Comcast Offers Free Norton 360

Comcast has started offering its customers a free copy of Norton 360 Version 3 (minus the 2GB of online backup) in place of the McAfee software they used to offer. I think this is a great deal.

 

http://security.comcast.net/

 

My question is: Will users of the Comcast version be able to upgrade for free to Norton 360 Version 4 when it is available?

Hi Ed

 

Please check with Comcast just what is in their version of the Norton product.  Since that product will be coming from the ISP, it will be up to the ISP to update the program I believe. You won't have the same registration type of key for this program. I'm not sure if support for the product will work the same way as your support works now. If you have a Norton product installed now, you will probably have to uninstall the version you have now and lose your subscription also from Symantec and get the download and install from Comcast and that will probably be different than the version from Symantec even without the backup part.

floplot -- Thanks for the information. I am currently running NIS 2010 on three PCs and my subscription expires in 10 days. I had purchased a new boxed copy of NIS 2010 from Costco to use to renew my subscription but I am considering returning it and using the free Norton 360 from Comcast. Was just hoping that I would be able to update it to Norton 360 Version 4 when it comes out.

Hi Ed

 

I believe that is a question you should ask Comcast. I believe your subscription would not be a Symantec subscription any more, so I don't know how the new versions would be handled. You should get an actual description of the program features you will be getting from Comcast before you make the actual decision to go with them.

Thanks for the response. I will check with Comcast and see if they have any information.

If you want to hang in there a bit, I'll load the Comcast version on a test computer and take a look at it.

 


Phil_D wrote:

If you want to hang in there a bit, I'll load the Comcast version on a test computer and take a look at it.


 

I would appreciate that very much...thank you.

 

The Comcast Norton Security Suite downloaded via the Norton Download Manager in about 90 seconds. The installation followed and took just over one minute.

 

It appears to be a customized version of Norton 360v3 with a version number of 3.5.2.11. There is no option for online backup, but of course there is the option for local backup.

 

I will leave it installed for a day in case you have any questions. I think it would be important to find out if this version can be updated to 360v4 when it becomes available.

 

 

 

 


Phil_D wrote:
I think it would be important to find out if this version can be updated to 360v4 when it becomes available.

 


 

Yes, that is the question that most interests me.

 

Thanks for taking the time to try it out.

Since I am a comcast high speed internet customer I decided to find out more about this offer. The comcast customer service rep. couldn't help much so he transferred me to a Symantec support agent in India. She was very helpful and even knew the version number of the current release of N360. According to her comcast customers will be able to upgrade to N360 4.0 when it comes out. She also said if you encounter problems dont call comcast support as Symantec has a dedicated toll free number to call just for questions or problems regarding the new comcast Norton Security Suite: [number removed by moderator] Please contact http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/Customers/Contactus/Contactus.html for questions about this offer.

 

[edit: removed phone number per the Participation Guidelines and Terms of Service. Added official link to the post]

 


Ed_in_OR wrote:

 


Phil_D wrote:
I think it would be important to find out if this version can be updated to 360v4 when it becomes available.

 


 

Yes, that is the question that most interests me.

 

Thanks for taking the time to try it out.


 

 

Probably not.

Most ISP just use a security vendor and update it after half a yerar or so. It's the same with Kaspersky and F-Secure for example

Press release from Symantec about this: http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20100120_02

Is anybody using the new Norton Security Suite offered by Comcast.  Is it the same as 360?  Better?  Worse?

Hi djc_56us,

 

You can read more information on Norton 360 as offered by Comcast over here:

http://community.norton.com/t5/Norton-360/Comcast-Offers-Free-Norton-360/td-p/195472

http://community.norton.com/t5/Norton-Internet-Security-Norton/Comcast-customers-can-now-get-Norton-Security/td-p/195733

I am using it, and it is very good.  It is N360 without the online backup.

 

Make sure you remove any other anti-virus/security products before installing Norton.  If you are using McAfee, use the MCPR tool after uninstalling McAfee through add/remove programs.  Then reboot the pc, then use the MCPR tool.

I'm curious if anyone has tried upgrading the free Norton 360 to the recently-released Version 4?

 

http://community.norton.com/t5/Norton-360/Norton-360-v4-is-now-available/td-p/205021

 

I plan to move to Comcast's offering once my subscription to NIS 2010 expires and am wondering if it will upgrade to the "latest and greatest?"

 

Thanks.

This is an update to my earlier post (message 10) in this thread. Apparently the person I spoke to in January was either misinformed or overly optimistic. I contacted customer support for the Norton Security Suite again today and this time was told that version 4 is not available for Comcast customers and there is no release date, she said that Comcast customers will be notified when version 4 is available, no telling when that will be though. Considering the huge number of Comcast customers that are looking to upgrade to version 4, the lack of reliable information on this subject is somewhat frustrating.

I wonder if you install the version from Comcast, could you then perform an upgrade using the Version 4 file downloaded from Symantec? 

 

Of course, since this is SECURITY software, you may not wish to mess around with it and potentially mess up your system.

 


Ed_in_OR wrote:

I wonder if you install the version from Comcast, could you then perform an upgrade using the Version 4 file downloaded from Symantec? 

 

Of course, since this is SECURITY software, you may not wish to mess around with it and potentially mess up your system.


 

 

According to a poster at the Comcast security forum, this is what you will see if you try that:

 

A problem has occurred that needs your attention: The upgrade you are attempting to install is not

compatible with the currently installed product. Please contact your internet service provider for the correct upgrade or uninstall the version of the product already on your computer and try again.

 

Ed_in_OR, go to the Comcast.net forums website, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Comcast High Speed Internet, then sign in to your Comcast account. After that you should be at the Comcast Support Forums, click on security and antivirus at the top, then scroll down to this thread:  Norton 360 V 4 now available for upgrade for current users.

That will give you some additional info.   ComcastForum