Is it Norton?

[Jango]

I have Norton internet security on my computer, do i need windows defender on aswell? The problem i have is when the computer turns on it takes at least 3 or 4 minutes before i can do anything with it,
it sounds like a constant scanning, it immobolize's everything, the minute you walk away from it, it starts again, i do not know much about computers, but this is driving me mad.
I am AMD 970 quad core 3.5ghz.

 

[neil_g]

could be anything, open task manager and see if a particular process is hammering CPU/memory.

then check disk activity using performance monitor.

 

[Jango]

How do i do that?

 

[kendo1]

Start up takes longer the more programs you load up.
If you have had your PC for a while you have probably added more programs. They will all attempt to load at the one time whether you use them or not.
The solution is to disable them at start up so that only the necessary programs load.
You can find out what loads at start up by typing msconfig in the search program and files box: press start at bottom left, pop up window appears, bottom empty box has cursor flashing(this is the search box, type msconfig, System Configuration box pops up.
There are 5 tabs, tab 4 is start up. You can uncheck items to speed up start up times, but be careful as some things are necessary. It should be obvious which ones you can disable safely.

 

[Jango]

Had a look at the above. Just disabled odd things that i know should be ok. Lots of adobe stuff is running, i have the subscription of cc & lightroom, do these need to start at boot up? The ones i have disabled have not made it boot up quicker.

 

[PaulButler]

To answer your first question, No you don't need Windows Defender.

To see what is running with task manager, right click on the task bar at the bottom (usually) of the screen and choose Start Task Manager. It has several tabs but under the one labelled Processed is where you will see which process is using how much CPU and memory - column is called Working Set (Memory)

 

[kendo1]

The only programs you really need at start up are the ones that make the computer work properly, and safely!

As you use a PC and browse the internet, bits of info are left strewn around that are of no use and slow down the performance.
CC Cleaner gets rid of this and a few other things. Free download: https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download

 

[Mikesphotaes]

Easiest way, if you think Norton is the culprit (which it may well be), is to uninstall Norton and see if that improves things.

Most logical way is as Neil and Paul have described.

You only need one antivirus program, otherwise they fight each other.

 

[Jango]

To answer your first question, No you don't need Windows Defender.

To see what is running with task manager, right click on the task bar at the bottom (usually) of the screen and choose Start Task Manager. It has several tabs but under the one labelled Processed is where you will see which process is using how much CPU and memory - column is called Working Set (Memory)

Ok, so i have had a look, Adobe is using quite a bit and i see in there several Google chrome using a lot, should i just see one chrome or is it normal to see several listings? Thank you for your advice.

 

[Jango]

The only programs you really need at start up are the ones that make the computer work properly, and safely!

As you use a PC and browse the internet, bits of info are left strewn around that are of no use and slow down the performance.
CC Cleaner gets rid of this and a few other things. Free download: https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download

I have used this before will get the latest version, thank you. I will run that too

 

[Jango]

Thanks guys for your help. I have only installed Norton, it finishes shortly, so will choose another kind. Does microsoft automatically download their own, in the updates, that i need to remove?

 

[kendo1]

Thanks guys for your help. I have only installed Norton, it finishes shortly, so will choose another kind. Does microsoft automatically download their own, in the updates, that i need to remove?

You need an anti- virus.
How have you set it up? If you have it set up, in the Norton control panel, to scan at start up then it will take ages for your PC to start.
I have mine set up to just run in the background and only scans when I want it to.

 

[Jango]

I bet that is what it is, how do i do it to run in background?

 

[Jango]

Iam in edit scan, it is scheduled daily, is this the big problem

 

[Jango]

Ken thank you for your help so far, maybe its the Norton. I do realise i need internet security, i have the paid version of Norton, but i haven't downloaded any microsoft stuff, but i was wondering if microsoft does when it runs updates?

 

[kendo1]

I bet that is what it is, how do i do it to run in background?

Iam in edit scan, it is scheduled daily, is this the big problem

I haven't used Norton for years, so I'm not familiar with the control panel. I'm sure someone will be along soon who uses it, or you can Google the question
I use AVG free and the control panel is straightforward. I'll have a look anyway...
Here you go... https://support.norton.com/sp/en/us/home/current/solutions/v55933925_N360_Security_CC_2014_en_us
I don't see a reason for you to scan daily, I run mine every now and then( but it does run in the background, it's on but not scanning) probably every month.

 

[Box Brownie]

FWIW

IMO Norton is a real resource hog and even cleaning up a PC after uninstalling it can be a dogs dinner

I switched ages ago to Kaspersky but when I upgraded to W2000 Pro at that time Kaspersky were not supporting that OS so then went to Eset Suite....now running W7Pro. I would not touch Norton with the proverbial bargepole!!!

 

[AJQS]

FWIW
I would not touch Norton with the proverbial bargepole!!!

Wise words. Windows defender is fine and doesn't kill the computer. Contrary to popular belief, hackers are not sitting round waiting for you to turn your computer on, you don't need any software protection at all, just to be savvy enough not to click on certain links and ignore anything from Nigerian princes.

 

[Jango]

Thanks its difficult which to choose, i have had Kaspersky before, can't remember why i changed. At the moment on my laptop i have the avast paid for one, but i find i never know if its updated. Maybe i should look into it. The customer service is bad, they never answer an email. Sent a couple & you never hear back from them.

 

[LongLensPhotography]

Contrary to popular belief, hackers are not sitting round waiting for you to turn your computer on, you don't need any software protection at all, just to be savvy enough not to click on certain links and ignore anything from Nigerian princes.

Poor advice there. There are loads of net bots scanning for vulnerable PCs, lots of dodgy websites, etc. Nothing will keep you safe once you connect. What kind of show do you expect when you are hacked - a skull or isis flag pop up on your desktop? No, more like stolen passwords and CC details for a start. But feel free to carry on like this if you feel generous. Or you can just use one of *NIX OS and be fine.

 

[steve_lyt]

Wouldn't use norton if it was the only virus scanner , I use sophos

 

[arad85]

Poor advice there. There are loads of net bots scanning for vulnerable PCs, lots of dodgy websites, etc. Nothing will keep you safe once you connect. What kind of show do you expect when you are hacked - a skull or isis flag pop up on your desktop? No, more like stolen passwords and CC details for a start. But feel free to carry on like this if you feel generous. Or you can just use one of *NIX OS and be fine.

Poor advice there

Most PCs are sat behind a NAT router. These are effectively invisible when browsing - unless you're a numpty and have things configured spectacularly badly.

The security problems are now in the browsers. As they share a common code base, all systems are equally open to attack - whether Niix or other OS. Everyone should have a virus "scanner" (although that should be malware detector) to protect their browsers. It isn't about clicking links - when a hole is found in a browser, it can often be exploited just by visiting a hacked site.

But if you feel safe without a virus scanner - well done you

 

[afasoas]

Whilst NAT routers offer some protection, they themselves are full of 'sploit holes making it possible for an "attacker" to own your internet connection. Then, with even fairly safe browsing habits PCs behind the router can be exploited.

 

[arad85]

Whilst NAT routers offer some protection, they themselves are full of 'sploit holes making it possible for an "attacker" to own your internet connection. Then, with even fairly safe browsing habits PCs behind the router can be exploited.

But if someone does this and man-in-the-middle attacks (and does it properly), there's no way you as a user will know - or that any form of virus scanner will see it.

What you need is a decent firewall between you and the internet... say... for instance... pfSense

 

[petersmart]

You need an anti- virus.

I gave up on most forms of anti virus software like Norton years ago since all it seems to do is fill up a PC with a huge amout of files and really slow it down - in fact virtually all the programs I ran for years have nowadays become incredibly bloated as they try to compete with each other on offering more and more "protection".

These days I use a completely different system with my router providing a complete stealthed firewall as the first defence.

The only HDD on my PC now is a single SSD for the OS, everything else now runs in an external SSD and all the files I need to keep safe are now on are external HDDs as further protection against malware such as Crytolocker (now superceded by other forms of ransomware)

The only things I use nowadays are Malwarebytes Pro in my host PC along with CyberghostVPN, all my surfing etc is now carried out in various VMs with Avast free in the VMs but only using the option to protect files enabled.

It's been a very long time since any form of attack hit my PC and the triple protection I have means that even if it did it could only attack the VM not my real machine and that could simply be shredded to destroy it completely.

And Symantec a few months ago said that attempting to even detect some of the newest malware was proving to be almost impossible with new ways of protection now needed.

In fact virtually all the attacks now taking place on the net are designed to pick the low hanging fruit, such as the attacks on USA sites such as Target, Anthem, Linkedin and of course Adobe where the attackers can get literally millions of account details and make vast amounts of money selling card details etc online.

And, as Sony proved, the bigger the corporation the more vulnerable and the greater the chance that lax or lazy employees could unwittingly help the attackers (at Sony they found unencrypted folders with the name "Password" on them containing the passwords to many executive accounts !)

And in many cases they can attack you and steal your identity without even needing to get into your computer (Google "Mat Honan - How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to My Epic Hacking") to find out about his really bad day!

Nowadays I use 2 PCs, one which this is being written on, and my i7 PC for all my photo editing, video rendering is carried on and which is air-gapped and rarely connects to the internet.

And these techniques have protected me now for several years, and hopefully for much longer.

 

[kendo1]

I gave up on most forms of anti virus software like Norton years ago since all it seems to do is fill up a PC with a huge amout of files and really slow it down - in fact virtually all the programs I ran for years have nowadays become incredibly bloated as they try to compete with each other on offering more and more "protection".

These days I use a completely different system with my router providing a complete stealthed firewall as the first defence.

The only HDD on my PC now is a single SSD for the OS, everything else now runs in an external SSD and all the files I need to keep safe are now on are external HDDs as further protection against malware such as Crytolocker (now superceded by other forms of ransomware)

The only things I use nowadays are Malwarebytes Pro in my host PC along with CyberghostVPN, all my surfing etc is now carried out in various VMs with Avast free in the VMs but only using the option to protect files enabled.

It's been a very long time since any form of attack hit my PC and the triple protection I have means that even if it did it could only attack the VM not my real machine and that could simply be shredded to destroy it completely.

And Symantec a few months ago said that attempting to even detect some of the newest malware was proving to be almost impossible with new ways of protection now needed.

In fact virtually all the attacks now taking place on the net are designed to pick the low hanging fruit, such as the attacks on USA sites such as Target, Anthem, Linkedin and of course Adobe where the attackers can get literally millions of account details and make vast amounts of money selling card details etc online.

And, as Sony proved, the bigger the corporation the more vulnerable and the greater the chance that lax or lazy employees could unwittingly help the attackers (at Sony they found unencrypted folders with the name "Password" on them containing the passwords to many executive accounts !)

And in many cases they can attack you and steal your identity without even needing to get into your computer (Google "Mat Honan - How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to My Epic Hacking") to find out about his really bad day!

Nowadays I use 2 PCs, one which this is being written on, and my i7 PC for all my photo editing, video rendering is carried on and which is air-gapped and rarely connects to the internet.

And these techniques have protected me now for several years, and hopefully for much longer.

Not everyone can do what you are doing. Most people need an antivirus program to do what they can't.
I use AVG - mainly because it is free! I don't find that it slows down my PC that I notice, and I haven't had a problem for about 7 years.
You're correct in saying they are getting bloated. Maybe a new way of looking at the problem will emerge.
Another way of keeping safe is using Sandbox, similar to Apple's approach to security.

 

[petersmart]

Not everyone can do what you are doing. Most people need an antivirus program to do what they can't.
I use AVG - mainly because it is free! I don't find that it slows down my PC that I notice, and I haven't had a problem for about 7 years.
You're correct in saying they are getting bloated. Maybe a new way of looking at the problem will emerge.
Another way of keeping safe is using Sandbox, similar to Apple's approach to security.

Well I think that I do have if not a new way, a different way of looking at the problem and for me it solves a great deal including the fact the the VMs are transportable and reside in an external SSD so even if Windows crashed irrecoverably I wouldn't lose anything.

In fact yesterday I did a clean re-install of Win7 64bit without having to spend hours re-installing all the programs I use - just re-install VirtualBox and there they all are just as I left them, just needing to add them.

And VirtualBox is totally free as is AVG and a lot of others.

And if I want to go to a website or try out a program that may be "iffy" all I need is create a new VM and try it and if it is a bit iffy simply shred the VM and the problem is gone.

And of course I can also run my copy of XP in one for those programs which can't run on WIN7.

Or experiment with Linux without ever having to install it on the real PC.

Loads of uses apart from protection.

And I DO use an anti virus program in addition - I also use Panda free AV on the real machine and avast in some of the VMs and at least once a week do a complete scan of the computer using MalwareBytes Pro.
.