I recently downloaded a new copy of Norton. Now, whenever I do anything with Norton (including closing or minimizing the window during a scan) I get a small box on the screen that simply says “Reader” at the top, with the numbers 3163 in the box itself. If I close that box, or click “OK,” it allows me to proceed with what I was doing, but the box will pop up again anytime I do anything else until I close the Norton window.
I’ve tried googling on “Reader 3163” and simply “3163” and I can’t find anything about this. Has anyone else here encountered it?
I’m getting ready to get the yearly Norton anti-virus subscription, as the reminder boxes keep popping up. Rather than doing the download at their retail prices, the past years I have bought a Norton anti-virus disk on ebay (good for three computers) for less money. I’ll keep my eye out for 3163. I hope that the 3163 window doesn’t fall under the Gomer Pyle category of “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise”.
If you keep ignoring the pop ups for NIS 2011 they will, eventually, offer it for free. (w/the 3 installs)
Alas, the first install was not so good. Two chat techs and 5 hours later, over a couple of days…ignoring that we started on Friday and the wife fought with it all weekend, the second install was much better.
Then there was the third chat tech, and whoever took his chair after the first three hours and threw in the towel an hour later.
The second Friday the wife and I rebuilt the network. I have no idea how they managed to so thoroughly hose the thing.
I’m not thrilled with the setup windows in it either…
I am surprised folks still buy Norton AV software, the reputation has not been good for years.
I am even more surprised now, since MS is offering a free AV service: http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/
Habbit, many colleges make their students pay for programs through student fees, and they get use to certain programs like notion, word*, excel. Up front it seems free, and habits formed but let’s face it the in word and windows changed so much that there was a still a lag. I now am as likely to use OOo.
Aggressive advertising is also a factor, I think I spent the first few hours deleting links for things like acrobat, McCaffee, etc. Makes me want to wipe the drive and download Debian.
Technically I was “taxed” for that one when I bought the computer.
It’s not that that’s a bad idea…it’s probably a very good idea. The problem (I think) for many people operating a PC is that instructions for installing Linux usually include phrases like “splanctify your hard drive into 3 demi-compartments before pressing F13/*strawberry shortcake, then make a back-up copy of the middle third on a freshly poached flounder. Rewire all components below the battery compartment such that “blue” wires (which are green on models made prior to '09) touch, but do not interact with, terminals labeled B and/or Q. Take care not to obliterate that little plastic unidentified peg-like component that you left in the original store packaging before you threw it away.”
Trying to set up broadband was the death nail to me. Maybe I’ll burn another Debian disk and try again on an “old” pentium iii. Kind of a chicken egg thing that could trash the system and leave you unconnected to fix the problem.
Spanctify this, splanctify that. Really, folks! Even my spell check doesn’t like that word. I like the idea of sticking in a disk and coming back in an hour. Those are instruments that I can follow.
No one has commented on the free Microsoft anti-virus package. Is it any good? If so, why are people more computer savy than I still using Norton?
I can usually do that. It’s when any set of instructions takes an unexpected off-road detour that I find myself without the required navigational know-how.
I believed in Kaspersky, but the kid–running a Toshiba laptop at college–has still run aground with some sort of malicious cyber-malady, and will not be up and running again until I can re-install the system over Thanksgiving.
But now I’m wondering…IF I download that Ubuntu thingy, and install it on his laptop such that he can boot Windows 7 or Linux, what problems is he likely to encounter? For example, if you get a virus visiting the fanfic page for WOW Naughty Elves or something…could you still use your Ubuntu aspect?
I’ve mentioned it several times on similar threads.
I didn’t want to belabor the point here since it was
already mentioned.
It is just fine. I switched to it after giving up on AVS
and Avast! when they started taking up too many
resources. MS Security Essentials is less intrusive to
humans and doesn’t bog down the machine.
If so, why are people more computer savy than I still using Norton?
Marketing. Microsoft is being relatively quiet about
their new AV software because they don’t want to
mess with the current AV companies’ business. Also,
they got sued once for bundling software with their
OS to keep people from using other companies’
products so now they’re shy about that kinda thing.
Also, there is a weird psychological phenomenon
where people will value something more if they have
to pay for it.
Umbuntu has become know for it’s ease of use and install, debian is still pretty much an older beast and LFS is for those that want to dive into command line. Knoppix’s unofficial install was probably the easiest, but that was years ago…
The duel boot is would be an interesting option, and so would a Live CD like Knoppix.
Generally, yes. Malware that targets windows
usually limits itself to the files that are accessible
to windows. As long as you don’t install something
on windows that allows you to get to the files on the
Linux partition, your Ubuntu install would relatively safe.
There are some malware types, however, that instead
of limiting itself to what windows can see will write to
the disk at a lower level. This means it can change the
place that is read when the computer boots before it
decides which operating system to use. This could keep
you from getting to Linux at all. Or it might overwrite
the whole disk with random data, which would wipe out
Linux as well as windows and all the data. But this is
rarer in the wild, at least for viruses, since it limits your
transmission vector if you kill your host.
As I.D.10-t mentions, there are versions that boot from
a CD or USB drive which can be handy since they are
not corrupted by viruses (if you use a CD-R or write
protect the USB stick). They’re good to have even if you
install on the hard disk, so you can still boot and possibly
fix the hard drive in the event of a catastrophe.
I haven’t run an AV program on any of my systems for literally years, and have had no problems as a result. I do have a firewall, and I pay close attention to which programs are trying to access the net (You’d be amazed at how much of the software on your system tries to phone home without telling you), and along with the firewall I practise good computer hygiene, but I’ve found that’s more than enough. Are you sure you need an AV at all, Norton or otherwise?
AV programs are massive system hogs. I’ve never seen that the hit to computer performance was worth the dubious benefits. They invented nagware, too, come to think of it, and they’re still its biggest practitioners. Screw 'em!
I have no idea how they managed to so thoroughly hose the thing.