Tracking thread for the new version 25.xx release

[SoulAsylum]

@Arugula177 Respectfully, you have no idea. I DO NOT OC any of my devices. I’m not that naive . There was no faulty cooling fan lmbo. Thermal paste on a new device less than 2 years old is bad? Please, do your research regarding what TjMAX is and how it can destroy hardware. I’ve been in the PC business more than 30 years. Logs do not lie either. I’m certainly NOT defending Norton at all. In all my years I have NEVER had a device doing a Windows Update present an A/V upgrade at the same time. Live Updates were disabled for Norton on that device. Therefore the update was forced and, we were not home when this took place. On the other side of the spectrum, this could have easily become a fire event.

Norton versions 24.xx and 25.xx are logged here numerous times regarding CPU over usage, destructive temps come with that. Conversely, I have two laptops that still have 25.xx on that but not being used. Way before this last release they BOTH use high CPU usage the entire time they are booted. Norton is always the cause. I wish you all the best and thank you for your observations. In my case you cannot be more wrong about the cause of my loss.

Edited: Below are the default Core Temp settings on my daily duster PC. ALL my devices use this.

With Regards,
SA

[Arugula177]

@majorbuzz

Hi @Arugula177. Sure I have a UPS. It’s my third one. They were all purchased at Best Buy. One got fried during one of our typical summer storms that got just too close to my home. Lightning struck a tree right across the street. It blew the UPS out, as well as just about half the computer related things that were plugged through it. I think they’re great for just what they are supposed to do, but after what happened, I prefer to be cautious when practical. These storms can be fierce.

I always buy APC UPS’. Either from Newegg or Microcenter. Never had an issue and I had lightning strike the utility pole across my street with my lines being attached to that pole. But my house circuit breaker tripped before any damage could be done. But obviously my UPS was on battery at this time.

I had 165 events logged since I got it just over 3 years ago. That is quite a lot of events logged for that short of time. So I am well aware of power issues unfortunately. Especially since my area had a bad transformer. That thing would always trip with the slightest breeze causing my neighborhood to lose power. They finally replaced it last year.

Anyway, I would look into a better UPS with a higher joule rating. I never buy anything under 1500VA/900 watts, but thats just me.

[Arugula177]

@SoulAsylum

Respectfully, you have no idea. I DO NOT OC any of my devices. I’m not that naive . There was no faulty cooling fan lmbo. Thermal paste on a new device less than 2 years old is bad? Please, do your research regarding what TjMAX is and how it can destroy hardware.

Just because someone OC their CPU or GPU. Does not make them naive. Yes, I very much do have an idea actually. Thanks for the non needed insults.

I will say this though. What stands out to me is that your monitoring software Core Temp says your i5 6500 has a 212°F max. However, intel themselves list the “Tcase” max at 71°C (160°F) as well as techpowerup. Which means the junction point is probably around 80-90°C max. I doubt that CPU is 100°C max. Especially since its only 65W.

Yes, your Cooler is 100% to blame if that is actually what happened. I have been building computers since the turn of the century. For myself, friends, family, co-workers. Didnt have one issue or complaint in any that I built. My first PC still works to this day with all original parts. Yes, I still have it.

If this is the same CPU you had on the PC that failed. It has 4 cores with no HT support and is rated at only 65W. I dont think it could have gotten that hot anyway. As any basic cooler should more than suffice. Unless you just have a really bad cooler on it, cooler is faulting, or again, your paste is bad, or applied poorly. Yes, even after 2 years if paste is cheap it can dry quick or gaps in the paste can form.

So with that said, you should be able to run any program/s with a full work load with all cores at max and never hit max temps. Because an adequate cooler should be on the CPU keeping temps well below the T-Junction. Regardless of CPU used.

Anyway, thats just my 2 cents on the issue you posted.

[SoulAsylum]

@Arugula177

My comment was HIGHLIGHTED respectfully, I don’t know where insults came into the picture on your part. I have been building computers since the late 1980’s as well. No chest thumping there just a fact that doesn’t change anything regarding Norton destroying a perfectly working computer. And once again, the CPU fan OR OLD thermal paste wasn’t the cause. Argue that until the cows come home if you wish. Its just not what happened.

-NO!! The earlier screenshots aren’t the device in question. The ones posted here now, in this post ARE. As stated earlier your opinion is noted and welcomed. Not having the device in front of you to review and making “assumptions” doesn’t sit well on my end.

Fried chip that is sitting directly on top of the power bus. This is what cause the mainboard not to boot due to excessive heating during a Windows Update and a forced Norton upgrade at the same time.

As always, thanks for the opposing view. Conversely, here are the facts.

SA

[majorbuzz]

@Arugula177

I never buy anything under 1500VA/900 watts,

Hi @Arugula177. You know, you bring up your house circuit breaker. I have one, and it’s never tripped before. I never thought about THAT. Now that you bring it up though, it’s time for an electrician I think. I also have one of those storm collars they put around your meter, but as you know, they supposedly only protect you big appliances. I need to Google how they work.
I never installed the software that came with any of the UPS I’ve had. Unfortunately, I don’t have the specs on the previous ones, but my ratings are lower than what you suggest. Now I have 1000 VA, 600 watts, and 2,000 Jules. I hear what your saying, and I have trust in these units, but it’s my belief if a storm is electrically fierce, these units won’t stand up.

Thanks for sharing your story, and your suggestions.

[SoulAsylum]

Linking yet another thread where network is being randomly set between private and public. There are other posts around the forums where others are seeing the issue as well. Please point them here to this tracking thread so they can follow Norton’s progress.

Mesh network smart firewall changes from private to public

Smart Firewall keeps changing Wi-Fi network from private to public and applying restrictive settings Detailed description: I have tried setting smart firewall to follow windows settings on network trust, but still will change it to public. My network is a mesh system and i suspect norton sees it and wants to call it a public system. How can I setup smart firewall to always leave my network to private. This is a desktop so I don’t have to worry about joining a public network. Currently I have 3 …

SA

[Arugula177]

@SoulAsylum

Not having the device in front of you to review and making “assumptions” doesn’t sit well on my end.

Oh, you using a Trigkey. Anyway, it wasnt windows update or norton that caused this issue. Just bad manufacturing as you are one of many people this has happened to.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MiniPCs/comments/1fd4t23/any_idea_what_happened_here/

https://www.reddit.com/r/MiniPCs/comments/1dvemqm/trigkey_g4_n100_this_doesnt_look_good_right/

https://www.reddit.com/r/MiniPCs/comments/1e9rgpx/trigkey_n4020_wireless_damage/

Stop buying from China. Problem solved.

[Arugula177]

@majorbuzz

Thanks for sharing your story, and your suggestions.

Np, GL with your power endeavors.

[Arugula177]

Also to note. I no longer have any issues with Norton 360 for 10 devices. I let my subscription expire and have uninstalled from all PC. Now I have no issues at all and working great!

Even after the constant hounding of renewal at a big discounted price from Norton, I will still not use this software unless its fully fixed. Until than…

[majorbuzz]

@Arugula177 I guess I should congratulate you for going the peace of mind route. Tell me, after seeing 90% of the people on here defect to Bitdefender Total. What did you go to? Sorry, I’m nosy.

[Arugula177]

@majorbuzz

What did you go to? Sorry, I’m nosy.

Lol, Windows Security. I dont do anything really that can get a virus. So I feel comfortable just with that.

Also noticed how fast and responsive FireFox is now without Norton. All my webpages load up almost instantly now with no delay. With Norton, even without the browser plugin installed, there would be a slight delay. Now, its blazing fast. Which is great.

I mean, the smart thing is just dont download anything you arent familiar with and stay away from shady sites, and you wont have any issues. Even though from time to time you may get something that Norton would detect. Even when doing legit searches. So that gave peace of mind, but it rarley happens.

I do have NordVPN which also offers security. Its still pretty new. Maybe ill check it out at some point if Windows doesnt suffice. I guess well see how it goes, and if Gen Digitial can get their act together. Im in no rush.

[majorbuzz]

@Arugula177 … I think you made a good move. You already have Windows Security, you may as well give it a whirl. That comes from a guy who’s never tried it. LOL

I do a lot of web reading, and I’ve come across so many recent articles stating that using Windows Security along with running Malwarebytes free version of their on call scanner once a week is all you really need.

I’ve disabled Norton auto - protect before and noticed how much spunkier my PC is. But I ordered a tough little brat a few years ago, so it runs really well with Norton fully engaged, even while I’m running a full system scan (20 min) I can browse and do light stuff.

Oh I’m sure you know that besides running Windows Security and Malwarebytes free (weekly), you might as well use the Norton Safe Web Firefox Extension. It really is an aggressive malicious web finder.

[SoulAsylum]

Adding a fresh thread link for an issue that has gone unattended since version 24.xx was released.

Outlook 365 Send/Receive error when sending emails

I’m using the latest Norton 360 Advanced (version 25.3.9983 (build 25.3.9983.926)). I’m also using the latest Office 365 (Outlook version 2505 (Build 18623.20208 Click-to-Run). The error message from Outlook is: “The operation timed out waiting for a response from the sending (SMTP) server. If you continue to receive this message, contact your server administrator or ISP”. The result is that the message sits permanently in the Outbox and is never sent.. Two of my four Windows 11 computers sho…

SA

[majorbuzz]

@Puzzler @Gribouille342 @SoulAsylum @bjm @Arugula177 @Mitch.Green

Hi everybody. I hope I didn’t inconvenience you, but Norton V25.4 did something I’ve never seen before, and despite all the issues we have (if you’re still using it), I feel that "protection " wise, the program is doing its job. Just a quick mention how safe web has blocked me from a few sites, but on to what happened.

I own an email client called OE classic that retrieves email from multiple accounts for me at one shot, kind of like Microsoft Outlook that may come with Office, though it’s been designed as kind of a throwback to Outlook Express as you’ll see. So this morning, when I clicked send/receive, this notification appeared.

I was most surprised because I didn’t realize it worked with this email program.
Then behind the message was the exact same message that was quarantined. So I opened it using the image blocker, and this is what I saw.

I just thought I’d share this experience with you all. I hope everybody is doing well. Cheers!

[bjm]

@majorbuzz

So this morning, when I clicked send/receive, this notification appeared.

So, presumably you were not expecting mail From: much <mallickarman2267@gmail.com>

=======================================================

AI Overview
“HTML:ExtortMail-KV [Scam]” indicates a phishing scam involving a malicious HTML file disguised as a legitimate email attachment. The “ExtortMail” part suggests it’s designed to extort information or money, while “KV” might refer to the specific malware or its developers. The user is advised to treat all HTML attachments with extreme caution, as they can be used to deliver phishing pages, keyloggers, or other malicious content.

Here’s a more detailed explanation:

How it works:
The scam typically involves an email containing an HTML file attachment. When the user opens the attachment, they are redirected to a fake website or login page that mimics a legitimate service.

Data Theft:
The attacker collects the user’s credentials, financial information, or other sensitive data entered on the fake page.

Extortion:
The collected data can be used for various purposes, including identity theft, financial fraud, or even ransomware attacks.

Why HTML is used:

• Flexibility:

HTML can be used to create dynamic and visually appealing content, making it easier for attackers to craft convincing phishing pages.

• Obfuscation:

HTML files can be used to obfuscate malicious code, making it harder for security software to detect them.

• Bypass Email Filters:

Attackers can send HTML attachments instead of links to bypass email filters and security measures, as HTML files are often treated with less scrutiny than executable files, says Securelist.

How to protect yourself:

• Be Alert:

Never open HTML attachments from unknown or suspicious sources.

• Enable File Extensions:

Enable the viewing of file extensions in Windows to easily identify the file type.

• Use Anti-Malware Software:

Ensure your computer has up-to-date anti-malware software and that it’s configured to scan email attachments.

• Verify Links:

Before clicking any link, double-check the website’s address and ensure it’s the legitimate one.

• Consider Outlook 365 Blocking:

Some email providers like Outlook 365 allow you to block HTML attachments to further reduce the risk of phishing attacks, as noted by Jam Cyber How and Why to Block HTM/HTML Attachments in Outlook 365.

[Gribouille342]

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback regarding the “effectiveness” of the protection offered by Norton. This is “reassuring” and in my opinion, it’s the least of things for a security suite.
Personally, I have also seen that the “offered” protection is effective.

Regards,

[majorbuzz]

@bjm

“HTML:ExtortMail-KV [Scam]” indicates a phishing scam involving a malicious HTML file disguised as a legitimate email attachment.

Hey @bjm – Very interesting. When I google “ExtortMail-KV [Scam]” this is just the top part of what I get…

“ExtortMail-KV” probably refers to extortion emails that are part of a scam designed to frighten and intimidate recipients into paying money to the senders.
These emails often claim to have compromised your computer or personal information and threaten to expose embarrassing material or activities unless you pay a ransom, typically in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.

Hi @Gribouille342 … thanks for writing. Be good!

[SoulAsylum]

@majorbuzz Thanks for that post. I take that as a “positive plus” for the new release going forward. Firewall rules settings, general product settings, CPU usage issues are still the deal breakers for me. Hoping that sooner than later those are addressed.

SA

[bjm]

@majorbuzz

Hey @bjm – Very interesting. When I google “ExtortMail-KV [Scam]” this is just the top part of what I get…

“ExtortMail-KV” probably refers to extortion emails that are part of a scam designed to frighten and intimidate recipients into paying money to the senders.
These emails often claim to have compromised your computer or personal information and threaten to expose embarrassing material or activities unless you pay a ransom, typically in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.

Hey @majorbuzz

AI Overviews rely on large language models (LLMs) like Gemini to generate summaries. These models are constantly learning and improving, which can lead to changes in the way they interpret information and create responses.
AI responses may include mistakes.

[majorbuzz]

@SoulAsylum - Hey SA. Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my post, and letting us know how your friendship with Norton V25.4 is going. I have a different set of issues than you apparently, all of which seem to do with ignoring my settings, though I’d never know if I wasn’t a busybody peering into security history and seeing things running that I’ve set to manual, or the UDP (17) thing where somebody (maybe you) told us how to stop by shutting off net bios in Windows. Nothing visibly has gotten better on my end throughout the half dozen updates since October, but I feel better seeing the ‘email catch’ I posted and thought I should share.
@bjm – Yeah, I rely on AI more so than search engines because it’s a more personal experience and much much faster (at least with built in Copilot), but it is often outright wrong, but always exudes confidence with its answers. Overall, I think the print screen I first posted gave me as much info as I needed to know Amigo.