3 stars (Install Problems) - I just wanted to confirm that there are indeed install problems. I'm on my second attempt and it's hung again. The last time I was forced to use the power button to shut down - no other shutdown method worked.
I'm running XP Pro on a brand new HP Pavilion laptop. I wouldn't expect problems like this from Symantec.
2 stars (SHOULD BE A LOT BETTER, IF NOT FOR SERIOUS INSTALLATION BUGS!!) - Surely, "Norton Ghost 10.0 Computer Back-up and Recovery" has the capacity to provide your computer with a straightforward back-up and recovery utilities. It even assumes an intuitive Windows-like interface, which makes it easier for new users to adapt to its functional tools. And, if you ever have the misfortune of encountering general system or storage failure, you will thank God for having it in place.
However, as long as nothing calamitious happens to your computer's hard-disk, this software will remain a voracious resources-parasite in your PC. It does this by drastically slowing down everything that your PC does: including printing from a simple text file. Another problem is installation. I have been called upon a number of times to help a friend or a relative, whose computers either frozed or suffered rainbow-screen syndrome, in the course of installing this scary "Ghost-of-a-software". And the hardest part of the problem is that it leaves you with no clue of what had gone wrong. Both the software's users manual and Symantec's website did not mention the possibility of this problem occurring: thus, leaving you out in the cold.
Complete systems shut-down, or manual switch-off (where normal shut-down refused to comply), followed by a fresh reinstallation was able to resolve this problem in about 60% of the affected systems (which I handled). The remaining 40% waited endlessly and in vain for help from Symantec's support department. But nothing ever happened, because the guys at Symantec were as confused as we were regarding the problem. They gave one suggestion after another, all of which failed to provide any solution to the problem. We ended-up uninstalling the software from the affected computers. The owners are now left with newly purchased items, which they may never use.
But despite all these, if you are lucky enough to experience a hitch-free installation, this software will certainly serve you well. But be sure to increase your system's RAM (if it is anything less than 512MB). If you fail to do this, your PC will be crawling like a tortoise even when handling a very simple task. It does not matter whether your have the newest processor in town!
Another point to note is that this software runs only on Windows 2000 Professional with Service-Pack 4, and on Windows XP (both Home and Professional editions). Be sure that you already have Service-Pack 4 installed, if you plan to use it with Windows 2000 Pro. The software does not run on Windows 9X, NT, or ME.
As long as your computer has 512MB or more memory, and you are able to overcome a possible installation problem, be sure that this software will do for you everything which Symantec claimed that it does.
Finally, let it be known that this "Norton Ghost 10.0 Computer Back-up and Recovery" software would have been an undeniable first-class utility, had Symantec fixed the bugs, which are currently making it hard to install and use. |
