Norton Internet Security 2010 is one of the latest Norton security products made to help keep your computer safe from all malware to computer computer spyware and computer viruses. The software provides much greater insight than past versions of Norton products by showing you where files that are being downloaded came from, if they should be trusted, and how the file or program will impact your computer’s resources and overall performance. It will also warn you if you are surfing to a potentially malicious website and will help protect your identity while only. If you are planning on purchasing Norton Internet Security 2010, or plan to do so, common tasks that arise are installing and activating the software.

 How to Install Norton Internet Security 2010

Norton Internet Security 2010 supports Windows XP SP2 and above, Windows Vista, and Microsoft Windows 7. You must have the minimum requirements in processor speed, computer bus size, and RAM in order to support Norton Internet Security 2010.

Step 1 – Remove any antivirus programs or computer firewalls that you have on your computer. In order to do this, first choose the “Start” button on your computer followed by the “Control Panel” icon.

Step 2 – Select “Add or Remove Programs” on Windows XP and Vista and “Uninstall a Program” on Windows 7. 

Step 3 – Select “Remove or Uninstall” on the listing of programs next to your existing antivirus or firewall software. Then, choose the “restart Windows now” menu option followed by the “finish” button.

Step 4 – Depending on how you purchased Norton Internet Security, either insert the installation CD into your computer’s CD/DVD drive followed by the “Install Norton Internet Security” menu option or double left click the Norton installation file you downloaded.

Step 5 – Uncheck the “Norton Community Watch” check box if you do not wish to contribute to the Norton Security information pool that feeds the “trusted program” feedback the product provides. This is selected by default when you install the software.

Step 6 – Choose the “User License Agreement”, read it, then pick the “close” menu button. Next, choose the “Agree and Install” menu option. After installation, the software will open automatically.

How to Activate Norton Internet Security 2010

Step 1- Open Norton Internet Security if it is not already open.

Step 2 – Choose the “Activate Now” menu option listed on the bottom right hand corner of the Norton Internet Security Window.

Step 3 – Enter the Norton Product key in the blank text field followed by the “Next” menu option. Then, enter your email address and click the “next” menu option.

Step 4 – Enter your Norton password if you already have a Symantec account. If you do not, you will need to enter the information required in the “Create a Norton Account” section of the webpage followed by the “Next” menu option.

Step 5 – Select the “Done” button after you have reviewed your subscription details. Norton will now be activated on your computer.

Norton Antivirus 2010

Symantec recently released the final version of Norton Antivirus 2010. Building on the success of Antivirus 2009, Symantec made a number of changes to the software for 2010 and included a new heuristic or behavioral detection engine with the program to help detect emerging threats. The new technology is labeled “Quorum” and incorporates a reputation engine named “Norton Insight” to respond faster to the mutating and hibernating threat using anonymous user data from Norton software users.

Norton Antivirus 2010 Installation
Norton Antivirus 2010 installs so fast compared to the 2009 and 2008 versions of the software, you may not believe that it really is Norton Antivirus. After initiating run on the installer, if you are running a decently fast computer, you will be live on Norton within minutes. During the installation of the software, you’ll also get asked to register to provide data to Norton Insight, but are not required to do so. It was very easy for me to install the software, and when running the Beta version, uninstallation was also painless.

Norton Antivirus 2010 Features

Norton redesigned the software interface for the 2010 version in order to make the non-power user feel more comfortable using the software. You can still peer deep under the hood at what the application is doing, but coupled with the improved performance and the addition of Quorum, Norton Antivirus 2010 is a hit. Using the Insight Protection feature you can view any “known bad files” located on your computer along with “unkown” and “known good files”. The new version also lets you see what the performance data of the program has been for the past 90 minutes if desired. The measure of performance is the amount of CPU usage Norton is using. Another great feature with Norton 2010 is a combined anti-spyware capability.

Norton Antivirus 2010 Performance
On top of the quick installation of Norton Anti-virus 2010, the scan times were improved for me over the 2009 version. Not a benchmark test, but on my personal laptop a full scan finished in about 1 hr 5 minutes with the Quick Scan taking just over a minute. The Quick Scan won’t rescan files already scanned. All-in-all, it definitely appears as though Symantec took on consumer feedback on desired improvements with this year’s software.
Norton Antivirus 2010 Conclusions

Norton Antivirus 2010 has everything that a home computer user needs for a home computer antivirus solution. The improvements in speed and potential of the Quorum technology make it worth checking out if you are looking for a inexpensive, commercial antivirus and antispyware solution. If you’re not sure if you want to purchase the software, you can download a free 30 day trial from Symantec.

Norton Anti-virus is one of the most popular anti-virus programs for home computers. It is also a popular anti-virus program that is bundled with new computers sold by companies such as HP and Dell computing. Many computer users will want to be able to turn Norton off if they have a preferred anti-virus program or need to conduct computer downloads or game play that are not compatible with running Norton anti-virus. Regardless of the reason that you need to turn Norton on or off, it is relatively straightforward to accomplish once you have done it once.

How to Turn Norton Anti-Virus Off Using the Software Interface

The easiest way to turn Norton Anti-virus off is using the program’s interface to secure the application. In order to so:
1 – Double left click the Anti-virus center icon in the right corner of your toolbar. Then, choose the “status and Settings” toolbar option.
2 – Now, you’ll select the “Security” menu option and select the “off” option on the subsequent menu.

When you restart your computer, Norton Anti-virus will be off.

How to Manually Turn Off Norton Security

Alternatively, you can secure Norton Anti-virus manually through the Windows Task Manager. To secure Norton in this manner:
1 – Open your computer’s task manager by choosing the “Ctrl + Alt + Delete” keys simultaneously.
2 – Choose the “Processes” tab that’s at the top of your computer’s task manager. You can then sort the application names by clicking the “description” program heading.
3 – Find Norton Anti-virus on the program listing. Single left click the program name and choose the “End Process” menu option. Norton will now be manually turned off.

How to Manually Turn On Norton Security

If you need to turn Norton Security back on, you will need to open Norton from your computer’s start menu. Then,
1 – Choose the “Options” menu option in the main Norton window.
2 – Toggle the “Auto-Protect” option in the Norton Options window and check the check box next to the “Enable Auto-Protect” menu choice. Norton will now be enabeld on your computer.

How to Enable Norton LiveUpdate

Norton LiveUpdate can be set to have Norton Anti-Virus to check for software updates automatically on a set schedule. When LiveUpdate is set to automatic, it will check for updates on a four hour frequency. In order to enable LiveUpdate you will need to:

1 – Choose the “Options” menu in the main Norton Anti-virus window.
2 – Click the “Internet” option in the options menu and pick “LiveUpdate”
3 – Then, choose the “Enable Automatic LiveUpdate” check box on the next window.

Can’t seem to navigate your way around the available 2009 anti-virus programs? Well, the following is a short review of 10 of the best anti-virus programs on the market today intended to help get you going with choosing your computer security software! Protect yourself from malware today!

Top 10 2009 Anti-Virus Programs

#1 2009 Anti-Virus Program – Kapersky Labs Anti-Virus 2009
The Kapersky 2009 Anti-Virus program features a brand new GUI(graphic user interface) and has new application filtering features. If you don’t require parental controls and have a anti-spam service already, this may be the right anti-virus for your needs.

#2 2009 Anti-Virus Program – BitDefender Internet Security 2009

BitDefender now comes with remote configuration and online backup features that weren’t there in the previoius version. Overall decent performance and may be your best bet if you need the special features.

#3 2009 Anti-Virus Program – ESET Smart Security 4.0

ESET 4.0 has one of the smallest performance impacts on your computer speed of all of the combined security products on the market. An all-in-one product, you get a firewall, anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-spam features in the tool.

#4 2009 Anti-Virus Program – Norton 360 Version 3.0

Norton 360 is the premier tool offered to the public by Symantec. It has a very low hit on your computer’s performance, and has a great industry reputation. If you want to try out one of the proven computer security tools on the Market, Norton 360 may be the anti-malware program for you.

#5 2009 Anti-Virus Program – Trend Micro Internet Security Pro 2009

Trend Micro is well known for the free version of their tool, however, the premium edition doesn’t disappoint this year. Its not quite as efficient as Norton, but it gets the job done for malware prevention and removal.

#6 2009 Anti-Virus Program - ZoneAlarm Extreme Security
Zone Alarm Extreme Security combines Check Point Software’s previous tools into one software package. It is very competitive with Norton 360 and just lags the Norton product in overall performance.

#7 2009 Anti-Virus Program – McAfee Total Protection 2009
McAfee really improved their malware detection with their 2009 software package and it has one of the best anti-spam tools on the market. The software interface is still a bit sluggish and takes up a significant amount of your computer’s resources.

#8 2009 Anti-Virus Program –

CA Internet Security Suite Plus 2009

A combination of a number of anti-virus tools, the CA suite is ok. If you have another option, you may want to consider another anti-virus package.
#9 2009 AntiVirus Program – Panda Global Protection 2009
The Panda 2009 anti-virus suite has great Artificial Intelligence with improved spam filtering. The spyware and malware protection was a bit off this year.

#10 2009 AntiVirus Program – ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009

ZoneAlarm has an excellent firewall. Reviews state that it still has problems with removing malware your computer is already infected with, but is still assessed as a strong anti-virus program.

So, you have just bought a computer and are trying to decide what anti-malware or anti-virus software you need to acquire to be fully protected. Well, the following are some factors that I’ve found useful when looking for the right malware protection:

Anti-Malware Software Capabilities to Consider

 1 – Anti-Malware Software Speed

A common complaint from computer users when using anti-malware software is that it slows their computer down too much. Due to this loss of efficiency, many computer users will turn off their anti-malware software. With the number of threats on the Internet, this is not the optimal choice to make. Why not, choose anti-malware software that is reviewed to run faster than their competitors one of the factors you consider in your decision making process for the software purchase?

2 – Anti-Spam Features

Not all anti-malware software has anti-spam features incorporated into the software. If you do not already have anti-spam protection built in to your email service (think Gmail), then this should be another feature to look for in your anti-virus software.

3 – Anti- Spyware Features

Similar to anti-spam features, not all anti-malware software has anti-spyware capability built in to it. Or, if it does, it is not effective. This can give you a false sense of security. Spyware is just as important as other malware to defend against. Ensure you are making an informed decision when making your software purchase.

4 – Firewall Capability

If you run Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or newer (Vista, Windows  7) then you have a firewall capability bundled with your computer. Don’t spend extra money on a third party firewall unless you have tried the Microsoft variant first! (it’s free) If you are an anti-Microsoft type of computer user or just don’t like their free firewall, then ensure you consider anti-malware products that bundle a firewall with the software package.

5 – Ease of Installation

Not everyone is trained in Information Technology or Computer Science. If a software manufacturer can’t make software that my Dad can install with no more than a few clicks, then the installation is too complex. What are the odds you will miss a critical configuration option that can expose you to attack? If you’re a power computer user, then this becomes less of an issue.

6 – Parental controls

With the number of malware and computer viruses spreading via peer-2-peer networks now-a-days, this is becoming an increasingly popular feature for parents when choosing anti-malware software. The anti-malware companies are slowly realizing this, so you may still have limited options when searching for tools that have quality reviews for parental controls.

7 – Cost

In down economic times, we are all looking to save money. You can find some good tools that are free, or have trial versions you can use, however, I always say you “get what you pay for.” If you are on the Internet a lot (or you children are), get decent anti-malware protection! Its hard to put a price on safety…especially when it runs less than $100 USD for a decent product!