Retirement of the PC Tools Security portfolio

[Viking]

As part of Symantec’s commitment to your online protection, we are streamlining our product range to provide fewer, better solutions for our customers. Symantec will retire the PC Tools Security portfolio on May 18, 2013, which means PC Tools Internet Security, Spyware Doctor and Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus will not be available for sale or renewal from this date.

Sad news. Symantec bought PC Tools, now they killed it!

http://www.pctools.com/en/product-eol/index/faq/security/

 

[Ink]

Which technologies does Symantec use for Norton from PC Tools software range?

 

[jamescv7]

I think they are integrate from the signatures of Norton in order to provide same protection on PC Tools Security Products.

The problem for PC Tools as became behind track by others as it couldn't provide consistent as Symantec also focuses on their mainstream primary products.

 

[Littlebits]

It doesn't really surprise me. First they kill off their best product "PC Tools Firewall Plus" and try to get their users to update to their bloated security suite which has had problems from the beginning. Then they re-brand Registry Mechanic to make Norton Utilities also included it in Norton 360 and Norton PC Checkup.

I'm sure that "PC Tools Internet Security" didn't sell very well. Spyware Doctor also had lost many sells for favor of other products.

It looks like they also have retired "PC Tools Antivirus Free" as well since it is no longer listed on their homepage.

Of coarse Symantec never has offered free full functioning products, they only have free malware removal tools and other free tools that scan only you have to buy in order to get them to fully function.

In my opinion PC Tools is not really a big loss compared to other products Symantec has bought and destroyed.

Thanks.

 

[starchild76]

What a nice gesture of symantec , to give existing pc tools customers some rebate on nis licenses , but what if you have a license installed that will expire on may the 17th and you have bought a a license for pc tools in the beginning of april? you will lose your money and will have to spent even more money , to be kept protected : nice way to do bussiness symatec.....NOT!!!!!

 

[starchild76]

It doesn't really surprise me. First they kill off their best product "PC Tools Firewall Plus" and try to get their users to update to their bloated security suite which has had problems from the beginning. Then they re-brand Registry Mechanic to make Norton Utilities also included it in Norton 360 and Norton PC Checkup.

I'm sure that "PC Tools Internet Security" didn't sell very well. Spyware Doctor also had lost many sells for favor of other products.

It looks like they also have retired "PC Tools Antivirus Free" as well since it is no longer listed on their homepage.

Of coarse Symantec never has offered free full functioning products, they only have free malware removal tools and other free tools that scan only you have to buy in order to get them to fully function.

In my opinion PC Tools is not really a big loss compared to other products Symantec has bought and destroyed.

Thanks.

Like the case of the AVG original linkscanner technology! symantecs motto : " If you can not beat them , buy them!! "

 

[Viking]

Like the case of the AVG original linkscanner technology! symantecs motto : " If you can not beat them , buy them!! "

...And the kill them, and then bury them!

 

[tapoo]

cant remember any Hardcore PC.Tools software fan, so no one for crying , thats sad

 

[Viking]

cant remember any Hardcore PC.Tools software fan, so no one for crying , thats sad

I was a fan of Spyware Doctor before Symantec got their claws on them!

 

[McLovin]

I wonder what Gnosis will do then?

 

[KeiraBaile]

I think Symantec’s are the one of the best security product, i am using it from last 4 years it provide a strict security to my networks. According to my observations i didn't find any product like this yet.

 

[Zurchiboy]

Symantec does provide good products but I don't think they should have purchased PC-tools. was a mistake if they were just gonna make it regress.

 

[3link9]

Symantec does offer good products lately, I'll be honest, Haven't been disappointed in Norton since 2011.
I'll disagree with littlebits saying its Bloated, Its one of the lightest on the market with really useful features.

I do however agree that Symantec shouldn't have bought it and decide to get rid of it.
But that's how business goes....

 

[Littlebits]

Symantec does offer good products lately, I'll be honest, Haven't been disappointed in Norton since 2011.
I'll disagree with littlebits saying its Bloated, Its one of the lightest on the market with really useful features.

I do however agree that Symantec shouldn't have bought it and decide to get rid of it.
But that's how business goes....

You must have misunderstood one of my posts, Norton products have not been bloated since about 2009, the versions before then were bloatware.

Symantec products are very good but also expensive. You can find many freeware alternatives that are comparable.

The only benefit from the PC Tools purchase was the added maintenance and privacy tools to Norton products. Norton security products were superior to PC Tools security products except for Threatfire which is now added to Norton products.

Symantec is notorious for buying out smaller companies and discontinuing all of that company's products (especially the free products).

Thanks.

 

[Nikos751]

Symantec does offer good products lately, I'll be honest, Haven't been disappointed in Norton since 2011.
I'll disagree with littlebits saying its Bloated, Its one of the lightest on the market with really useful features.

I do however agree that Symantec shouldn't have bought it and decide to get rid of it.
But that's how business goes....

You must have misunderstood one of my posts, Norton products have not been bloated since about 2009, the versions before then were bloatware.

Symantec products are very good but also expensive. You can find many freeware alternatives that are comparable.

The only benefit from the PC Tools purchase was the added maintenance and privacy tools to Norton products. Norton security products were superior to PC Tools security products except for Threatfire which is now added to Norton products.

Symantec is notorious for buying out smaller companies and discontinuing all of that company's products (especially the free products).

Thanks.

Do you mean that threatfire technology is included to Norton sonar? By the way I found sonar to be very good judging from my tests with unknown malware in virtual machine, so this might be the reason.

 

[Vextor]

Expected - I've actually always thought that PC Tools software were always quite lacking - you couldn't even test it properly, no trial. No trial meant it couldn't gain proper publicity, and the publicity it did gain was negative, as you couldn't test it apart from the scanning technologies, in which you had to pay to remove the piece of malware.

 

[Gnosis]

TF Level 5 with advanced custom settings still helping to protect one of my PC's. LOL

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=183020

I made custom settings for all ports and registry keys/values as well.
Added a short list of files to what is already shown via the link:

C:\autoexec.bat
C:\boot.ini
C:\config.sys
C:\ntdetect.com
C:\ntldr
C:\WINDOWS\system.ini
C:\WINDOWS\Tasks\*.*
C:\WINDOWS\win.ini
C:\WINDOWS\wininit.ini
C:\WINDOWS\System32\AUTOEXEC.nt
C:\WINDOWS\System32\bootvrfy.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\CONFIG.nt
C:\WINDOWS\System32\control.ini
C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe

 

[jamescv7]

Well as PC Tools before are likely dying for the development thus they acquired Symantec, however free ones are decided to retire and so for all security products.

Lots of potential but its been the profit value change the way happen.

 

[Gnosis]

Found this interesting:

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=253507

 

[Gnosis]

Some might call me queer and "paranoid" for tweaking an abandonware behavior blocker like Threatfire, but maybe after I avoid infection with it, that signature based security misses, I will not be so paranoid after all.
Once these signature based security options start to dwindle as they become obsolete, it will be interesting to see the cream that rises to the top.