Should I use Norton Anti Virus 2003?

In my XP SP3 system, I have Norton Anti Virus 2003 which is part of Norton System Works 2003. The software has been good for me and I would like to keep it. I know Norton is notorious for using excessive system resources but this is a very old version which takes significantly less resources than current Norton Anti Virus. Even though it is old, I still can get the latest virus definition by reformatting the hard drive and reinstalling the software. Virus definition subscription is valid for 1 year starting from the first day of installing the software.

In this harsh economic condition, I need to save money as much as I can. Should I keep it or should I spend $39.99 for another anti virus like Nod32? What advantage of Nod32 that is worth $39.99? I mean both software use latest virus definition and both use very small system resources. In fact, after trying it, I think Nod32 uses slightly more resources than NAV 2003.

 

i think you can get away with using

anti-virus: avg antivirus free edition
firewall: zonealarm firewall free
anti-spyware: spybot search and destroy, spywareblaster

 

Hello there. You are approaching this with a skewed image what an AV is. First and foremost, an AV has its core engine. Having said that, do you think that a Norton 2003 engine is still efficient in today's environment? You can put the latest definitions and still have issues because the AV won't be capable of certain things due to the rudimentary engine.

I advise, download Norton 2009 gaming, give it a try and purchase that. It is amazing and it will surprise you.

 

I've been using Avast for a long time now. I've recommended it to all my friends and they like it. It's free and works well.

http://avast.com

 

Also take a look at Avira. It works pretty well too.

 

I had NAV 2003 which I used on my old desktop. It was not that slow considering the desktop was a Celeron 733 powered machine...

But, there are way better free AV's out there now than an antiquated Norton 2003 engine:

Avira is brilliant. I use it now and it's free. Here's the link:

http://www.free-av.de/

Give it a try. You won't be dissapointed.

Cheers,
Theo

 

You are wrong. Norton AV 2009 is the best Norton AV till date. It uses the least resources and more efficient than the previous versions. I got it from buy.com for $16.99. If you don't want to spend money, Avira free would be the best alternative.

 

I think it would make a lot more sense to use a modern AV, even a free one instead of a 6 year old Norton product. It's comparing apples to watermellons.

 

+1. One of the reasons I recommended it. Gaming Edition is lighter than everything . I've never seen an AV scan this fast

 

Does the new NAV still have Product Activation? I hate PA. If I can avoid it, I would not buy any software with PA. I don't feel like explaining why I change my hardware, reformat my drive to get a new activation. It's none of their business.

 

Norton 2003 s a POS! Either user the new Norton 2009 Gamer Edition or go for NOD32 (NOD32 user here).

Otherwise if you're cheap and don't feel like paying, then get Avira AntiVir FTW

 

LOL, having to use Anti Virus

If it helps, I had Norton AntiVirus 2003 back in the day and it slowed my system down by as much as 50%. Really was one of their worst versions.

If you have no problem with Norton try their 2009 version. It's been redone from the ground up to be very very light on resources

 

Which one is lighter on resources, NAV 2009 or Nod32?

 

I'd say Norton, but try the trial version of both.

Basically with Norton 2009, just forget everything you've ever heard about Norton. It's had a TOTAL rewrite.