Customer Reviews

Norton Personal Firewall 2004

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

For those who have concerns about the "activation", I found on Symantec's web page the following statement about that product:
"Permits users to transfer the software to their upgraded or new PC without having to purchase a new copy of the software."
I hope this will help to decide whether to buy it or not.

I'm using Windows 98 SE and have run Norton antivirus 2000 for several years and was very happy. Then a very dark cloud appeared - it was called Norton Personal Firewall 2004. I had to clean my hard drive for other reasons and when I reloaded everything I decided to get rid of my old firewall, Black Ice and install Norton's new Firewall 2004. After I reloaded everything and got back up running the computer speed gradually became slower and slower until it virtually stopped. After discussion with several experts I decided to uninstall both the 2000 and 2004 Norton versions. I did reinstall Nortons Antivirus 2000 and got a new firewall, Zone Alarm. The computer runs just fine. I am not a computer expert, but it seems to me that Nortons Firewall 2004 did something very naughty to my computer, and my blood pressure. I would not recommend Norton's Personal Firewall 2004 to my enemies.

This is a follow-up to my earlier troubles following installation of Norton Firewall 2004. After two completely lost days at work - and $200 in consulting tech support - trying to sort the problem out, we solved it. If you are unable to defrag your hard drive, or use your "A" drive or CD-ROM like I experienced, then you must UNINSTALL ALL REFERENCES TO NORTON, not simply Firewall 2004, and then reboot! Although I had already installed, and was quite happy with, Norton Antivirus, Symantec's software integration "feature" when adding Firewall 2004 apparently left hooks in my computer to render it problematic. Once uninstalled - and I mean COMPLETELY - then everything worked fine. After uninstalling, search for any reference to Norton or Symantec, then delete any and all. Later, I downloaded the free version of Zero Alarm's Firewall and it works great! Very user friendly, intuitive, seems to work as advertised, and FREE! Don't waste your money (and TIME!) with Norton's version.

After having such a great experience with Nortion Antivirus over the last several years, I just assumed that Norton would have a good firewall program too. I was wrong. First and most irritating, my computer became extremely slow on start up after installing the program (adding about 4 - 5 minutes!), despite having a new computer with more than enough drive space and RAM. I removed the program for awhile and regained normal start up speed. Second, the popup warnings are a mixed benefit. While it does block some obviously bad attempts to access my computer, I sometimes have to tell it 10 or 15 times within a few minutes to allow access from permissable sources even though I am clicking "always allow" access from this source. Third, the privacy blocker seems like a good idea (you enter in your private info that you do not want sent over the computer such as your home address, phone, etc), but I had to turn that feature off when I tried to make a purchase on-line DESPITE clicking "ALLOW" about 20 times. The warning window repeatedly popped up every time I clicked allow. The program just didn't get it. I keep checking the Norton website for patches, but to date there are none. Today I was so fed up with the slow start up that I removed the program again. So much for my $50.00... I say it's worth about $5.00

WHY did I ignore the fatal customer reviews on this shameful product?!! After installing, my DSL internet wouldn't work, but I fixed it by turning OFF Norton Firewall 2004. But now, even after uninstalling completely (I think), not only can I not defrag my hard drive, I CAN'T EVEN ACCESS EITHER OF MY TWO CD-ROMS!! I can't read ANY of my program CD's - including Windows 2000 Pro OS - but wierdly it lets me play audio CD's. Maybe this is so that I can play a sad music until I figure this mess out. I'm just hoping that after submitting my feedback on this wretched software that I can find a fix from one of the other hapless customers who also made the mistake of purchasing it. Can you help? Thanks.

BIG FAT risk writing this. Read on to see why.

As a designer, I've been using my Anti-Virus and Firewall with NO problems for a while now. As I do every morning, I get online and check for Norton updates (especially Virus Definitions).

So, about two weeks ago, I load in a bucket-load, only to find my perfectly-tuned work machine slowing like an F1 car running out of fuel at Monaco!

Now I can't see ANY webpages WITHOUT disaabling my Firewall - DESPITE granting IE/Opera/Mozilla net access SEVERAL TIMES.

When I do connect with Firewall enabled, I get attacked with heaps of twats using trojans. But I can't see any web sites. There's absolutely NO CHANGES made to an already successful set-up, so WHAT'S GOING ON SYMANTEC???????? Every time I go online, I'm comprimised. What sort of Firewall is that????

I'll be buggered if I'm going to spend more cash simply because you can't be bothered to support 2002 users with this software. I have paid for my updates until October 2004!

I've also had a heap of customers with this new 2004 Firewall/Ad Blocker installed saying the website I made doesn't work! It even blocks legitimate branding images on a web page as adverts! It presents users, critically, with NO CHOICE and makes the job of legitimate enterprises and designers alike with a VERY business-biased veto option on what we see.

I had the utmost respect for Symantec for years, then this!

No support, then 'Sorry, we didn't get $50 out of you this year, go swim!'

Atrocious. Get something else!

Update: I wish I had accessed this site before buying the downgrade. PFW 2003 worked fine and I have reinstalled it. All of the negative review problems happened to me. I have had problems with Windows since deleting PFW 04 and may have to reinstall. One reviewer asked how a great company with great products could go so wrong so fast. They probably moved production to low-cost Asian facilities, there are signs of this in the writing of the manual and the kirtypirty and hoolyhootoo flaws in the programming. I will never buy a NEW Norton "upgrade" again!!!

I have been loyal to Norton for almost a decade. I am now looking for a new provider of security services.

Positive-NAV seems to be working ok (so 1 star)
Negative-the abusive activation scheme
the bundled trash programs (FIREWALL, etc.)
(deserves minus stars and circular file)
Firewall will 100% protect you from internet intrusion and infection, because it cuts you off from the internet. It is very user unfriendly, it doesn't provide adequate support (It cuts you off from the internet, the manual is useless and the ONLY source of help provided is an internet address!!!!!!!!!)
An example of the stupid controls: Scan for threats, find five, programs recommended action DELETE, then gives a choice of ALLOW (the threat becomes permanent!?!) or skip (no action this time, spend another 2 hours and get the same stupid choice later)! I restored internet access after hours of tweaking, next time I had to do it all over again, BUT my previous tweaks wouldn't always work!!! Never will I buy Norton again!!!

After many years of using Norton Antivirus I figured I couldn't go wrong. I was already using ZoneAlarm's shareware firewall and I decided that Norton would be the real deal. What a mistake. This program simply is too difficult to understand to find out whether it indeed could work. It seems far less flexible than programs that are given away for free.

If you want an idea of what others think of this piece of garbage check out ebay. You can buy earlier versions for less than the cost of shipping! One of their competitors will give you $10 rebate for the disc. It's more than you will get from anyone else. Don't waste your money.

Be advised that once you register this baby Norton will try to trick you into a subscription every time you renew Norton Antivirus. And they will ignore your attempts to get the charges reversed.

After having a hacker leave a virus on my computer, I finally decided I need some protection. I went back and forth between getting a firewall or a router. Routers were pricier, so I looked at reviews for firewall software. If you look too, you'll notice none of them on Amazon get fantastic reviews. They have some serious potential to screw up your system. I figured that I have Norton AntiVirus, so their firewall should work fine. Plus, I get a discount since I have another product of theirs. I bought and installed it. Once that was done, I realized that to get the discount I need proof that I own the earlier product. Good luck getting proof of ownership from a downloaded product. I'm pretty sure that's a dead end.

Like many others, though, it really screwed up my system. I get 5 - 10 error screens I have to Enter through when booting up, nothing is loaded in my system tray, peripherals can't be found, and it hangs on shutdown. Oh, and the firewall program says it is disabled. Why? Who knows. But when I go to enable it it says that I don't have the necessary rights/priviledges etc. to do so. I'm the only user on the computer. How can that be? Again, who knows. Maybe Symantec, but I ain't paying $30 to call them.

The best part to this whole thing is that the hacker who originally acessed my system didn't really do any damage. I had to pay 50 bucks for my "protection" to really screw me over.

Thanks, Symantec. Get bent.