Forwarded From: anon@iname.com
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/a/AP-CompuBug-Systemworks.html
January 25, 1999
Norton Works in Your PC's Sewers
Filed at 8:07 a.m. EST
By The Associated Press
Utilities programs do the everyday chores around your computer --
sweeping, taking out the trash, making sure the electronic doors are
locked.
That means checking for viruses, deleting useless files, and making
information stored on the hard disk readily accessible.
Windows 95 and 98 come with disk scanning and defragmenting utilities, and
there are individual programs available to accomplish other chores. But if
you want a one-stop problem-solver, check out Norton SystemWorks from
Symantec.
Norton Utilities has been around for years, filling the user-friendliness
gaps that Microsoft left in DOS, and later in Windows. This latest
incarnation is a suite of programs that make life with a PC decidedly
easier.
The package includes Norton Anti-Virus 5.0, Norton Utilities 3.0, Norton
Crashguard 4.0 and Norton Cleansweep 4.5.
Computer viruses are self-replicating programs that cause mischief and
even physical damage. They travel on the Internet and on shared disks.
Although often hyped, especially by companies that offer solutions, they
are real; and if you spend a lot of time downloading Internet files, you
should have protection.
Norton Utilities includes several handy tools. There's an unerase
function, a disk optimizer, a utility for cleaning up disk space, a
crash-recovery and prevention module, and ``doctors'' for both Windows and
the hard disk.
Crashguard offers a parachute when Windows practices its annoying habit of
shutting down programs it deems to be operating illegally and losing your
work in the process. With Crashguard running, you can terminate the
application and save your work.
The doctors diagnose and fix problems, keeping you informed in the
process. Because Windows is so complex internally, installing and
uninstalling plenty of software can cause a mess. A doctor usually can
rescue you on its own; when it can't, it refers you to one that can.
The Cleansweep utility tackles your hard drive and helps you remove
unwanted cookies, plug-ins and outdated files. It also keeps track of
everything that's installed to the drive so that it can be uninstalled
properly and completely -- something Windows' add/remove programs and
individual software installations sometimes don't do.
One of the nicest features of the package for novices is a dictionary
available in the Help file. It translates any highlighted term from
Technobabble into English. If you can't distinguish UART from a Yugo,
it'll be a friend indeed.
The package also includes Norton Web Services, a site for software patches
and product updates aimed at the business user. Patches are software fixes
that update an original product shipped with a shortcoming.
System requirements for Norton SystemWorks are modest: 486/66 or higher
processor, 16 megabytes of RAM, at least 105 megabytes of free hard disk
space and Windows 95/98.
Norton products are widely available at retail. The suggested price for
SystemWorks is $69.95.
-o-
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Received on Thu Mar 11 17:13:42 1999