SystemWorks 2005, Good or Bad?

[Halo]

I had Norton SystemWorks 2000 on a Win98 computer and have NSW 2002 on this one.  They both work fine and I think they contribute a lot to a safe and effective computer experience.

I have NSW 2005 ready to install on a new computer, but am seriously thinking about NOT installing it because of the many complaints about it.  I don't recall ever seeing a major software program getting as badmouthed as NSW 2005.

Any Google search will show what I mean.  The anti-NSW 2005 responses are so prevalent I wondered if there was an organized campaign against it, but apparently not.

What do you think?  NSW 2005 complaints mainly seem to be against failed installation and terrible and expensive on-line support.

Thanks to big rebates I only have $10 sunk into NSW 2005.  So unless I hear new evidence, I'm resigned to eating the $10 and not installing NWS 2005, instead relying on Norton Antivirus which is working okay and XP disk cleanup.

[Halo]

What, no Aces Highers use Norton's SystemWorks 2005?

If not, what DO you use to keep your computer cleaned up after all the on-line forays?  Earlier SystemWorks?  Or are XP tools sufficient by themselves?

[DAGORED]

Halo:
 I used NSW back in Win 98 & ME days but have stopped using Symantec ( Norton ) products completely.
 
 I have never used NSW 2005 on anything, but I have ran both Norton Personal Firewall 2005 and Norton AntiVirus 2005 .
 The Firewall passes Gibson Research's  shieldsup tests with flying colors. The Antivirus is bloatware , and caused my PC to slow down . The firewall & AntiVirus  works fast for afew days then my PC just started running slower and slower. . My brother uses NSW 2005 , and likes it , but he has told me he never, never runs the otimizer !( He dosen't play AcesHigh anymore so system resorces are not an issue for his pc . ) One other thing I have read on various websites is that Norton AntiVirus 2005 works in background , even when you turn it to off ! .  Seems to me like Norton and McAfee both have gotton away from main stream effective stand alone products that can be controlled and configured for a gamesr PC, and are now being bundeled  with all kinds of crapware that they claim fixes everything, but in fact dosen't , and works,  half-assed, at best .
 At present I use the Win XP tools to keep my pc clean and defraged.  I use Zone Alarm Pro firewall I use InterMute  SpySubtract and AVG Pro AntiVirus . I also use Panda's free online AntiVirus scan once in a while . My PC is also behind a Linksys modem . I connect to the Internet on a T 1.5  ( speed ) wireless ISP .  Also every where I read reviews of Symantec products , they get bad reports , and I also read that their phone support "Flat-Sucks" ...... ( a far - cry from what Norton was afew years ago , when Peter Norton was CEO. ) ......

  Here are two good places to look for tips and software info ...

    http://leoville.tv/radio/pmwiki.php/Main/Tips

   http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1621759,00.asp

 I wish you the best of luck !! and I hope this helps alittle.

   CHECKERS

[Halo]

Thanks, Dagored, appreciate that.  Norton Antivirus continues to earn its keep by stopping viruses here and there.  I'm also behind a Linksys wireless system connecting two computers.  

Unless someone reassures me to the contrary, I guess I'll finally give up on SystemWorks for my new computer, NOT installing SW 2005, renewing the Norton Antivirus 2005 but using only XP stuff to clean the drives.

Upstairs I'll stick with SW2002 since it has worked fine and other users seem to have good experiences with it.

[Diego]

AVG 7.0 there IS NOTHING better out there at stopping viruses.

[DAVENRINO]

Halo,
Does NSW allow a custom install of only the Anti-virus?  That would renew your def subscription.

I am using NSW 2004 on this rig but since you can only use it on one rig, I use AVG 7.0 on my Guam rig.  I use FSAutostart to shut down Norton AV when playing AH.

[Halo]

Thanks, Davenrino.  Your SW 2004 seems to be the last version generally rated okay before the SW 2005 debacle.  

Norton's SystemWorks 2005 is the most prominent software program I've considered that has customer reviews so negative that I'm not going to install it even after buying it.  

Its previous reputation and my satisfaction with previous versions led me to buy the latest version for a new computer before checking it out.  I don't know what computer angel made me doublecheck its ratings before installing it, but I'm grateful for the intervention.  

It might be possible to try installing only the Anti Virus (Clean Sweep is the other component I use most), but since most headaches reportedly occur from installation, I'm not going to risk it.

Very discouraging.  I've always relied on Norton SystemWorks.  Guess I'll just have to hope it regains its once stellar reputation sometime in the future.

As examples, of 20 SW 2005 customer reviews on ZDNet, 95% are thumbs down.  Of 29 SW 2005 customer reviews on Amazon, the ratings average only two of five stars.

I'm still surprised that so far no Aces High players have experiences good or bad to report from SW 2005.  Maybe SystemWorks is not as popular as I thought it was.  

Or maybe they were too wise to buy it in the first place.  

Now I'm thinking maybe I should just dump Norton altogether from the new computer and switch to McAfee Anti Virus that comes free with AOL.

[Simaril]

I've had system works 2005 for few weeks and encountered no problems. Got the package as upgrade because I wanted teh Ghost mirror backup software, and needed to pay for renewed subscription anyway for my AV 2003. Ghost has already saved me enormaous amounts of pain, as some video issues have caused repeated, sometimes damaging crashes.

I had no trouble with either a fresh install or using as upgrade on separate computer.

No wyou've got me nervous -- but again, I've had no troubles of which I'm aware.

[Halo]

Glad SW 2005 is working for you, Simaril.  I've always relied on SystemWorks and hate to be chickening out, but the many unhappy customers posting in various feedback sites got to me.

There is always a percentage of people who struggle with any product, but ... dunno, will be strange to be without SW.  

I checked more on the free McAfee Anti-Virus via AOL, but that looks like it works only when on line.  Doesn't quite seem to be the regular standalone product.  

And even when it finds and isolates a virus, my Norton's Anti-Virus always wants me to fart around running the whole virus checker and then quarantine and then delete ... all presumably off-line.  

So ... I think I'll just renew the Norton's Anti-Virus and use only that.  It has been working fine so far.  

Maybe someday I'll get up the nerve to go with the SW 2005, but not until the present furor dies down or fixes are issued for it.  Will be interesting to see how that eventually resolves itself.

[Halo]

After helping a friend with his computer today and seeing how his system was doing, decided to not renew the bundled Norton's Anti Virus on one of my computers and instead take advantage of the free McAfee Anti Virus available via AOL.

Mc AV does work offline too.  Users don't seem to have quite the direct access to McAfee, but the program does seem to have the essential bells and whistles.

So now Norton SystemWorks 2002 upstairs and McAfee Anti Virus via AOL and just XP disk management software downstairs.  Best of both worlds, I hope.

[Hajo]

Using Norton System Works 2003 good till 2006.

Antivirus is disabled except for my EMail.

Have had no problems.  Ghost alone is well worth the price if it is included in Systemworks 2005.  I've used Ghost and it works very very well.

[Halo]

I used Norton SystemWorks 2000 for years on my former Win 98 SE computer with no problems.  I'm still using SystemWorks 2002 on my upstairs XP computer with no problems.

The SystemWorks evaluations that come up on Google searches generally say SW 2003 and SW 2004 are okay, but most comments are strongly against SW 2005.  

I still have my rebated SW 2005 (i.e., wound up spending $10 for it) but will not risk installing it unless there is some major positive shift in user consensus.  

There are just too many apparently experienced computer users and previously satisfied SystemWorks customers condemning SW 2005.