Bloody Tech

Somewhere I think there is a law, which states that any attempt to adjust or 'fix' a software problem will take between ten and twenty times longer than it should if commenced on, around or just after midnight. Thus it was close to 3am when I wobbled into bed this morning, having finally got the Live Update facility on Norton 360 to actually live up to its name. Norton 360 is generally a very useful product, acting as a firewall, virus scanner and remover, file back up, system tune up and restore plus providing online transaction security. What it does not seem to be able to do is update itself. It tries, oh it tries, but rarely does it manage to connect to the Symantec server and at that point the reassuring green tick becomes a disconcerting red cross glaring at me from the bottom right of my screen until I try to sort it out manually.

Last night that involved me logging into my Symantec account and downloading the 'auto-fix' application and a new version of the Live Update software. This took a great deal longer than it should simply because it wasn't clear, until I was well into the procedure that Symantec are not set up for Mozilla and that I should have to close down Firefox and try again using Explorer. Well, that was time wasted in itself. Next, however, was the illogic loop that I had to suffer having downloaded much of what I needed, to find that I have to run (I think) Active X to go any further. The version of Explorer I have automatically blocks that application unless I manually tell it that I am on a site I trust.

At which point the process defaults back to the beginning, complete with further downloading and arsing around. I went through that loop more times than I care (or indeed can) remember, before I suddenly had an install prompt on the upgrades. Well, unpacking and installing that little lot was taking some time in itself. Imagine the delay, then, when Norton decides that now would be a good time to back up my files. Well there's only so much a processor can take before it starts to sulk and if I thought I was running an arthritic tortoise before, this new event proved otherwise.

After some length of time during which I explored the earthier end of my English vocabulary, I was given the prompt to restart my PC.

Hurrah!

Now as usual, this takes an unseemly length of time when an installation is involved as all the little bits of electrickery in the machine pick up their new goody bags and adjust themselves. Still, it seemed to work. Until I tried to check my email at which point the reassuring green tick again disappeared to be replaced by the disconcerting red cross down there on the bottom right of my screen. Norton 360 had not, in fact updated despite the gazillion megabytes of downloading and installation that I had just indulged in.

Still, the 'fix issues' tab fired up Live Update and just as I was about to reprogram the entire kit and caboodle with something sharp and heavy, it connected to the Symantec server and downloaded all the new virus definitions I had tried to get two and a half hours earlier.

I was late getting up this morning.

Bloody Tech

Somewhere I think there is a law, which states that any attempt to adjust or 'fix' a software problem will take between ten and twenty times longer than it should if commenced on, around or just after midnight. Thus it was close to 3am when I wobbled into bed this morning, having finally got the Live Update facility on Norton 360 to actually live up to its name. Norton 360 is generally a very useful product, acting as a firewall, virus scanner and remover, file back up, system tune up and restore plus providing online transaction security. What it does not seem to be able to do is update itself. It tries, oh it tries, but rarely does it manage to connect to the Symantec server and at that point the reassuring green tick becomes a disconcerting red cross glaring at me from the bottom right of my screen until I try to sort it out manually.

Last night that involved me logging into my Symantec account and downloading the 'auto-fix' application and a new version of the Live Update software. This took a great deal longer than it should simply because it wasn't clear, until I was well into the procedure that Symantec are not set up for Mozilla and that I should have to close down Firefox and try again using Explorer. Well, that was time wasted in itself. Next, however, was the illogic loop that I had to suffer having downloaded much of what I needed, to find that I have to run (I think) Active X to go any further. The version of Explorer I have automatically blocks that application unless I manually tell it that I am on a site I trust.

At which point the process defaults back to the beginning, complete with further downloading and arsing around. I went through that loop more times than I care (or indeed can) remember, before I suddenly had an install prompt on the upgrades. Well, unpacking and installing that little lot was taking some time in itself. Imagine the delay, then, when Norton decides that now would be a good time to back up my files. Well there's only so much a processor can take before it starts to sulk and if I thought I was running an arthritic tortoise before, this new event proved otherwise.

After some length of time during which I explored the earthier end of my English vocabulary, I was given the prompt to restart my PC.

Hurrah!

Now as usual, this takes an unseemly length of time when an installation is involved as all the little bits of electrickery in the machine pick up their new goody bags and adjust themselves. Still, it seemed to work. Until I tried to check my email at which point the reassuring green tick again disappeared to be replaced by the disconcerting red cross down there on the bottom right of my screen. Norton 360 had not, in fact updated despite the gazillion megabytes of downloading and installation that I had just indulged in.

Still, the 'fix issues' tab fired up Live Update and just as I was about to reprogram the entire kit and caboodle with something sharp and heavy, it connected to the Symantec server and downloaded all the new virus definitions I had tried to get two and a half hours earlier.

I was late getting up this morning.