I own a Windows PC for one reason, and one reason only: gaming. So, why is that Norton Internet Security (in its infinite wisdom) won’t let me install my gorram games? Yeah, Steam games install and update just fine. Stuff I get on DVDs does OK, but step away from those two paradigms and you are, apparently, screwed.
What do you call a program that downloads and installs software on your computer? Well, if you’re a game developer you call it a launcher. If you’re Norton, you call it malware. Now, I am a really-for-truly software engineer and I realize the difference is primarily semantic. Given an unknown program that is trying to install executable code, it rather makes sense to assume that it’s malware. But, really, Star Citizen? Norton doesn’t know about Star Citizen? Really? You expect me to believe that?
Last night it was a new version of the Discovery Freelancer mod. Every time I install it, Norton pre-emptively deletes it from the system. If I (gulp) turn off the firewall I can install it, but when the launcher runs, Norton again deletes it. I call tech support. After an hour of fishing around, it isn’t being deleted, but the firewall is blocking internet access.
OK, in the long run I’ll get all the firewall rules straightened out, I’ll whitelist all the executables and jump through all the other hoops Norton insists on, but what gets me is the arrogance. The belief that they know better than I do and that if I want to go against their sage (but, in this case, wrong) advice, that I must dive into the bowels of their configuration utility. (You are in a menu. The option your looking for is not here. You see three strangely labeled buttons. What do you do?)
Can anyone please tell me what is preventing Norton – having detected something suspicious – from just putting up a dialog that says, “Hi. This software looks suspicious. We think it may have malware XXXX. Do you wish to continue?” Give me that and let *me* be the final arbiter of what goes on my computer. After all, it is *my* gorram computer.