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Norton Antivirus Security Software Malfunctioning - Any Ideas On A Solution?
I have been having major problems with my Security Software, Norton Antivirus, over the past 2 months. Norton discussion forum members are reporting that my case is isolated, and to check with Dell for assistance.
I have posted a discussion topic on the Symantec website detailing the specific problem I am experiencing...
Here is how my Norton Avtivirus (NAV) has been malfunctioning since early November:
Norton Avtivirus (NAV) Automatic Live Update routinely fails to successfully install Virus Definition X64 Incremental Updates (generally under 1MB in size), following the awakening of the PC from hibernation/sleep periods, and when booting up the PC from a full shutdown.
I will then run Manual Live Update immediately after the failed Virus Definition X64 Updates, and Manual Live Update downloads/installs a 160MB full Virus Definition X64 file!
NAV occasionally needs to update the very large full Virus Definition X64 file, perhaps once every month or 2, but not 2 times/day for me sometimes, and 20+ times/month for me since November.
Symantec forum members suggested I check with Dell for the latest drivers, to which I've noticed that Dell does have new BIOS (Release Date 10/15/2013), which I have not yet installed.
My Norton Antivirus Version 21.1.0.18 (which is the latest version, just released in October) should work using the original BIOS, shouldn't it?
Other than this 2-month long problem with my NAV, the 2013 Dell Inspiron 17R 5720 purchased last January has worked well with no other issues/problems to speak of.
What is confusing to me is how/why my NAV worked perfectly from January-November with the original BIOS, and now it is malfunctioning badly.
So, my question is, will updating my PC with the latest BIOS (Release Date 10/15/2013), address this ongoing Norton Antivirus malfunctioning?? Or is there another driver update which might address this problem?
Any help is much appreciated.
DD
2013 Dell Inspiron 17R 5720 Windows 7 64 Bit SP1
Norton Antivirus Version 21.1.0.18
Bugbatter
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20.5K Posts
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January 7th, 2014 15:00
Hi DubbleD,
It is not unusual for an anti-virus to update more than once a day. As long as you are having no other internet connection problems, aside from Symantec's Live Updates, I don't see how your problem can be attributed to Dell drivers. As ky331 mentioned:
If I were you, I would uninstall Live Update, followed by uninstalling Norton, and running the removal tool per instructions. After the reboot, I would install Microsoft Security Essentials. I've been using it for several years on multiple computers running Windows 7 Pro 64-bit.. If you don't have Malwarebytes Anti-Malware installed, that would also be good to add. The Pro version runs well alongside MSE, and has the option for auto updating and realtime protection. If you prefer the free version, that can be updated manually and run manually.
Good luck. Let us know if you have any additional questions.
Bugbatter
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January 7th, 2014 16:00
I'm leaning toward a malfunction of Norton. For about ten years, it has not been on my list of anti-virus products to recommend. Whenever I get a new computer, the first thing I do is remove Norton or McAfee and go with Microsoft Security Essentials and the Windows Firewall.
(I don't work for Dell or Microsoft, so I can be completely impartial here.)
joe53
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5.8K Posts
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January 8th, 2014 00:00
Hi DubbleD:
I've been following this thread, plus the lengthy ongoing one over in the Norton forum, with interest. Not having used NAV in many years, I can offer no advice, just an observation.
I have used probably over a dozen different AVs over many years, both free and paid. They all protected me, but I always dumped most when they gave me grief (update problems, compatability conflicts, system slowdowns, error messages, unwanted bundled software, other ease-of-use issues). I eventually ended up with MSE on my home PCs for a few years now with no "grief" whatsoever. Including a Win 7 x64. In one of your posts, you listed your other various layers of security, which are very similar to my choices. They all play well with MSE for me.
I can well understand your reluctance to abandon an AV that has served you well for so long. But I agree with your plan of action, and the advice given by others in this thread. You have certainly explored and tried a lot of good suggestions that didn't work for you (for a lot longer than I would have!). If you choose to switch to MSE, I think you will be pleased with it.
Best of luck!
ky331
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January 7th, 2014 14:00
Bugbatter is the resident expert here and will probably have something to say about this... but as far as I know, this should have nothing to do with the BIOS. I would not update the BIOS unless you're having a problem specifically identified as being fixed by that particular BIOS update.
Philip_Yip
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January 7th, 2014 14:00
This thread has been moved to the Virus/Spyware discussion board.
DubbleD
17 Posts
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January 7th, 2014 16:00
Bugbatter, thanks for your reply.
Norton updates typically happen every 10 minutes.
What is unusual about my situation is that the large full Norton virus definitions file is being downloaded way too often, as I stated in my original post here, in response to the failed installation of the small incremental virus definitions file.
This is an indication that something is seriously wrong with either the Norton product, or the Dell PC. As I suspected, each is pointing the finger at the other, so it is virtually impossible to correct this problem.
DD
DubbleD
17 Posts
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January 7th, 2014 21:00
Bugbatter, thanks again for your reply.
My next step will be to run the removal tool per instructions from both you and the other forum members over at the Norton forum.
As I've been a loyal, and generally pleased Norton/Symantec customer for over 25 years, I will reinstall NAV Version 21.1.0.18 following the use of the removal tool , and give it one last chance to perform properly. If it does not work properly following this final removal/reinstall sequence, I will take your advise to abandon the Norton product once and for all, and install Microsoft Security Essentials in its place.
DD
NAV Version 21.1.0.18
2013 Dell Inspiron 17R 5720
Windows 7 64 Bit Sp1
DubbleD
17 Posts
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January 8th, 2014 07:00
Many thanks joe53 for your reply. It is help from good folks like yourself and the rest here that have made this very unpleasant problem a bit more tolerable.
I was beginning to go somewhat mad over the constant malfunctioning of my NAV product...it is very unnerving to see a previously reliable product behaving so badly, with repeated file installation failures and massive virus definition file downloads, which often times never fully completed (due to there size) during Nortons Automatic Live Update process.
Symantec just released a patch today for their product, but I have no way of knowing if this patch addresses my specific problem, in spite of Symantec acknowledging there may be an issue with their Norton products failing to install updates.
DD
NAV Version 21.1.0.18
2013 Dell Inspiron 17R 5720
Windows 7 64 Bit Sp1
DubbleD
17 Posts
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January 8th, 2014 08:00
Vineeth:
If you read the Norton forum in its entirety, you will find the answer to all of your questions.
http://community.norton.com/t5/Norton-Internet-Security-Norton/2-Large-Back-To-Back-Virus-Definition-X64-Updates-This-Morning/td-p/1046739
But, I will restate them for you.
1) This problem occurs when awakening from sleep, hibernate and restart after shutdown.
2) When Live Update fails, I always check the "History". When checking "History", there are never any error codes listed.
I have no idea where Summary > More information is located, but I will look for it when Live Update fails again, as it is likely to do very soon.
DD
NAV Version 21.1.0.18
2013 Dell Inspiron 17R 5720
Windows 7 64 Bit Sp1
NortonSupport
25 Posts
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January 8th, 2014 08:00
Hello,
Sorry for the trouble. I am Vineeth and I am from the Norton Support team.
The problem seems to be an odd one. Does this happen only when your computer wakes up from sleep mode or when you start your computer after shutdown?
When LiveUpdate fails, can you please click Summary > More information and see if it shows any error codes such as 8920,223?
Thanks!
Vineeth
Norton Support
NortonSupport
25 Posts
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January 10th, 2014 09:00
Thank you!
When LiveUpdate fails, there should be a Summary or a More information. Please click that and see if it reports any error codes.
Vineeth
Norton Support
DubbleD
17 Posts
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January 10th, 2014 13:00
Vineeth:
i'VE BEEN A Norton Antivirus customer for 20+ years, so I am quite familiar with the product. Nowhere have I seen a "Summary or a More Information" window that you refer to. The only status area I've found is in the "History" section of the "Advanced" Window, where it only shows which files were downloaded, and the status of those downloads. No error codes ever appear there.
Perhaps you can provide a screenshot as to what this window loks like in Norton Antivirus Version 21.1.0.18...that would be very helpful.
DD
2013 Dell Inspiron 17R 5720 Windows 7 64 Bit SP1
Norton Antivirus Version 21.1.0.18
NortonSupport
25 Posts
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January 10th, 2014 16:00
Can you refer to the instructions provided below to find the exact error wen you run LiveUpdate?
https://support.norton.com/sp/en/us/home/current/solutions/v63192572_EndUserProfile_en_us
The "View Summary" option will appear only when a LiveUpdate session completes. Try this & let me know.
Thanks!
Harry
Norton Support
DubbleD
17 Posts
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January 10th, 2014 17:00
Harry:
Will do....I plan on being back at the site of the PC again next Friday (parents home)...I will report back with what I find.
DD
NAV Version 21.1.0.18
2013 Dell Inspiron 17R 5720
Windows 7 64 Bit Sp1
DubbleD
17 Posts
0
January 11th, 2014 04:00
It has happened yet again, but this time again back at my home computer located in Milwaukee, WI (a different geographical location from my fathers PC located in Green Bay, WI). NAV Automatic Live Update failed to install Virus Definition X64 Updates (407.31KB), a full 3 hours after the computer had been awakened from hibernation mode last evening. Norton IPS definitions (1.93 MB) also failed to install. Norton Pulse Updates (482 KB) successfully installed.
Automatic Live Update eventually downloaded/installed a 162.5MB full Virus Definition X64 file this morning, after awakening the PC from a 6-hour hibernation period!
Unfortunately, because Automatic Live Update ran when the Virus Definition X64 Updates (407.31KB) failed to install instead of Manual Live Update, I could not capture any error codes per the following...
https://support.norton.com/sp/en/us/home/current/solutions/v63192572_EndUserProfile_en_us
NAV just/last did a full Virus Definition X64 file download/installation on this PC yesterday (162.5MB), after I returned home from a 2-week absence.
FWIW, both PCs are using AT&T DSL.
This problem has now been documented again on 2 different computers of mine, using 2 different Versions of NAV, located in 2 different geographical areas.
Following is a copy of the original post to the Norton Internet Security / Norton AntiVirus thread, when I first documented this very same problem on my 2nd PC...
Re: 2 Large Back-To-Back Virus Definition X64 Updates This Morning
11-13-2013 02:13 PM - edited 11-13-2013 02:32 PM
The same thing has happened today on another computer (my home PC ) and with an earlier version of NAV (20.4.0.40). The earlier documented issues were with my dads home PC at another city location.
This confirms for me that there is a server issue here, since 2 different computers with 2 different versions NAV are having these problems.
Please advise on what might be causing this continuous corruption of the virus definition set, which is resulting in full virus definition set downloads of 130+MB when Virus Definition X64 Updates occur.
http://community.norton.com/t5/Norton-Internet-Security-Norton/2-Large-Back-To-Back-Virus-Definition...
DD
Since this problem has now been repeatedly documented on 2 different computers of mine, using 2 different Versions of NAV, located in 2 different geographical areas, does this not suggest that the computers are the problem, but rather the Norton product (i.e., something is causing installation failures of the successfully downloaded file updates)?
It is hard to fathom, and seems inconceivable to me, that this is all just pure coincidence.
NAV Version 20.4.0.40
2010 Milwaukee PC Desktop - Windows 7 64 Bit Sp1
and
NAV Version 21.1.0.18
2013 Dell Inspiron Windows 7 64 Bit Sp1