Norton antivirus software

I mentioned in my last post that I don't use my PC for banking. I've been using Norton Symantec products. I've really gone off them in recent months.

I’ve been using Norton for about six or more years. The last few PCs I bought have had the Norton antivirus software pre installed and I saw no reason to change. What a great marketing strategy it is to have it already loaded on the PC. It worked with me. I was hooked, but no more. Every year I paid the renewal to keep the PC protected. It was easy. It was convenient. I considered the company was well known and probably as good as any other. Well, they’ve lost me as a customer. There is no way I’m going to user Norton for anything, ever again. Let me share a few experiences with you.

Following an incident I will no longer use the PC for internet banking and the like. I don’t trust Norton to do the job properly. My subscription is still valid. The software seems to work, but as to how well it performs its task I have no idea. When the software is due to be renewed the subscription will lapse. I’ve had my fill of Norton. They are a money grabbing company that provides poor service. I don’t mind a money grabbing company if they provide a good service, but in my experience Norton leaves a lot of room for improvement.

My first annoying experience was about nine months ago. I was considering changing companies. I hadn’t done any research on alternative software. So, at that time it was just something I was considering. The subscription only had a few weeks to go which meant the PC was protected. Anyway, a Norton dialogue came up prompting me if I’d like to renew my subscription or think it over for a while before deciding. Words to that effect. I clicked on the think it over button, because I hadn’t decided on an alternative company. Later in the month and before the subscription had expired I got my credit card bill in the mail. There was an entry on the statement for the subscription renewal for another year. I hadn’t authorised a renewal and now I have a bill from Norton. This enraged me. I never gave them permission to bill me but they went ahead and did so.

There was a similar experience I read in the Canberra Times of someone having trouble with Norton antivirus software. This guy started an old computer to get some data from it. I gather the computer hadn’t been used for a long time, and by all accounts it wasn’t going to be used much because of its age. However, what happened in the background while this guy was looking for the files he wanted was that the Norton software that was installed on this old PC determined that the subscription was overdue, and automatically provided this information to Norton, and Norton billed him. That skinks, and must be one of the most lousy, underhand things a company can do. It’s theft. It’s like a pickpocket slipping their hand into your pocket and taking your money.

The second annoying experience I had with Norton involved an exchange I had with Norton technical service. I was using the PC and I clicked on a system icon. I was looking for system information. It was something I’d done many times before. You initiate a function and something happens (like defrag), and when done you close the window. It was different this time. When I clicked on the icon a dialogue came up asking me to install some software. I took note of the name and did a web search. There wasn’t much to be found, but the sites I did find said it was malicious software. Hang on. Didn’t I have antivirus software installed that’s supposed to safeguard my PC against such things? Isn’t this why I pay an annual subscription? Okay, some things get through I’ll see if I can get help or advice on this.

Norton has an online help service to its technical experts. I used it with the purpose of having them provide some instruction on how to fix the problem. After about an hour or so, it was confirmed that the file was indeed malicious, and would I like it removed. Well, sure I would. They could remove it for a cost that was more than my annual subscription. I don’t want to be charged for a service particularly when I’m paying the company an annual fee for software whose prime purpose is to safeguard my computer against malicious software.

I can understand that new stuff is coming out all the time, but isn’t it Norton’s job to keep up with these things. When anything new is found on the web the software houses should update their software to remove this stuff. This should be done as part of the deal, and not charge an additional fee. It was at that point I firmly decided to shift to a different company.

I would advise everyone to avoid Norton. Here is the dialogue between me and Norton:





Arun: You are being transferred to Arun.


Arun: Welcome to Norton Support, my name is Arun, can I please have a minute to go through the information you have provided?


ME : ok


Arun: Hi, I see that you suspect a threat in your computer ?


ME : yup


Arun: I’ve noticed you have been waiting for longer than expected. I’m sorry for this inconvenience and I assure you that I can help you to fix the issue you are facing.


Arun: If we get disconnected for any reason, we’ll call you back within 30 minutes. Can I check that the phone number you have provided is the best number to call you on?


ME : Yes, XX XXXXXXXX


Arun: Thanks, your case number is 497950615 , please write this down.


Arun: I assure you that I will do my best to resolve this issue for you.


ME : got the number


Arun: From looking at your computer it appears that your computer may be infected by a virus. To help you with removing this virus off your computer what I can do for you is to transfer you across to our fee-based virus removal specialist team. Would this be ok with you?


ME : Sure, but I have run updates, a complete scan only yesterday, and this morning through your help system downloaded the most uptodate file, and I still have a problem


Arun: Okay.


Arun: Shall I transfer the case to the Virus Removal Team ?


ME : Yes, please.


Arun: Okay.


{ Your issue is being escalated. }


Surya: Welcome to NortonLive Spyware & Virus Removal Service.






Is this the first time you are contacting us?


ME : yes


Surya: Please allow me to collect some general information for our records as that would help us to speed up the process. Thank you for your co- operation.


ME : go for it


Surya: Please confirm your email address is xxx@xxxxxx.xxx and direct phone number is XXXXXXXXXX. Is that correct?


ME : correcct


Surya: Please tell me which country you are connected from.


ME : Australia


Surya: Please provide me your alternate phone number or mobile number.


ME : mobile: XXXXXXXXXX


Surya: Which Operating System do you have on the computer? (Operating System would mean Windows Vista, Windows XP, Mac OS, etc.)


ME : Windows Vista


Surya: Is your computer connected to a local area network or it is a stand-alone PC?


ME : stand alone


Surya: Are you connected from the computer which has this particular issue?


ME : Yes. There is only one PC, broadband connection, on continually.


Surya: Your Priority ID is 497950615 . Please note down your Priority ID. If you need to contact us in the future about this issue, you can provide your Priority ID to the chat agent or enter it if you call. This will expedite our handling of your case.


ME : That's the same as the Case Number. Got it.


Surya: Do you get any pop ups that prompt you to download anti virus or other protection software?


ME : Personally, I haven't experienced it, but someone mentioned the other day that something happened. I wasn't there so can't tell. Would you like me to speak to her?


Surya: No, please not to worry I will help you.


ME : ok


Surya: As I understand from your issue description, your computer is infected with virus and you need help to remove it . Is that correct?


Surya: Are you with me?


ME : Yes. pcdr5cuiw32.exe is described as a 'worm' by some writers in chat rooms. When I attempt to view my System Information I get a message saying 'do you want to install pcdr5cuiw32.exe' but have not done so.


Surya: Not to worry I shall help you to fix the issue.


Surya: Once there is an infection on your computer, it will normally try to spread to other files on your hard drive and to other computers/devices connected to your system. Most of the times, it creates or manipulates entries and keys in your windows registry. For these cases we need to manually remove the registry entries and also remove the infected files.


Surya: When there is a virus in the computer, the virus might block the proper working of Norton and might not allow Norton to work properly, So in this case, Norton wont be able to work properly and so not able to detect it. So we need to remove it manually and then ensure that Norton is working properly


ME : ok


Surya: There are multiple options for virus/malware removal available. The primary options are:


1. Do-It-Yourself (DIY) procedures available on the Norton Support website.


2. Fee-based Premium Services whereby Norton technicians remove infections.


Surya: The, DIY options on the Norton Support website provide step-by-step removal for most infections. But, the procedures often involve risky operations like modifying the Windows Registry. Highly technical users often find these instructions sufficient. Users that don’t have experience with editing the Windows Registry, booting into Safe Mode, or modifying system files are often overwhelmed by the amount of new information that must be learned and used to remove infections.


Surya: For users who do not find the standard Norton Support options sufficient, Norton has expert technicians on staff who can remove infections .Norton expert technicians will remotely access your computer and do all the dirty work while you relax. Also, as part of the service, the Norton experts will provide information about how to avoid infections in the future.


Surya: For the removal of the infections in the computer, I can provide you with two options which would be Virus removal service and Bundle service.


Surya: hall we go ahead?


ME : go ahead


Surya: In Virus removal service, our expert technicians will do a complete diagnosis of your system, and troubleshoot any malware present on your computer. If required and if your system permits they can connect to your computer remotely and do all this for you directly. Moreover they would provide you the best solutions possible based on their analysis of the threats on your computer.


Surya: The second option Bundle includes the PC Tune up service. The PC Tune up is a sequential set of steps that ensures optimal performance of your computer. This option includes the PC Tune up service. The PC Tune up is a sequential set of steps that ensures optimal performance of your computer. This service enables our experts to tune up your PC, through a remote connection thereby optimizing your computers speed and performance. By availing this service, you have the dual advantages of Virus removal and PC Optimization. Shall we go ahead?


ME : Every time i run the scan it does a tune up, anyway


ME : One question, if I may.


Surya: The Consultation fee for virus removal service is AUD $139.99.The Consultation and the service fee for bundle service is AUD $ 199.99


Surya: Our work is backed with a 7 day warranty. You have a full week to work with your computer and ensure that the issue has been resolved to your satisfaction. You can contact us at any time during that period for a follow up consultation.


Surya: Which option would you like me to go ahead?


ME : Is pcdr5cuiw32.exe a virus. If so, why doesn't Norton360 remove it?


Surya: Norton most probably is working well on your computer. But it’s also important to note that no security software can afford you 100% protection. This is because a lot of environmental variables, the vulnerabilities of Windows and the software’s/applications on your computer play a pivotal role in keeping your computer secure. If there is any level of insecurity or any security holes, the possibility of a security breach is always present.


Surya: Once you have a virus on your computer, it may attack Norton and prevent it from working properly; in these cases, the virus must be removed manually.


ME : I'm broke. Can't afford this.


ME : Can I reinstall Norton, easily?


Surya: If you go to local technicians, they normally format the hard disk, and reinstall all the applications again.


Surya: Norton products offer industry leading protection against virus infections on your computer provided it is properly installed & updated. If a virus is already present on your computer prior to installation, Norton products may not be able address the issue. It is better to remove the threat first before installing the software.


ME : Do you have pcdr5cuiw32.exe listed as a known issue?


Surya: It is a malicious file.


ME : Then why didn't Norton identify it and remove it?


Surya: Once you have a virus on your computer, it may attack Norton and prevent it from working properly; in these cases, the virus must be removed manually.


Surya: With thousands of threats being generated every day, many of which are unique, one-of-a-kind threats that are served up to uniquely infect your particular system, it is possible that you have come into contact with a threat Norton does not yet recognize. In addition, some malware is designed specifically to disable Norton's anti-virus software. Trojans and worms can be very difficult to fix because they contain no clean code which Norton can repair automatically; instead, they have to be manually removed.


Surya: Shall we go ahead?


Surya: Our expert technicians will do a complete diagnosis of your system, and troubleshoot any malware present on your computer. If required and if your system permits they can connect to your computer remotely and do all this for you directly.


ME : The PC was purchased new, Norton was already installed, and I renewed my subscription each year since then.


ME : I want you to remove the file at no cost


Surya: This infection has to be manually removed from the operating system files and then the security services has to be enabled and set the security services to appropriate level, so that you will be protected from future infections.


Surya: As your computer is compromised to the infection, it will invite more infections to your computer. This can be due the infection becomes reactive in your computer. As this is a little serious issue, I suggest you to follow our technicians and make your computer safe . I request you to follow our expert technician's instructions to stay away from infections in future also.


Surya: I do understand your concern. But this is a paid support and we can proceed only after processing the charges.


ME : If the file is not removed at no cost I will have to consider changing my subscription


Surya: I appreciate your co-operation but would like to add that, this is purely a paid service/support. We regret to inform you that we are unable to proceed, unless the charges are processed.


ME : Thank you for your advice. I will try to solve it locally when I have some money. When the subscription expires I will use another company. Please pass on this comment to management.


Surya: That certainly is an option. Please be aware that it would mean a loss of all your personal settings & data files. Backing up the data will take time. You will be starting from scratch: You will need to restore backed up files, customize your computer and software, and reconfigure your connection settings All of this comes at the cost of your time and whatever costs you will incur with reinstalling the OS and backing up your files.


Surya: Please be certain that you don’t back up the infected files when you are performing the backup as it is possible to reintroduce the malware/virus when you restore those files afterwards.






.


Surya: If you chose to proceed with this Consultation, our expert Technicians will troubleshoot the malware on your computer without any potential loss of personal files or undue risk to your Operating System


ME : Thanks for your help. Bye.


Surya: Is there anything else I can help you with?


ME : No, all done, thank you.


ME : YES


Surya: If you need to contact NortonLive Spyware & Virus Removal Service again please visit http://www.symantec.com/vremoval






It has been pleasure assisting you. Thank you for choosing NortonLive. Have a great day.


ME : Please make sure my subscription is not automatically renewed, as was the case last time.


Surya: For product related issue you need to contact our technical support team and they will help you.


Surya: Are you with me?


ME : I'm actually all done. I'm just reviewing our conversation.


Surya: If you need to contact NortonLive Spyware & Virus Removal Service again please visit http://www.symantec.com/vremoval






It has been pleasure assisting you. Thank you for choosing NortonLive. Have a great day.


Surya: Please click on End Session.


ME : ok, give me a few minutes. I'm still studying there earlier advice.


Surya: Alright.


Surya: Are you with me?


ME : I'll quit in 5 or 10 mins


Surya: You can have the print of the chat once you click on the end session.


Surya: You are having an option there.


ME : That's a good idea. Thanks.