Other Norton Products

[edallan]

Hi,

This is PROBABLY the result of a problem with the version of Systemworks that you are using.  

This has been discussed extensively on a different thread.  Here are a couple of extracts:

For those on this thread who are getting the /fauxvirus/carney_ride.exe hang and have an older version of Norton (mine was 2007), but have a paid, current subscription, it seems you can upgrade to the latest Norton version that appears not to have the bug for free, per an earlier post that references this subscription info post.

Some of the language:

Version Update - For certain Norton products (such as the 2006 and later versions of Norton AntiVirus, Norton Internet Security, and Norton 360), Version Updates are provided to you for no additional fee during your current product subscription. In addition to the latest Security Updates which are delivered through Symantec’s LiveUpdate™ technology, your product subscription entitles you to download, install and use the latest version of your product through the end of your current subscription period.
 

Renewal - When you purchase a subscription Renewal, you are buying an extension to your current Norton product subscription. A Renewal adds time to your existing subscription and enables you to receive Security Updates for your Norton product.  For a 2006 or later version of certain Norton products (such as Norton AntiVirus, Norton Internet Security, or Norton 360), a Renewal also makes you eligible to download, install and use Version Updates for your Norton product for the duration of your subscription period. When you purchase a subscription Renewal, the renewal time period is added to the time remaining on your existing subscription.
 
Example: You are a Norton Internet Security 2008 user, and you have 15 days of subscription time remaining. You purchase a Renewal to extend your subscription time for another year. Upon completing your Renewal purchase, your new subscription period will equal 380 days (which represents the sum of your remaining 15 days plus the one year Renewal period). Please note that with a current subscription to Norton Internet Security 2008, you are also eligible for the Version Update to Norton Internet Security 2009 as described above.

I can't answer any questions about the above, but the original link is there. In my case, I just simply was at the end of Norton 2007 subscription period, went to Costco, and bought Norton 2009 to replace it. But those in the middle of a subscription seem to have options to download the latest bug-free version, above.

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http://www.symantec.com/home_homeoffice/support/special/upgrade2007/vista/migration_start.jsp?site=n...

Thanks, Seattlenerd.

This DOES in fact work.  FRIENDS, please note:- You have to upload the updated program separately -- it does NOT upload via Liveupdate (which in a rational world it would have done, automatically -- even in a less rational world, it would have done so by prompting people, instead of leaving them in ignorance).

This upgrade uninstalls the old Norton and installs the new one.  There is a whole different appearing interface when you have done this, and the 2009 version does seem not to be hung up by Carny ride.

-------

Look for a sequence of posts by Seattlenerd   (who is not me).

Good luck!

ed

[Daveski17]

Well, this may all be a bit academic soon anyway as BT Yahoo are changing me over to McAfee.

[Powderhound]

I'm not confusing FAUXVIRUS with having a real virus.  If you want to separate them in your mind, fine.  I just think that it is too much of a coincidence that the "real" virus and the FAUXVIRUS showed up at the same time.  I never experienced the "hang" before.  Maybe they were two separate programs that were coupled by a malicious person or maybe it was just a more lethal variation, or maybe it was that one-in-a-million coincidence.  Whatever...

My solution was to offload all important files and wipe the hard drive.  It is a time consuming process, but it was worth it.  A computer geek friend says that he does it once a year just to improve performance.  I did not want to go back online to re-download Norton without protection so I purchased a copy of Norton Internet Security 2009.  I did not detect an improvement in scanning speed, but I like the newer format.  I have not figured out yet how to add my old (almost a full year's) subscription onto my new one.  Any suggestions?

[seattlenerd]

There is no such virus in the Symantec database called "FauxVirus;" that was part of NAV's search path. Carny_ride.exe is indeed a jokeware/malware item, though not listed by that name in Norton. 

However: The fact NAV 2007 hangs when it is merely looking for something called carny_ride.exe in the FauxVirus directory is different than actually having that infection. Or any infection.

You can have both behaviors, simultaneous but unrelated. It doesn't mean that infection is carny_ride.exe itself, but it could be something else that appeared and then NAV 2007 started to hang. (I had NAV 2007 running fine for a long time before it began to hang, but there was no infection involved in my case.)

As to the subscription info carrying over, you may need to contact Symantec customer service. That's what I'd suggest, especially if you can explain that you had to wipe your hard drive and no longer have the old application.

[A51977]

Hey there SeattleNerd, that is so true what you say that just because the Norton dwindles or stalls on the Carny Virus file it doesn't mean you have it, it's just searching for it.  Have any of you seen this webpage?  It pretty much says that there indeed IS such a thing as Faux VIrus Carny_ride:

http://www.411-spyware.com/c-fauxvirus-carny-ride-exe-removal#how-to-remove

It might even seem scary at times taking into account that It might be a keylogger of some sort put in there to get your banking/credit info.

In my case the Full System Scan stops at 7000-9000 everytime and tells me that it's complete.  I obviously know it's not since I have over 400,000 files, but it gets worse.  I just found out today that I can't download any new virus definitions, I can't upgrade my product to the 2009 version, online. It always seems to freeze during the download or says that there is some problem with the connection. but it still gets even worse.  Now my whole Windows defense system is not working either!! :\  I can't put up my Windows Firewall anymore, I can't download any updates for Windows, my phishing protection bars have all disappeared and I can't even download any New Anti-Virus software to my computer.  I tried Spy-Bot, Avast, McAffee, Kapersky and no luck. It always gives me an Error at the downloading screen or just freezes.   Can anybody relate to this?  I know I came late to this forum, but it just so happens that this is a recent issue for me.  The last time my Norton did a successful Full System Scan was on the 10 of this month. I'm gonna go ahead and try to return to a previous restore point, if that doesn't work, I guess I'll have to wipe the disk clean.  I really don't think this is something that should be overlooked by just installing the new 2009 Norton I.S.  If there's something there and indeed it IS a virus, we gotta take this a bit more seriously. 

Thanks for your time.

[Powderhound]

Hi A51977,

I recommend wiping your hard drive.  I had the same problem with scans and downloads and there was a key-logger installed that used my wife's debit card to make some purchases that were sent to NYC.  Wiping the drive isn't so bad.  It's just a bit time consuming.  The Windows updates took at least as long to load as reloading all of the disks.  On the upside, I find that cleaning my internet history runs about a zillion times faster now.

For anyone who hasn't done this before (this was my first time), wiping your hard drive involves reinstalling your Windows (or alternative operating system) software.  Before you do it, save all of your Word, Excel, picture files, etc. to CD.  You don't have to worry about your email files and your email addresses, they will still be there.  After you have copied all of the files you want to save, shut down your computer.  Put the first Windows backup disk in your CD drive and then restart your computer and follow the prompts.  Sometimes you might get a message that some of the files failed to install, and you might be given the options to either "abort" or "retry".  I found that retrying eventually worked.  With a few files I had to retry 3 or 4 times, but that was just on the first Windows disk; the rest of the disks loaded without a problem.

I thought that wiping the hard drive would mean that I would have to reload the software for my drives, modem, and the software provided by my internet service provider, but that was not the case.  It really wasn't too bad, and I would not hesitate to do it again under similar circumstances.

[A51977]

Thanks man, I just got my computer back today.  I did indeed have to clean my hard drive.  The restore point didn't work at all.  All it did was create more problems.  At one point I couldn't even connect to the internet anymore. :(  It would change my proxy settings everytime I would sign on.  So, now everything is running smooth.  No worries but one thing is for sure. I'm not going back to Norton.  At least not for a while.  I've been having problems with every version of it that's ever came out.  Ironic don't you think that the one thing that was installed on our computers to protect it, actually ends up doing it in? :\  Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great AV with all it's up to date virus definitions and such.  I even compared it to other AV out there by running it on a super infected computer that I have which I use to test downloads.  No other AV came out with better results than Norton. It's a real shame that it has to have flaws like this every now and then. I really wouldn't mind coming back to it, but once Symantec gets their act together and stops trying to make its AV all fancy looking and focuses more on the purpose of the product itself. 

Thanks Powerhound for your reply and tips.  Since I'm so computer illiterate I had a friend of mine do the reformat for me. :D

[a_gunslinger]

Just wanted to verify this malware/virus.  It just cropped up on one of our machines protected by SEP 11.  Strangely, the PC was acting just like it has the old Blaster virus (no access to My Computer, DLM server reboot in 30 seconds screen etc).  But full Norton Scan, MalwareBytes scan revealed no Blaster or Vundo).  I havent had a chance to try the 411 removal steps, but just wanted to chime in to say the C:\FauxVirus\carnival_ride.exe  is on this system and does exist.  Will report more later.