Customer Reviews

Norton Utilities 14.0 1 user/3 PC

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

This is not your father's (or older brother's) Norton Utilities. This is a waste of money and in reality just a bunch of shortcuts to built in Windows system utilities. If you want what was once called Norton Utilities (especially Win Doctor and System Doctor) buy yourself Norton Systemworks Basic or Standard. I was so unhappy with this package that I removed it from both computers I installed it on and installed Norton Systemworks 2008 and then sent NO14 back to Syamntec for a full refund.

Peter Norton made his fortune with the PC DOS era Norton Utilities, a PC problem-solving program for the technically aware. Over the years this has changed somewhat, but still has much the same technical flavor. These tools are still available as part of Norton SystemWorks.

But if you are expecting Norton Utilities 14 to have these tools, you are in for a rude shock. It has been COMPLETELY changed, and in fact is a program for a third party (PC Tool's Registry Mechanic) rebranded as a Norton product.

The tools here are for the non-technical. Registry fixing is a one-button operation, and no user intervention is allowed. Same for all the others. If you want an automatic program that won't let you choose options, this is for you. If not, get SystemWorks instead.

Two stars because it does work, but downgraded quite a but for the false branding.
One of the reasons why Symantec and Norton have gotten such awful user reviews lately is due to their dumbing-down of products and their intrusive activation and product security schemes.

The recent update of Norton AntiVirus was a big improvement and gave their long-time users room to hope. But this rebranded product masquerading under a 25-year old product name is a big step backwards.

I remember Norton Utilities, and this isn't it. I have used Norton Utilities since the days of MS-DOS. If you're like me, you've counted on Norton Utilities in the past. Don't be mistaken by the name - this item is almost worthless. The only thing in this software package worth anything is the registry cleaner, and registry optimizer.

Remember Norton Speed Disk? Not here.
Remember Norton Disk Doctor? Not here.
Remember Norton System Info? Not here.
Remember Norton Unerase? Not here.

An avid and long time fan of Norton Utilities will see the "defrag your hard drive" option. Like me, you'll probably be expecting Norton Speed Disk. Don't bet on it - it just runs Windows' built in Defrag.

I ran 'System Information', expecting Norton System Info. Puh-lease. If this is truly 'Norton System Info' it is an extremely old version. It reported my system as having 2gb of RAM (I actually have 4gb). If Windows can detect 4gb, there is no good reason this software can't.

With the exception of the registry cleaner/optimizer, most options just run one of the built in crap programs that comes with Windows. If I wanted to use those, why would I have spent the money on Norton Utilities?

This product is only for people who don't/didn't know that Windows comes with a couple of utility programs. If you are someone who falls into that category, you still shouldn't spend your money on this product.

The money you would spend on this product is better spent on fire.

I trusted the name, but there's nothing like the famous Norton Utilities here: no file finder; no text search; no unerase; no ways of inspecting/changing file attributes or date/time; no ways of sorting directories or measuring trees. There are no utilities here at all, only optimizers, and even they are so badly unexplained that the user has no basis for the options and decisions offered. A cynically misnamed junk product.

this software is basic a disk cleaner and a register clearer and nothing more
the rest is just quick links to programs in widows and very disapionting if your thinking of buying this go to sysmatic werb page and dl the 15 day trial and I suspect if you like me who had systemworks in the past you find this near worthless
so I sugest look for a deal on system works 2009

Please save your money. This is not even a true Norton product,unless in name only.
They bought this company last year and repackaged
The box says it does all this great stuff but in fact, it does nothing!

I've been a Norton user since the mid eighties. When the product says it will defrag your drives
I take for granted it uses Norton's own Speed Disk.

All it does is take you to Windows own defrag program. In fact, all it does is re-direct you everywhere.
It, in itself, does nothing.

Complete waste of time and money. Calling Tech Support is the biggest joke. And the fact that you have to call
at all because it won't install is really frustrating. It was while I was on hold I Googled this product
and learned the information above by the multitudes of negative reviews.

Before you can even get the phone number for Tech Support, you have to fill out an online form that then gives
you a phone number to call with a priority ticket number.

The automated operator asks you if you have the code and if so press nine, then your disconnected and have to start over
because you didn't enter the code within the allocated time frame. Hello! they didn't ask for the code, only asked if you had one.

The Customer service website says wait time less than a minute but I was on hold 45+ while the background music blasted so loud
all I heard was complete distortion but the "please hold" voice was practically inaudible.

Now I'll have to wait 4~6 weeks to get a refund for a product that doesn't even install and really does nothing if it did.

Never again!

Skip.

The Registry Defrag feature crashed my Windows 7 PC. I had to reformat and reload from scratch the PC with help from the PC vendor. In talking with Norton, I learned that an unspecified number of Norton Utilities users with Windows 7 have experienced the same issue. I could not find any information on the problem on Norton's site.

This piece of software is primarily a link to Microsoft tools (i.e., Microsoft defrag, etc.) and provides very few new tools. One of the few and good tools is offers is a Registry cleaner. However, for about $30 the two or three tools (as opposed to links to Microsoft products), the product is not worth it.

I haven't had any problems with NU, but it's not really worth the price. It duplicates a lot of what is already available in Windows. Seems clunky and unfinished. I wish more effort would be put into developing this product. Not sure I'd buy it again.

Please listen to our advice - Don't buy this utilites software. We had numerous experiences with Noron Utilities 14.0. Recently, we had updated Windows version and Norton Utilities suddenly stop running and crashed without any explanation. We attempted to contact Norton tech support - failed to reach - impossible to contact them for your tech help - phone, chat, email without any response from them. Norton Utilities that did not locate rogue registry files and corrupted files where we found that Norton Utitities is totally ineffective and unworkable. Norton Utilities is not your tech friend, but it certainly wastes your money and also, it is obviously a bogus tech ware!