Hi ouroborous,
There is a removal tool for Norton Security Scan that you can try:
http://www.symantec.com/norton/support/kb/web_view.jsp?wv_type=public_web&docurl=20100322171108EN
Hi SendofJive,
Many thanks for the suggestion. I did give it a go, and was temporarily hopeful, but nothing happened. The tool appears to apply to versions 2.0-2.2, and I appear to have installed version 2.7. But thanks so much for taking the time.
Best wishes,
Anthony
Hi Anthony,
Thank you for the detailed response to my questions. I can now cascade this information to the concerned team so that they will be able to look into the problem further.
-Venkat
Same problem with DIVX upgrades. Maybe there is a box to uncheck, but my 5 year old that uses this machine can't read it and doesn't know to uncheck it.
So I get that junk installed all the time. It's a pain in the neck, and Norton should be embarrassed to use trickery to get their stuff installed on consumer's machines. In the world of consumer services, some States in the US, and some other Countries have outlawed the requirement of an opt out.
If I want it, I will opt in. And of course, I don't want it. because of this problem, I will NEVER consider a purchase from Norton. They are as unethical as the bad guys that they supposedly protect you from.
Hello murphyfj
I don't think a 5 year old should be using a computer unsupervised by a person who can read. If a child can't read yet, that child should not be on a computer by him or herself. Even if the child can read at 5 there is just too much malware and bad sites and bad people around on the net to have a young child on the net by himself. Getting an unwanted program like Norton Security Scan should be the least of your worries if you have a child using a computer who can't read and is only 5 years old. A young child like that should not be installing programs either. I know children today are advanced and do use computers at a young age, but they still should be supervised at that age.
Sorry about expressing my opinion about this, but that's how I feel about this.
Why would a 5 year old update DivX player? Was there a new feature or bugs corrected that the child needed to leverage his or her video experiance?
Floplot, you are entitled to your opinion, but rest assured he has 5 pages bookmarked and knows to get them and nothing else.
The problem arises when DIVX presents a popup for an available upgrade from their installed application. This is the ONLY problem I have with him using the computer.
Further, at his school they are left alone in their computer lab very often in the exact same manner. So I'm not going to me made to feel like a bad parent based on your opinion.
Bottom line is that this is a very questionable method for Norton to sneak their product onto machines. It's just wrong.
DaveH, He doesn't proactively do it. When the browser opens, the DIVX program brings up a dialog box indicating a required upgrade is available. It requires two clicks to get through it. The kid does it because he wants to get the browser open. He does not read the fine print about Norton and unchecking their little box.
I'm fine with the DIVX upgrades, but the sneaky "auto opt in" of the Norton product is unacceptable regardless of who the user is.
OK, thank you very much for explaining that.
Basically, DivX tricked your child into the download. Since you say your child didn't proactively do it, and can't read well enough or is unable to uncheck a box or cancel a download, then he or she was tricked into downloading and installing something that they didn't need or understand.
But you seem to think thats OK, and it is your computer so thats fine.
For one reason or another, DivX is selling advertising space in the program setup and maybe getting paid for people installing third party software or tools. The first time I tried it I got a screen asking if I wanted to install Google Chrome browser. So if it wasn't NSS you ended up with but Chrome, I'm sure you would be blaming this all on Google?
It's DivX that is adding these things into the setup.
So DivX tricks your child to install something, and DivX includes things in the setup with only an opt-out choice and that makes it Symantecs fault because you got norton security scan instead of chrome browser.
Thanks for explaining that to me.
By the way, this is just my own opinion but I would only let a young child use a computer in a limited user account or if the system had current images that could be restored in case of any problems.
I have enough to worry about with my wife :)
She also has been tricked into installing things or been unable to stop things from installing and she is much much older than 5 and can read just fine.
Everyone makes mistakes and getting infected with a nasty virus makes this whole NSS issue look insignificant.
You said you would never by a norton product and thats your choice, but you really should look into a good backup program like Ghost. And maybe you could use this example as a good learning experiance for your child, never install anything unless you are there to help.
Let us know if you need any help removing it.
Dave
Hi Anthony,
Our team would like to research on this problem further as we weren't able to reproduce it in-house. I've sent a Private Message to you over the community private messenger. Please feel free to check the message, by clicking on the Yellow Envelope icon on the right hand top corner of any community page.
Thanks,
Venkat
DaveH....
I think you get the point now. I totally agree that it is DivX that is likely getting paid (by Symantec) for installing Symantec software or tools. It is indeed DivX that is adding these things into the setup on behalf of Symantec. The point is, if people at Symantec cared about ethics, they would not allow such reverse opt out practices from the third party distributors that they contract. You seem to feel that Symantec has zero consumer obligations in that manner. Understood. Thanks for explaining that to me. For the record, I have made efforts to alert DIVX as well. But they are too incompetent to allow their subscriber feedback web form to actually work. It continually tells me that some field in the form requires a response, even when there is a response there. So I can never successfully submit it. Great business partner. Unethical, and incompetent.
Thank you also for your opinion on my child’s computer usage. Rest assured the computer and browser capabilities are as well protected and as limited as they can reasonably be. Safety and security measures have been taken. Further, all of my important files are stored on an external drive that the child has no access to. That drive is backed up and if I ever have to, I can re-image the machine without losing anything. With the set up I have, I have never had a significant incident.
The child is not unsupervised, but admittedly I am not looking over his shoulder approving every mouse scroll and key press. In light of the underhanded way that some folks like Symantec contract third parties to load their products onto machines, maybe I need to approve every mouse scroll and key press of my child. Or, I can keep him off the computer until he is 12. I will give it consideration.