KVR Audio

Astralv · Post by **Astralv** » Sun Jul 05, 2015 2:55 pm

Norton Antivirus released a new version yesterday and it is extremely aggressive. It falsely identified many software synth files as "High Risk" threats and not just offering to remove it but removed it without asking me. The list of removed and otherwise quarantined or suggested for removal files was like 30 items. The most affected files are Native Instruments Komplete instruments, installers and files, Enzymes and Asus graphics drivers. I called their tech support to ask what is the best way to restore the files, because some files would restore, while others asking what location I want to restore it to. I wanted to tell it to put it where it removed it from, but it just says, "Would you like to cancel restore?" This is nuts. I never seen anything like this. If you use Norton, there is a way to exclude certain locations from the scan. I would recommend to exclude all your VST folders, libraries and especially Native Instruments locations. I have to use my "Virus Removal" services benefit for them to help me to restore all the files.

budweiser · Post by **budweiser** » Sun Jul 05, 2015 3:44 pm

Why don't you get rid of this sh*t and go with windows Defender (included in windows 7) ? I don't have any third party antivirus for years now and never had a problem.

Ingonator · Post by **Ingonator** » Sun Jul 05, 2015 4:06 pm

budweiser wrote:Why don't you get rid of this sh*t and go with windows Defender (included in windows 7) ? I don't have any third party antivirus for years now and never had a problem.

Using Kaspersky Internet Security since many years now (around 8 or more) and no problems there too.

In the past i also had Norton more than one time and had multiple problems with their products. Will never buy it again...

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Sun Jul 05, 2015 4:21 pm

I find it amazing that anyone still uses Norton. Every music and video editing forum will tell you to get rid of that crap if you want to do any serious (or even hobbyist) work. I use Kaspersky and when not on the internet (i.e. making music) I turn it off with a right click so it's not beavering away in the background.

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Sun Jul 05, 2015 4:26 pm

Mr Arkadin wrote:I find it amazing that anyone still uses Norton.

+10

Norton gave up on the Windows platform, not it is the Mac crowd who is saddled with 'em

el-bo (formerly ebow) · Sun Jul 05, 2015 4:33 pm

"You know Norton, I've been watching you.
And I know you've been watching me."

definitely time to find an alternative; that's just no on

Orbit-50 · Post by **Orbit-50** » Sun Jul 05, 2015 4:43 pm

Astralv wrote:...not just offering to remove it but removed it without asking me.

That's funny, because that happened to me this morning for the first time and I was like WTF? Now I know it's not just me.

.-.

andrew71 · Post by **andrew71** » Sun Jul 05, 2015 5:10 pm

Oddly enough, Malwarebytes (which I use in conjunction with Windows Defender) flagged several NI files as potentially unwanted programs on my computer last week. Surprising because they were downloaded using NI's Service Centre...

Orbit-50 · Post by **Orbit-50** » Sun Jul 05, 2015 5:17 pm

andrew71 wrote:Oddly enough, Malwarebytes (which I use in conjunction with Windows Defender) flagged several NI files as potentially unwanted programs on my computer last week. Surprising because they were downloaded using NI's Service Centre...

Could it be that the the Malware Protection Softwares like Norton etc... are trying to warn us about the fact that these companies are downloading stuff into our computers that they really shouldn't be? I've been thinking about all the trust we put in these companies hands lately, and the fact that they could be doing like Tone2, and installing weird backdoor stuff that we don't know about, and the protection software is reacting to it.

.-.

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Sun Jul 05, 2015 5:26 pm

A simple solution for a computer carrying Norton => Abortion

Astralv · Post by **Astralv** » Sun Jul 05, 2015 5:39 pm

I have been using Norton for 15 years and pay about $70 a year. This is first major fall out of this software. But it is real bad. I been with tech support for 3 hours now, he is trying to restore the quarantined files back. He is not doing anything I could not do myself, but I am going to let him take care of the mass it created.

He is actually suggested to use the "Restore" point to restore computer to last configuration, which I declined.

Important: if you use Norton, please, set your scan to manual for now until they resolve the issue. Go to settings and exclude all locations that contain VSTs from scans and from protection.

It my case, I had my VST folder excluded but it went to my Backup Seagate drive and quarantined most of backed up files from Tone 2, Cakewalk, NI, IK and others. I would recommend to disconnect your backup drive for now. I am wondering if I need to manually restore each quarantined file from Backup drive. It set to incremental back ups, so theoretically, if the file is not there, Seagate program supposed to detect it and back it up again. Not sure I can count on it.

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Sun Jul 05, 2015 5:53 pm

Astralv wrote:I have been using Norton for 15 years and pay about $70 a year.

$1050 !!!

DarkStar · Post by **DarkStar** » Sun Jul 05, 2015 5:53 pm

@ Astralv,

That's awful.

Was it only the VST plug-ins that got whacked? Or are there other areas that I should watch out for?

I've never run a Full System Scan, rather I use individual disk scans. But I won't be doing any for the moment.

Could it be that there ones where you were prompted to provide a location were in compressed files (.zip, .rar etc)?

Regarding the choice to be asked what to do with supposedly-risky files - that seems to be available only for low risks, the others are automatically quarantined.

As for System Restore, that does not always work anyway and even if it did, you would only be OK until the next NAV scan

Astralv · Post by **Astralv** » Sun Jul 05, 2015 9:40 pm

Dark Star, thank you for the support. I started working on it at 10 am this morning and I still restoring the files- 5 pm in the evening. Every time I restart computer it marks new (or possibly the same) files as a threat and asks to delete them. I can not tell if it is the same files I already excluded or new.

The most affected files are from Native Instruments Komplete 10. I even set the locations to be excluded from the scans and from the protection, and even set it not to scan compressed files, but it still says- there is a threat in compressed files. It also deleted some graphics files, Tone 2, Samsung SSD utility Magician, and Seagate Backup manager agent.

Also it likes to mark as a threat files from the backup drive. So I had to exclude that drive from scans but it still comes with at least 50 files every computer restart. I am just going to leave it be for now. I can not manually "Exclude" all of them every time. It already takes all day.

UltimateOutsider · Post by **UltimateOutsider** » Sun Jul 05, 2015 10:32 pm

budweiser wrote:Why don't you get rid of this sh*t and go with windows Defender (included in windows 7) ? I don't have any third party antivirus for years now and never had a problem.

For the record, with Windows 7 you should use Microsoft Security Essentials (a free download) instead of just the built-in Defender.

Microsoft absorbed the Security Essentials feature set into the Windows 8 version of Defender, though, so on Win 8 and later Defender should be enough for basic malware/anti-virus.

A lot of music folks who prefer a commercial solution go for ESET NOD32 for anti-virus. Solid protection/small footprint.

Agressive Norton update