Renewing Symantec AV

MerpsMom

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Founding Member
Joined
Jul 30, 1997
Posts
4,248
Loc
Leawood, Kansas USA
No matter what I do, I cannot renew this subscription online. I've just spent an hour navigating through their sites and links, trying to find a clickable that gets me to a paysite to renew. All I get is Page Cannot Be Found. It's a testimonial to my composure that I still have a keyboard left upon which to type!!

I'm trying to find a phone number for them. Does anyone have their Symantec Store phone? Tomorrow I'll call their worldwide California at 408-517-8000. Anything different you have?

If I had a bug bomb, they'd have to evacuate their building. What's WITH these companies? Computer Associates was even worse.
 
It sounds like they were having temporary website problems. I'd give it another try in the morning.


If its a 2001 version, they won't allow it to be renewed. In that case you have to upgrade to a newer (2005 etc) version.

Mike
 
I own a computer business as my main living.
Do yourself a favor and get rid of Symantec. Bogs the machine down and does not do that good of a job.

Let me STRONGLY recommend www.my-etrust.com
Made by Computer Associates. If it is good enough for networks, it is good enough for home :)
Also gets rid of a lot of junk others dont.
 
Oh, man, Steven. I fought with them for months over their renewals: they could never get it correct, could never answer my questions either by e-mail or "live" messaging regarding my two products: they kept mixing them up. It was one of the worst on-line experiences I've ever had, and one of the most inscrutable. The companies could save their customers hours and days if they just had a phone number. They don't, and they're not doing their job.

Mike, it's Norton Professional 2004. I just want to renew the d---mned thing. There is simply no way in the last four days that their links work. Surely seems ridiculous for a computer company.

I'm not that much of a neophyte: they're not paying attention, in my very humble estimation. But.....I'll try one more time tomorrow.
 
MM, I needed to purchase for another computer and I was going to buy online but checked out the local business supply and could buy a 2005 for the same price and it had the renewal rebate coupon in it and I didn't have to pay freight. Might be worth the try. It's as cheap as the renewal, maybe. I realize you are in a large metro and I'm two minutes from my locals.
 
I went the way JPete did and bought a whole new package rather than try to upgrade Norton AV.

If you are able to find the right site to upgrade, they will ask you to put in the twelve digit bar code found on the package. But there are two codes on the box. One is thirteen digits long; the other is ten.

Neither works!

I ended up spending about the same by buying new software and using the rebate slip … which was as simple to fill out as an IRS form. I had to search forever to send them proof of purchase of a previous Symantec product. I’m still waiting for the rebate.
 
I am in the habit of reformatting Win 98SE computers and doing a clean install - sometimes several times each year. It's a hobby of mine.

Every time I reinstall Norton's Utilities or Internet Security or Anti virus, it starts a fresh year of subscription service.

Maybe I was feeling a tad guilty about this when I went out an bought a shiny new copy of Norton's AV a couple months ago. That's when I discovered that the new version needs to be "activated" within a specific period (like Windows XP) for it to continue working.

You can only do this once.
 
Actually they let you do it a couple times, within a certain time period.

As far as renewing for a year it should be painless. 30 days before it expires, a box will pop up asking you if you want to renew now or skip. If you opt to renew, it loads up a webpage that gets your credit card and billing info - and voila. No serial #s have to be entered, it reads it automatically from your existing program.

If it still doesn't work today, it has to have something to do with your internet connection or browser security settings.

Are we all set today?

Inquiring minds want to know


Mike

PS: As far as formatting, I hear ya. I don't usually go to that extreme - but i'm about to with the former laptop. It became corrupted about 6 months ago and hasn't run properly since. Its sloooooow, no matter what I do. I got a new one last week and retired her to sit on the design counter at the shop, for customer use. (liebermans artexplorer database and marketing screen saver) Hopefully it wont walk... After I get all my personal files off the machine, I think i'm going to reformat it.
 
Speaking of anti-virus software, does everyone use Symantec products? I've been a McAfee user for years and now I'm deciding which one to go with for a new computer. No one seems to mention McAfee anymore. What are peoples' recommendations?
 
Mcafee was great back in the dos days, but I really don't like the windows version. (I met him several times and had dinner with the guy, very smart man) It all went downhill when he sold the company.

Symantec is what I use personally for my computers and my (computer consulting) clients. I especially like their enterprise edition for servers, which keeps track of every machine and reports problems back to the administrator.
 
On a whim and with no time to ditz with it anyway, the site finally connected. It's just me, I'm sure, but I have two or three questions and know they can't be answered on the website. I have two computers and want a disk to use on both.

Funny you should mention going to the store for it, Jeannette. That's how I got the first one, and that's where I'm headed tomorrow. I think I'd be more cheerful if there were time to putz around with it all. I know: it's not that hard, but after my experience with the previous AV, I'd just like to turn it on and get on with my work.

Most frustrating is that SOMEwhere, I have that original phone number when going through this last year. :(
 
Norton Antivirus 2003 and 2004 Professional advertised that it includes a license to install on 2 computers, so the 2005 product probably does too.

I just opened up a new 2005 box and sure enough it accepted the registration serial # for two computers.

That advice is good - often it IS cheaper to replace the darned thing with the new version instead of upgrading, when you take the rebate into consideration. It's often $10 or even free after rebate.

Mike
 
Jerry, I found that AV at $22.95. Not the same one? Anyhoo, I bought Norton Pro 2004 from Office Depot for $69.95 with a $30. rebate to mail-in. This is an upgrade deal and has licenses for two computers. I don't understand why I couldn't find Norton Pro 2005 anywhere, even Symantec's website.

Question: Before installing the new AV, must I un-install the present program? Don't mind doing it, but I don't want any conflicts if they can be avoided.
 
Yea, it's a good idea to uninstall it.

The installer should do it for you automatically, but better safe than sorry. It doesn't always work properly, depending what you had before.
 
Back
Top