Norton Internet Security / Norton AntiVirus

[Cooloutac]

Hi all,

I have a problem that happens when i install a new program usually,  which is that norton will freeze my pc.     I see the bottom taskbar, and i see that a new window for norton has popped up,  but i am unable to view it.

The desktop gets frozen, and i can only click on the taskbar.   but when i click on the norton taskbar for the new window....   the window itself doesn't actually appear.

THis has happened to me with alot of other firewalls.... but there is always some combination of short cut keys i can hit to get out of it.  I've tried selecting the norton window and then hitting enter,   or  hitting the left arrow key and then hitting enter.   or even moving the mouse to where i think the window is and clicking around to allow or deny.

I can see the task manager when i hit ctrl alt del.... which is my only option.... but the problem is i can't end taks the particular application norton is blocking... it won't let me...    the onlyl thing i can then do is end task norton itself... to bring the desktop back.    And then i have to restart the computer... because norton won't start back up again.

this happens frequently with newly installed programs.    is there no shortcut key combinations i can try next time this happens?   or should i just put it on automatic firewall settings when i install new programs(hopefully it doesn't deny anything i want to allow)

any input is greatly appreciated thatnk you for your time.

Sincerely.

[delphinium]

Hi Cooloutac:

It shouldn't be acting like that.  What operating system and service packs have you got?  What other security software have you got on board?  What version of Norton are you running?

Message Edited by delphinium on 07-01-2009 10:16 AM

[Cooloutac]

sry forgot to include that info.

windows xp home, sp3 fully updated.... no other security or software running except norton security suite 2009.  I don't have much running at all only 23 processes total.

pentium 4 3.2 ghz,  1 gig ram

It doesn't happen all the time.... most of the time i can go to the desktop and see the pop up norton window, and select allow or deny.   This in particuluarly is happening with fallout 3 when i try to run the game,  i see norton trying to pop up and the desktop is frozen.  I can only hit ctrl alt delete or select stuff on the bottom task bar.

I even tried to click the norton  tab on the bottom taskbar and select move.... thinking maybe i can move the window to my second display monitor so i can see it.   that didn't work either.

I also tried to go into program settings... to see if I can just select allow before i run the program... but the only options for that is for internet access that i see..... not for like keylogging or certain components etc...  and in the advnaced control options... the only options is to remove programs already configured not to add any new ones. 

  Am i just forced to use the automatic program control?  I'm somewhat of a control freak and this leaves me feeling vulnurable lol.   can i put it on automatic program control.. just to get fallout running and then put it back to manual after and it will save the settings for this particular program?  I'm willing to bet its the keylogging message that is lockin it up...  is there another way to allow this?

thanks for your help

[delphinium]

You've been using it for a while now and have pretty much built all of your rules.  You are just answering the same questions over again.  You could quite easily turn of advanced events monitoring and turn on Automatic, without losing any of the rules you have already made.

When you are gaming, click on the CPU usage link and turn silent mode on.  This will allow you to do what you want without interruption.  When you are finished, turn silent mode off.

You might try it for a while on Automatic.  It's quite secure, and you will find it much more agreeable.

Message Edited by delphinium on 07-01-2009 11:48 AM

[dbrisendine]

I agree with delphinium on this one.  You can go to Automatic Program Control for a little while; this will keep the rules you have manually made and use them plus possibly let the new program be added so later you can see the rules that are being used for it.  If that is too much of a 'control release' for you, try turn the Advanced Events Monitoring to OFF first and see if that is the culprit of this 'hung up'.

[Cooloutac]

Thanks guys for all the input.... ya it happens usually when playing a game in fullscreen mode.   I guess those are my only options since there is no manual shortcut key combo or anything i can use...

I didn't know about the silent mode option with the cpu link, good tip, that can be considered like what is called game mode on other firewalls...  but i've noticed silent mode goes on automatically when playing another game... why not in this case?

  Also good point on putting it to automatic and then seeing what rules were created.      And yes it is the advanced events monitoring that is the culprit.  Its just a real pain to see all the advanced event rules created for particular program...  You basically have to click on each one.  and scroll down the list...  and still i might not know when or why  it happened.

I think my only option to avoid these lockups is to put it on automatic program control.   My only fear is that norton might allow something i don't want it to allow.   Basically  what i do... since its almost impossible to know what every component of a program does,   is I deny everything until something doesn't work... then i go back and allow it.

  I don't know if i'm crazy for doing this?   but it makes me feel safer.  I do alot of web surfing, downloading, chatting in chatrooms, playing games etc....    and i have had serious problems in the past with malicious software, to the point where i've lost hardrives and motherboards bios's.  So i am extra paranoid.

 I just wish i was able to get out of it like I used to in zonealarm when this happened.  What i used to do with ZA  was move my mouse over to a spot on the desktop where i knew the allow or deny button would be and click until i got it.   Or there was alt - shortcut key combiinations i could use.   What i'm gathering is theres nothing like that i can do in NIS?

but thanks for all the help fellas i appreciate it.

Message Edited by Cooloutac on 07-03-2009 05:51 PM

[Cooloutac]

Actually i just noticed when looking through the logs,   when i loaded up the game.... light silent mode automatically went on....    and what was actually blocked was an outbound UDP attempt on port 53.

So i guess it actually wasn't the advanced event monitor?  And even though light silent mode was on i got alerted?

tks again for help.

[dbrisendine]

Unfortunately, I think we are going to have to wait on the 2010 version for the block all firewall right click option.  The good news is that testing of the 2010 started this week so it won't be too much longer.  Norton really tried to keep this version out of the user's way so there is just so deep you can go into the components.  N360 (which shares so of the same engines) is even more removed from user control but that product is supposed to be that way.

We have had a rather promissing removal by NIS/NAV of one of the worst RootKits around right now so they are working on improving the detection and remediation components as we speak.  I understand your concern and will do all I can to help, but for now I don't think we can get down to the level that ZA allowed.  I would, however, keep the Advanced Components Monitoring turned OFF for now.

[dbrisendine]

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Cooloutac wrote:

Actually i just noticed when looking through the logs,   when i loaded up the game.... light silent mode automatically went on....    and what was actually blocked was an outbound UDP attempt on port 53.

So i guess it actually wasn't the advanced event monitor?  And even though light silent mode was on i got alerted?

tks again for help.

---

Light silent mode will still let some notifications through but it will stop just about every thing else.  UDP ports and there usage is possibly a double edge sword for most firewalls.  UDP allows just about any protocol (even manufactured custom ones) which makes it great for games but hard for firewalls to know sometimes whether this is legitimate traffic or not.  If you make a manual rule for that program and port does your problem go away then (or at least get less)?

Message Edited by dbrisendine on 07-03-2009 09:10 PM

[Cooloutac]

I got an idea bro!!!

ok check this....  you select the norton window from the task bar with the mouse... and then you hit the tab key exaclty 5 times... and then you hit the enter key....  this worked when i tested it out.... but i have to wait for when the deskstop actually crashes to fully test this theory.

I'm gonna try and recreate it.   also what was strange about the last occurrence of this problemt (that blocked outbound udp on port 53) is that particular program was already set to manually allow and that alert never pops up... in fact i just loaded that game again and it loaded fine.   I guess norton was just being tempermental?   but hey i don't mind that, better safe then sorry hahaha.

but ya i'll let ya know if this shortcut works.  it might be a save.