Need clarification on "Automatic Download of New Version" setting

I have "Automatic Download of New Version" set to off, yet when I booted this morning, I automatically received the new 19.7.0.9 update.

 

That is ok with me .... because when I set "Automatic Download of New Version" to off, I was assuming that I would still automatically receive "dot version" updates (19.6 to 19.7), but I assumed that by setting "Automatic Download of New Version" to off I would not automatically receive major release updates (such as Ver 19 to Ver 20 and/or NIS2012 to NIS2013). For those major upgrades, I do not want them automatically installed ... I want to have more control of when they will be installed on my computer.

 

Tony Weiss' recent sticky post of April 23 is titled: "Product Update - 19.7 for Norton Internet Security ..." and I am confused as to whether my setting for "Automatic Download of New Version" applies to upgrades like that (i.e., a "dot version" upgrade: from 19.6 to 19.7).

 

I am confused by the nomenclature being used (especially the terms "Product Update" , "Program Update", and "New Version".

 

I found this page:

 

https://www-secure.symantec.com/norton-support/jsp/help-solutions.jsp?docid=v23920708_NIS_Retail_2012_en_us&product=Norton%20Internet%20Security&lg=english&ct=us&version=current&pvid=f-nis-cur

 

... which distinguishes between Product Upgrade and Program Update and says this (underlining is mine):

 

"Product upgrade lets you download and install a new version of the entire product"

 

"Program updates are enhancements to Norton Internet Security that Symantec issues periodically."

 

 

Is the new updgrade to 19.7.0.9 considered a Product upgrade (i.e, new version) or a Program update?

 

 

The title of Tony's post uses the term "Product Update" for 19.7.0.9. Thus if 19.7.0.9 is a "Product Update" then (based on the definitions found in the above mentioned web page), v 19.7.0.7 is a new version of the entire product ... and thus I would assume that by having "Automatic Download of New Version" to off ... I would not have automatically received the 19.7.0.9 upgrade.

 

Am I making any sense here?

 

Again, the upgrade behaved as I wanted it .... by setting  "Automatic Download of New Version" to off, I wanted to receive "dot releases" and not major releases. And I did automatically receive the 19.7.0.9 upgrade. It's just that the terminology used for 19.7 (calling it a Product Update) has just confused me ... since "Product Update" implies "new version" and "new version" implies setting "Automatic Download of New Version" to off should result in my not getting 19.7.0.9 automatically.

 

If the "Automatic Download of New Version"  setting only applies to major versions (v 19  to v 20 or NIS 2012 to NIS 2013), then perhaps the label on the setting should be changed from "Automatic Download of New Version" to  "Automatic Download of New Major Version" ... or perhaps "dot upgrades" from 19.6 to 19.7 should be given a different name (such as Program Update, or something like that).

 

Can anyone clarifiy the nomenclature for me and verify that the setting for "Automatic Download of New Version" only applies to major releases (such as 19.x to 20.x and/or NIS2012 to 2013)?

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

Hi geek47,

 

I believe I followed you all the way thru your post.

 

Here is how I remember it - after being just as confused as you are at one time.

 

If it changes the version number, the first digit (or two)  then it is an upgrade and this is considered a new version thus the Automatic Download of New Version" to off  will stop (prevent) the download of this type of upgrade.

 

This is where it gets a bit more tricky - if it is, as you called a  "dot version" it is an update and this is considered an enhancement, thus the Automatic Download of New Version" to off will not have stop(prevent) the download of this type of enhancement ( dot version as you call it) update as I call it.

 

Two diferent animals - one upgrade (major version change ie v 5 to V 6 or V 19 to V 20)  the other is an update deosn't change the first one or two numbers, but may change the remaining numbers.  You noticed  I said may - not all updates change the dot versions as you call them - it depends on how really minor the changes are.  I know it's crazy, but that's how it is.

 

So now after all that and all you posted,  if all you are concerned about is an answer.......well, yes, what you have figured out is correct OFF will prevent upgrades but still prermit dot versions.

 

I hope that's clear - if not I'm sure someone will clarify it.  They may even have an easier way to exaplin it!

Hi geek47,

 

I think you've got the right idea.  "Automatic Download of New Version" would apply to the yearly release of new products, ie., NIS 2013.  These new versions replace a currently installed version by completely removing the existing product and installing the new one.  Even if you opt to have the new version download automatically, it will not install until you launch the installer.  On the other hand, Program Updates are used to fix known issues or to make changes to an existing product.  These are delivered through LiveUpdate, install in the background, and require no user interaction other than a PC restart.  You should always allow LiveUpdate to check for, and install, any program updates that are available as many of them contain patches to maintain compatibility with other software, such as Firefox.

Others have commented in  the past about the confusion in terms for Upgrade and Update.

Maybe you could search the product suggestions section of this forum for this question. You can add your voice to some kind of clarification or renaming of the terms.

@yank, SendofJive, and peterweb:

 

Thanks for your quick replies clarifying how the "Automatic Download of New Version" setting actually works.

 

However, as you all have said, the following 4 terms are confusing. Symantec's web page (referenced in my original post) only defines 2 of the 4 terms:

Program update - defined

Program upgrade - not defined

Product update - not defined (but used in Tony's announcement for 19.7.0.9)

Product upgrade - defined

 

I've taken peterweb's advice and posted in the Product Suggestions forum. If interested, here's a link:

 

http://community.norton.com/t5/Product-Suggestions/Clarification-needed-for-Program-Product-update-upgrade/td-p/704267

 

Thanks again. Hopefully, Symantec will clarify these terms in the future.

 

I think the issue is more a matter of imprecise usage, rather than a lack of definitions.  There are basically three categories of updates/upgrades as far as Norton is concerned:

 

Protection updates:  These update the virus definitions, intrusion signatures and other data that Norton uses to detect malware and malicious activity.

 

Program updates:  These make changes to the installed software, and are somewhat synonymous with "patches."

 

Product  upgrades:  These replace the installed product with an entirely new version.

 

The term "update" means to change data in a file or a database, and so it is the proper term to use for modifications to the Protection signatures or Program files.  An "upgrade" is defined as replacing existing software with a newer version, and so it should be used when discussing a complete changeout of the Product itself.  So even though all of these terms have precise meanings, we sometimes get a little sloppy and start using some of them interchangeably.  If you spend much time around here at all though, you'll see enough posts where "memory" is confused with "disk space," and "delete" is used to mean "uninstall," that you soon get pretty adept at using context to sort out the inaccuracies.  :smileyhappy:

@SendofJive:

>I think the issue is more a matter of imprecise usage, rather than a lack of definitions.

I totally agree with your assessment that the issue is one of imprecise usage.

When I set "Automatic Download of New Version" to off, I expected to continue to automatically receive protection updates as well as to continue to automatically receive Program updates. I just did not want new releases to automatically be downloaded.

And NIS was functioning as I expected.

After seeing the announcement for NIS 19.7.0.9 (in these forums), I checked the version on my PC ... and noticed that 19.7.0.9 had already been silently downloaded and installed (at my last boot). So far, so good. It was only when I noticed that the title of the 19.7.0.9 announcement called it a "Product Update" that I became confused. I could not find a definition for a "Product Update" ... so I did not know if the setting for "Automatic Download of New Version" applied to the "Product Update" or not.

Based on your (and others) responses, I now know that "Automatic Download of New Version" only applies to "Product Upgrades".

So, perhaps my confusion was indeed caused by imprecise usage of the (undefined) term: "Product Update" in the title of the 19.7.0.9 announcement. Had that announcement's title used the term "Program Update", then there would have been no confusion. Also, had the "help" web page that is displayed for the setting "Automatic Download of New Version" been a bit more clear in stating that the setting ONLY applies to new major releases, then there would have been no confusion.  



>So even though all of these terms have precise meanings, we sometimes get a little sloppy and start using some of them interchangeably. If you spend much time around here at all though ... you soon get pretty adept at using context to sort out the inaccuracies.

Agreed. But new users (who have not spent much time here in the forums) might get somewhat confused by imprecise usage. If we users who frequently post here, as well as Symantec employees who post here and/or create web page content, are more precise it can only serve to help those infrequent visitors and/or new NIS users.