There are numerous posts to the community all seeking a solution.
I have upgraded computers from Windows Xp and Windows Vista to Windows 7. I have upgraded browsers and use both IE and Firefox. Norton 360 has had numerous updates and patches installed. The symptom remains the same! The problem remains unsolved!
Please look at the original question (link above) and post to that thread (I tried to post there, but it appears the original thread has been disabled by being too old). If you can't post there, then post the answer here, to this new thread. Thank you.
Thanks for taking the time to write us. I understand your concern. For your information, Even though the Norton Safety Minder add-on is turned off, the program still monitors and blocks websites.
What monitors and blocks websites is Norton Safety Minder (not just the add-on for Norton Safety Minder). To uninstall the program Norton Safety Minder, the program requires Norton Online Family email account and password.
When you see the message next time, please check the browser(s) that your child uses to see if the Norton Safety Minder add-ons is enabled. You can find it by clicking Tools -> Manage Add-ons in IE or Tools -> Add-ons in Firefox.
As for the message “Speed up browsing by disabling add-ons”, we are currently working on the issue, so the browser can speed up.
I keep seeing this question being asked, but I do not see a satisfactory answer in this forum. Please provide a direct answer that others may use. I have taken pains to provide complete documentation of the scenario.
I get the following alert e-mail from Online Family.
"Norton Safety Minder plug-in is disconnected or disabled on [computer name]. To resume monitoring the Internet activities of your children, restart the Web browser or restart the computer." See screenshot 1:
The child's computer is Windows Vista (although it is happening on Windows XP also). The browser is Internet Explorer 9 (although on Windows XP it is IE 8). The child has their own least-privilege user account (not a member of Administrators group). When the child opens Internet Explorer, the following option is offered, "Speed up browsing by disabling add-ons". See screenshot 2:
Then, of course, any smart child will try to get around the online family restrictions, and Microsoft is even suggesting how to do it! They can simply click on "Disable." See screen shot 3:
Those 3 steps describe the scenario. I want an answer to this question: How do I prevent a child account from disabling the Norton browser add-ons and therefore prevent the child from defeating online family security?
Thank you for replying, but you did not answer the question.
You imply no functionality is lost by disabling the internet browser Add-on (or Plug-in). If this were the case then what is the purpose of the Add-on (Plug-in)? This is a bit of a rehtorical question, since obviously there is functionality present or Symantec wouldn't have written an Add-on (Plug-in) as part of the Norton Online Family product! I will ask the question differently in hopes it elicits a full explanation from Symantec:
1. How can a Windows account, internet browser, or Norton Add-on (Plug-in) be configured so as to PREVENT a child from disabling it?
2. What functionality is lost when a Norton Add-on (Plug-in) is disabled? Please address all of the Add-on (Plug-in) modules:
2a. Norton Toolbar
2b. Norton Identity Protection
2c. Norton Vulnerability Protection
2d. Norton Safety Minder BHO
The functionality of the Norton 360 product depends upon all of its components to be enabled and working correctly in order to deliver the specific functionality as advertised. Am I not correct?
P.S. You acknowledge that there is a small performance penalty when an Add-on (Plug-in) is enabled; of course and this is to be expected. Anything Symantec can do to improve performance is a good thing. But that was not the point of my question.
1. If the Norton Safety Minder plug-in is disabled for some reason, the program detects that and sends an alter to the parent, so the parent get a chance to check the plug-in setting and talk with the child. Below is the message the program sends to the parent:
"Safety Minder plug-in is disconnected or disabled on XXX . To resume monitoring the Internet activities of your children, restart the Web browser or restart the computer...."
I'll pass your request of preventing a child from disabling the plug-in to the team.
2d. Norton Safety Minder BHO plug-in is for video and social networking monitoring.
I take it from your comment that perhaps the scenario I carefully documented is a technical support issue/bug, not something the Norton Community forum can address ("I'll pass your request of preventing a child from disabling the plug-in to the team.")? Based on this, how should I proceed?
As to the other Add-on (Plug-in) Norton components that behave in the same manner as the Safety Minder BHO Add-on (Plug-in) - items 2a, 2b, 2c - are these not indirectly providing protection to keep children safe (safe from malware infection, etc.)? I would encourage you to take ownership of the question in its entirety. To me it is all "Norton 360" and although there are specialized zones within the Norton Community forums for all the components of Norton 360 we're really looking at the same problem for all of them. Perhaps this thread could be relocated to a more general area of the Norton Community if that makes sense to getting a faster and complete resolution. If it will help, you (or the forum moderator) can do that as far as I'm concerned if I don't have to repost the question all over again, then please do whatever it takes to move this up a notch in priority.
I've asked the forum administrator to move 2a, 2b and 2c to the Norton 360 forum. I"m not authorized to provide suggestions for Norton 360 as I don't work for the team and don't want to give you incorrect information.
I'll report that you suggested a function that prevents a child from disabling the NSM plug-in to the NOF management team, so they can evaluate the function and prioritize the product to do list.
I am also having this problem on one of my computers that is running NSM, HOWEVER, I know for a fact that the child is NOT disabling anything himself (I have sat by the computer multiple times and watched, and the plug-in seems to get disabled by itself).
This usually happens after he has hit google to search.
After the browser gets disabled (by itself!), NSM still seems to block websites, BUT I do not get a notification email, and any websites that are blocked that he happens to hit DO NOT show up in the list under the "Web" tab on my NSM website.
You said: "This usually happens after he has hit Google to search."
I just want to make sure I understand you correctly. Can I assume you meant to say the Norton Safety Minder add-on is Enabled, then after the child searches something in Google, then the Norton Safety MInder add-on becomes Disabled at Tools -> Manage Add-ons in IE?
Yes, that's correct. NSM is enabled, and as soon as he searches google and clicks through a link on google, NSM gets disabled. This happens consistently.
You know, on second thought, I don't agree with you that you can dismiss my original question as not being a part of "Norton Online Family" (the other Add-on or Plug-in modules which get disabled). While an adult computer user, or a Norton customer who does not elect to implement the Online Family component is fully empowered to enable or disable whatever part of the Norton 360 product they choose, the entire purpose of the Norton Online Family module is to impose the Norton 360 functionality onto the most vulnerable users - children. Children who don't understand the implications of disabling an antivirus, antispam, antimalware product. Children who don't understand that disabling an Add-on (Plug-in) may make their computer unsafe. Children who can be mislead by predators on the Internet who may entice them to disable the Norton 360 product or its components. Therefore I INSIST that you go back to my original posting in this thread, the first item in this discussion, and ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS. Thank you.
Itotallyunderstandwhyyouwanttohavethequestions answered. Ibelievethesecanhelpusersgetbetterunderstandingoftheprogramandhelpthemtoprotecttheirmachinesfromviruses. ButthequestionsrelatedtoNorton360arenotansweredbymeisbecauseIamnotauthorizedandtrainedtoprovidetheinformation for you. ItwouldbebetterfortheexpertsonNorton360tohelpyou.
I'vepassedthethreequestionstothemoderatorsintheforum, so they can move them totheappropriateforum. Ifyoudon'twanttowaitastheyhavemanythreadstoworkon, you would get faster response in the forums ifyousendthethreequestionstotheNorton360orNortonInternetSecurityforums.
I haven't seen any action on this very important question. I still believe it is a Norton Online Family question and has nothing to do with the limitations or features of Norton 360. If the Norton Online Family "Safety Minder" plug-in (add-on) can be disabled by the vulnerable children it is marketed to protect, then what good is it? False advertising is not a good way to earn customer loyalty.
Geogherkins, while I share your concern about the product, it might be wise to talk to the people who specialize in the specifics you are asking about and not continue to hassle a person who is trying to help you. Not everything in a product like this can be corrected overnight. A little patience? And, yes, it does still work. I've tried it. Try correcting your child and not the person who is attempting to serve you. :-)
I agree with Geogherkins. There should be some synergy between the Norton Online Family Team and the Norton360 Team to provide better protection for our children. Having that synergy between these products will (I think) enhance the service(s) provided to families and simplify the customer's experience when needing support.
If you think children can tamper the system by using "live CD", please send me a private message on the forum with some details, and we will check into this.
What 3rdpartyAdsEvil meant about the "Live CD" is that any one can boot in to a computer using a Live CD of any Linux distro or even Windows Live CD's to access internet or the files in their computer with out any restrictions. So if the child finds about the Live CD bit, there's no point in using any parental control features ;)
And I totally agree with JenyVazquez, and I appreciate your input in to this thread about the issue regarding Norton Online Family.
However, I could still see issue about safety minder BHO getting disabled. I hope your engineering team could figure this sooner or later :)
