton, both run really well and I have licenses for both!😅

Unfortunately Norton deserves a better reputation in this forum. Maybe someday more users will give it a good trial and it's reputation will get better -as it deserves- just like what happened with the NEW Bitdefender!
All of them deserve good reputation today, as they have all been in business for ages, most of them since the early 90s, they have all come a long way and they all do their job in a similar manner. I am talking about the big dogs 🐕.
None of them is so bad and I personally wouldn’t “attack” any of them or their users. Regardless which 2 solutions you compare, you are unlikely to find groundbreaking differences and going around, explaining how A is the worst, B is the best is just a waste of time IMHO.

I also want to add that I had tremendous issues with BD recently, as the review speaks about Norton’s false positives. Bitdefender was detecting 5-6 threats on absolutely each page, including their own, it was blocking google-apis or something of this sort. I texted support, they confirmed the issue and fixed it, but few nights after, the issue repeated, this time it was some Amazon api blocked.
The issues seem to be fixed now.

Regarding the extension, most of them do that and many change your browser search engine or home page, if you are not careful. With AV’s you need to read everything twice.
Any user can revert those changes later, in case he’s not happy with that.

Utilities are something that Avira, Avast, AVG offer as well, I personally wouldn’t even think about downloading that. As for the card, I believe that it’s fair to prove you are capable of paying for a product, when you are asking to evaluate it. Same goes for Android/ iOS trials. It’s free, but your CC should be on file. As long as the company sends proper reminder before taking your money, it is actually a normal business practice.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Tiamati

Level 12
Thread author
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Nov 8, 2016
574
I know it's an old thread, but regarding norton safe web extension, I think it got more useful now, and it will complement Norton 360 !
Norton Safe Web extension now includes these new features :
  • Online Banking Protection
  • Intrusion Protection System (IPS) Scanning
  • Link Guard New Isolation for suspicious sites .
And regarding that IPS I quote "IPS has been a part of Norton Device Security solutions for some time, but now that it is also a part of the Norton Safe Web browser extension, the content of suspicious web pages, advertisements and popups are now cross-examined in an additional way, giving you even more protection when you browse the Web."

You can read more about these features here :

Currently I'm setting up a new system and I'm torn between Bitdefender and Norton, both run really well and I have licenses for both!😅

Unfortunately Norton deserves a better reputation in this forum. Maybe someday more users will give it a good trial and it's reputation will get better -as it deserves- just like what happened with the NEW Bitdefender!
Very interesting! Ty
 

gery79

Level 12
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Jun 21, 2011
566
I dont know about false positives at all but Norton is NOT heavy at alllll. In my opinion it is the other way around , very light and safe . As per navigation in the menu i think it is just as normal as most of the recent and decent programs
 

Tiamati

Level 12
Thread author
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Nov 8, 2016
574
I dont know about false positives at all but Norton is NOT heavy at alllll. In my opinion it is the other way around , very light and safe . As per navigation in the menu i think it is just as normal as most of the recent and decent programs
Idk how norton is doing now. Maybe it got lighter
 
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peterfat11

Level 11
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Mar 25, 2021
515
I dont know about false positives at all but Norton is NOT heavy at alllll. In my opinion it is the other way around , very light and safe . As per navigation in the menu i think it is just as normal as most of the recent and decent programs
yea it barely use anything
1629336871263.png
 

Nevi

Level 10
Verified
Well-known
Apr 7, 2016
496
I notice in your comment a slight anger, perhaps it is because of:
Option 1: I am a Bitdefender user and I consider it to be the best antivirus.
Option 2: That Norton is one of the worst antivirus.
I am inclined to think that it is because he does not like me to criticize Norton, I remind him that there is freedom of expression.
maybe not on this website
For years they have criticized Bitdefender in this forum and nobody has been angry about it, but if it is said that Norton is bad enough, the insults from the staff begin.
you don't need to answer me
DELETE MY ACCOUNT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
see you never
(n)(n)(n):poop:
You call that criticize? You should have seen a drama when I was using Webroot, and especially 1-2 dudes tried to diskredit me. Especially one of them, was a "fanboy hunter". I told him what he could do with his ideas. He is not here anymore, shame cuz he knew a lot about security. Just a little weird character. 🙂
 

JasonUK

Level 5
Apr 14, 2020
232
The only AV that's failed me and allowed system to be infected was Norton (360). That was many years ago though. For donkeys years I've used Avast (mainly free but also premium on occasion) which I know some hate for privacy and other reasons but it has never let me down. Now does takeover of Avast by Norton turn me off the product given I've not trusted Norton with my AV for 10-15yrs or do I trust that Avast-level protection (at least) will continue? I haven't finally decided to be honest but I'm giving Defender another go but already, after only a few days, it's noticeably more laggy on my W10 system than Avast....

I don't think you can judge an AV after a day, but first impressions certainly can cloud your views particularly when most popular AV's are similar in core performance.
 
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Anthony Qian

Level 9
Verified
Well-known
Apr 17, 2021
448
The only AV that's failed me and allowed system to be infected was Norton (360). That was many years ago though. For donkeys years I've used Avast (mainly free but also premium on occasion) which I know some hate for privacy and other reasons but it has never let me down. Now does takeover of Avast by Norton turn me off the product given I've not trusted Norton with my AV for 10-15yrs or do I trust that Avast-level protection (at least) will continue? I haven't finally decided to be honest but I'm giving Defender another go but already, after only a few days, it's noticeably more laggy on my W10 system than Avast....

I don't think you can judge an AV after a day, but first impressions certainly can cloud your views particularly when most popular AV's are similar in core performance.
Stick to Avast... I think Norton are very likely to use Avast's engine in the future...
 

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