Is the TTP community smarter than Microsoft and Symantec? Let's find out...

[Rumble]

OK Here's hoping you guys can find better answers than I could with Google, and by contacting Microsoft and Symantec.

Setup: Dell PowerEdge server running Windows Home Server connected via the network to my wife and my computers. Both computers are running Norton Internet Security 2010.

Problem: WHS keeps reporting that neither computer on the network has Spyware protection. Microsoft says if it says no spyware there is no spyware. Symantec says Norton Internet Security 2010 has spyware protection and it is enabled.

Still getting the message though, so what's going on?

[Cojiro]

windows is stupid and therefore always wrong. I would just disable Windows notifications related to antivirus programs

[Warprosper]

sounds like firewall problem with the clients being blocked at the server or the server being blocked from requesting info from the clients..

[Kanati]

Not to mention that I wouldn't trust norton with my garbage. I've seen that piece of crap block ITSELF before.

[psychonitrous]

Get ANYTHING to replace Norton. The program is a huge resource hog and does not catch things avg or avast FREE versions do. I work for an ISP in Colorado and 15% of all client issues we deal with have to do with Norton. Every client I have suggested getting rid of norton was much happier after they replaced it with something else.

That being said, I would disable notifications like an above poster suggested. If you know you have antispyware / antivirus then you do not need software to yell at you.

If you want to keep norton and don't want to disable notifications then try to disable the firewall on norton and see what the server says. If you get the all clear you have a problem with norton blocking the service that detects it.

[Rumble]

First of all, Norton was redesigned 2 years ago, fixing nearly all of it's resource hog issues. It has even been voted the best av/is package on the market by publications like Maximum PC, doing better in resources and catching virus' and intrusions. Neither myself or any of my customers have had a single issue that could be traced back to Norton since 2009 came out. I was as much an anti-Norton person as most other IT people prior to the 2009 overhaul, but I agree with the critics (media not random biased) who think the new Norton software is better than just about anything else on the market. Rewriting Norton from scratch was the best thing Symantec ever did. A lot of people's negative opinions of Norton software is based on previous versions and end-user error. Avast is inferior to the current Norton, and extensive testing at Maximum PC showed it.

As to the problem at hand, the notification comes from the WHS Connector Software, so disabling Windows notifications doesn't fix it.
I've also checked all the firewall settings for both the server and the computers. They were not blocking anything, and the logs show no failed communication between them.
I also had a theory that WHS reported that error before actualy checking the status of the software, being that Norton doesn't finish it's initial check of the system until after the WHS Connector Software loads, so maybe WHS doesn't see the Anti-Spyware right away, reports it as missing, then corrects when it detects it. My theory coming from the fact there is no error in the alert log showing the lack of Anti-Spyware.

Thoughts?
(Let's not make this a pro/anti Norton thread. You've said your peace, I've said mine.)

[JimboIncinerator]

First of all, Norton was redesigned 2 years ago, fixing nearly all of it's resource hog issues. It has even been voted the best av/is package on the market by publications like Maximum PC, doing better in resources and catching virus' and intrusions. Neither myself or any of my customers have had a single issue that could be traced back to Norton since 2009 came out. I was as much an anti-Norton person as most other IT people prior to the 2009 overhaul, but I agree with the critics (media not random biased) who think the new Norton software is better than just about anything else on the market. Rewriting Norton from scratch was the best thing Symantec ever did. A lot of people's negative opinions of Norton software is based on previous versions and end-user error. Avast is inferior to the current Norton, and extensive testing at Maximum PC showed it.

As to the problem at hand, the notification comes from the WHS Connector Software, so disabling Windows notifications doesn't fix it.
I've also checked all the firewall settings for both the server and the computers. They were not blocking anything, and the logs show no failed communication between them.
I also had a theory that WHS reported that error before actualy checking the status of the software, being that Norton doesn't finish it's initial check of the system until after the WHS Connector Software loads, so maybe WHS doesn't see the Anti-Spyware right away, reports it as missing, then corrects when it detects it. My theory coming from the fact there is no error in the alert log showing the lack of Anti-Spyware.

Thoughts?
(Let's not make this a pro/anti Norton thread. You've said your peace, I've said mine.)

I agree. I have 2009 gamer addition, and it kicks some ass. Last version of norton on used was 2001, before it become bloatware.

Later.

[Braddoc]

post #2 of this thread is from a MS partner:
http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/e...-49276423a593/

[vectus]

Currently there are no anti-spyware products that are supported on WHS.

Same goes for Firewalls - although you do have the Windows Firewall.

Avast AntiVirus is the only supported AV product at the time for WHS

Andrew

Thanks, Braddoc, for posting the link. Making a quote of it for easy reference.

[CivilWars]

I think the literal meaning of that warning is "You do not have a Microsoft ________ product installed. Please send us more money to make this alert go away."