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Howdy! New Webroot user here!


Userlevel 6
Hi!
 
I am a brand new Webroot member who just left her Norton antivirus behind.  Being probably the LEAST tech savvy person on the planet didn't help me much, but when they couldn't help get the product to work right I was done. 
 
I had gotten some advice from people I trust that Webroot was the way to go so I made th switch but I see alot of differences in the way Webroot scans and how much it scans vs. the way Norton would do a full system scan.
 
I guess you could say that while I'm unsavvy in the tech world, I do have alot of questions because I just need to make sense of things in the way they run for my own peace of mind.
 
Since the support crew isn't available over the weekends I thought I'd get my feet wet by posting here to see how others like Webroot and if they had used Norton before if they had also noticed the differences that I do.
 
Anyway, hello again and thanks for perusing my note!
 
 
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Best answer by RetiredTripleHelix 17 June 2014, 05:05

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73 replies

Userlevel 7
Hello there and welcome to the Webroot Community!
 
Yes.. you WILL see a lot of differences.  Webroot does work a bit differently, and it is incredibly efficient at it.
 
I myself have not used Norton for quite a while... however I DO some computer work for others, and this last week was a perfect example.
 
They have Norton... and the computer was slowed down to a crawl.  There was but one real virus on it, but there was also a pile of what we call PUA's on the computer.  A PUA is a Potentiall Unwanted Application.  It is not really a virus or malware: it does not damage your information, it does not use your computer as a 'host' to spread itself, it does not steal your information, etc etc.
 
What a PUA DOES do is simply track (With no personal information of yours) what sites you surf to.  It causes a LOT of advertising pop-ups, it may 'hijack' your browser to use it's own web page as your "home page".  In other words... they are annoyware, adware types of things.
 
Some AVs catch these PUA's, some don't.  To be honest, Webroot did not used to catch these very well but they are working HARD to catch more and more.
 
A typical PUA may be the Browser Toolbar that is included 'free' with many legit downloads.
 
Anyway.. back to my story.
 
That computer that is protected by Norton.  It DID miss a virus, but it also missed so many of these PUA's that the computer was slowed down to a crawl.
 
I installed Webroot onto the computer, and it detected and quarantined quite a remarkable number of them.  Over 15 different PUA's equaling well over 100 items in the Quarantine.  (Webroot does NOT pad it's scan results.  Some AV's do.  If ONE program has 15 files that need removed Webroot will count that as 1 item deteced: many others will count that as 15 items detected to 'pad the results' and make it look more impressive at detection than it really is.)
 
Norton is VERY heavy on system resources..  it uses a huge amount of RAM and CPU.  Webroot is VERY small.  Instead of the 100 MB install file, which then requires 100 MB additional definitions downloads that a typical AV such as Norton may require, Webroot is less than 1 MB download.  That is it.  There are NO further definitions files required as it scans in the Cloud.
 
That makes for a 10 minute total download, install, initial scan time on average vs a one hour minimum installation time for Norton.
 
Glad that you are here, and if you have any questions just let us know!  We are happy to help and have a lot of good experienced people here 🙂
Userlevel 7
Badge +62
Welcome gr8auntteffie! I'm pleased to have you join our WSA Community! A lot of informative members here! 🙂
Yes I used to use Norton in my early days of the 90s and Up to 2003 but found out I had enough of struggling by looking on their website to solve all the hiccups that I was presented with and I had my final straw with them concerning their Support! I'm definelty not a fan and understand completely about Norton...I knew Norton by the back of my hand then and printed endless support pages to help others with Norton Problems.
I would like to say as a user of many AV Webroot is the best one on the market today. I believe this company will take over at least 90% if not more of the consumers. Because you Cannot beat WSA Support Team! Free support and they genuinely care about their product. I could rant on and on but I'll let my fellow WSA members tell you why WSA is the best of all the rest. I'm not a salesman or promoter..I'm a simple user of a product that I'm extremely proud of and as you'll see so is the rest of this Forum.

Please look around..And Post away...we are volunteers here and will try our best to assist you in your questions.

Regards, 🙂
Userlevel 6
Hi, David!
 
Thanks for the warm welcome and the information. :D
 
The problem that I had been having is very much like you described. I had been given the latest upgrade to their product and then I found that the LiveUpdate was not doing the auto updates and when I wound instigate a manual live update, it would say that I needed to upload 200+MB of files!  And this was every other day!
 
I use a hotspot for my wifi connection because it is more cost effective for me, but it also means that I have a finite amount of 4G speed.  These daily uploads at this size ate up my high speed like a ravenous 2 year old let loose on their birthday cake.
 
I had 7 Norton techs in my system to fix it and not one of them could get it to stop doing this.  Plus, they didn't listen to me when I told them what was happening.
 
I get frustrated when people don't take my observations about my system into consideration.  I know I dont know tech stuff, but I do know what happens on my own system as I limp along on it!
 
Plus, when the techs were in my system, they changed things around that turned things off in my keyboard and touchpad and then denied that they did it. 
 
I don't know enough to do it myself and I know at least one of them clicked on the keyboard, but they told me bluntly that they had nothing to do with it.
 
that was when I decided my 14 year association with Norton was over.
 
I do have one question for anyone who can answer it:
 
Does Webroot constantly update itself in the background?  I don't have to do any sort of manual scans or anything to update what they are looking for?
 
And, I guess I have another question:
 
The Webroot Anywhere protects emails and blocks intrusions, right?
 
I purchased the Anywhere product because I may need to get a tablet or smart phone for work ( I have a small home business ) and that might allow me to keep up with emails and product searches using a smaller, more compact tool rather than my laptop and I wanted to make sure that it / they would be protected.
 
I just want to make sure that everything is secure.   I don't do alot of browsing on line and visit a handful of websites, but I want to make sure that nothing weird gets ino my system because I do pay bills on my computer and I don't want that sensitive information getting corrupted or stolen.
 
Thanks again, David, for the warm welcome and the info!  I have a feeling that I am going to be visiting in here alot!
Userlevel 6
Hi, SSherjj!
 
Thanks for the warm welcome!  :D
 
I am such a remedial techy that I wil probably live in here for a good long while, but it's nice to know that the community is patient and knowledgable!
 
As I noted in my reply to David, I had been a Norton user for 14+ years and i had just had enough of their garbage excuses and blaming my high speed connection for the performance of their product.
 
I am not tech savvy, but I do have a pretty good grasp of common sense and if their explanations don't make sense, then it's just something they are told to say off a menu when someone is having trouble and that isn't customer service in my opinion.
 
I was thoroughly blown away by the swift installation of Webroot and the short scan time as well as the few files that it scans.
 
With Norton, a full system scan would go through at least 600K files and with Webroot its just a fraction of that.
 
It amazes me that I can be completely protected and the scans are so minimal.
 
I think that i have been mislead about what it takes to make my computer secure.
 
Again, thanks for the warm welcome!
Userlevel 7
OK... A lot to answer so have patience with me :)
 
As for does Webroot continuously update in the background.  Yes and no.  Yes, in that it does update automatically (For the PC version).  No in that it is NOT intrusive OR slow down your computer and eat up your data.  An update is essentially an automatic reinstall.  You will usually not notice much of anything, though the Windows User Account Control MIGHT ask you to approve.  An update is simply the same as a brand new fresh download, that less than 1 MB file.  It does NOT trigger that same default new install scan however.  It simply downloads that little file, removes the old one and installs the new one.  Done and over.
 
Any time a new version is released it will do that automatically: the entire process in the background takes under a minute, and what you see only a few seconds.  That is it.
 
Email protection.  Webroot does it a bit differently, which is also why it is so fast.  Webroot does not concern itself with scanning every single email.  Why should it? 99.9% of emails do not contain malware, yet scanning every email takes a huge amount of time and system resources.  What it DOES do is scan anything that is attached if you attempt to save it or access it.  If an email has any malware attached, that malware must execute to do any harm: when it DOES attempt to execute, WSA will then stop it, scan it, and either allow it or block it.
 
Intrusions: WSA works with the built in Windows firewall.  When it comes to Windows 8, Windows blocks incoming connections as is.  ALL AV on the market essentially only make use of the Windows 8 Firewall for incoming connections they only put the controls within the AV instead of the Windows Control Panel.  WSA utilizes the built in strengths of Windows Firewall for incoming connections and adds to it robust outgoing Firewall protection.
 
Also, if anything DOES get past the Firewalls, it must execute in order to do anthing.  Upon execution, WSA will detect it and block it.
 
Mobile Devices: We need to know what version of WSA you purchased for specific details regarding this, but the short answer is that no matter WHICH version you purchased, you can install and be protected.  See this KB Article for more information regarding this.
 
I hope that I have answered some of your questions, but of course feel free to ask more or for clarifications!
 
Most of us on here are volunteers, myself included.  While during normal business hours there ARE Webroot Mods and other Employees available, at night this would not be the case.  (The Trouble Ticket system for help is manned by Webroot 24/7).  As such, at night there might not always be someone here, but we will answer as soon as we can!
  (In other words... I am off to bed after a long day... but please reply and ask away.  Someone will answer tonight or early tomorrow on here :)  )
 
Again welcome to the Community!
Userlevel 7
Good evening @ and welcome to the Community!
@ wrote:
The problem that I had been having is very much like you described. I had been given the latest upgrade to their product and then I found that the LiveUpdate was not doing the auto updates and when I wound instigate a manual live update, it would say that I needed to upload 200+MB of files! And this was every other day!

I had to pull Norton off several PCs and servers at work for a similar reason. Users were seeing a nice, pretty green checkmark indicating that they were protected / safe; unfortunately, the virus definition files were just a tad outdated. :S
@ wrote:
I do have one question for anyone who can answer it:
Does Webroot constantly update itself in the background? ANSWER: YES! 
I don't have to do any sort of manual scans or anything to update what they are looking for? ANSWER: NO!
 
And, I guess I have another question:
The Webroot Anywhere protects emails and blocks intrusions, right?
WSA Identity Shield alerts you if your browser attempts to access a malicious web site; so, if you clicked on a link in an email, it will determine if the site is malicious or not and alert you / block the site:

Userlevel 7
LOL...That's what I get for walking away fro the computer for a few minutes... @ sneaks in and hits send before I could
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
LOL...That's what I get for walking away fro the computer for a few minutes... @ sneaks in and hits send before I could
Maybe so... maybe so.. but you put in screenshots.  Your reply, and mine, both have different angles to them, which make overall a good picture of the whole.
 
TEAMWORK 🙂
Userlevel 6
Thanks, David!
 
I guess that perhaps I am spooked and a little gun shy based upon the information that i have gotten from the Norton techs along the way.
 
I must assume that a massive download is a must to insure security and that i am required to instigate a manual life update to make sure that the most current antivirus and malware information is on my system to recognize anything untoward.
 
Thanks for clarifying for me.
 
I am so excited to have a forum where I can post my remedial questions and get common sense and simple to understand answers!
 
Thanks!!!
Userlevel 6
Hi, jpasternak!
 
Thanks for the welcome and the input!
 
Since i have had Webroot for about 24 hours this is all great information  and insights into what i can expect from my protection product.
 
I apologize in advance if i ask really dumb questions and repeat myself, because i have a habit of needing to ask alot of questions before things make sense adn then i'm good...
 
So again, thanks for the warm welcome and the input!
Userlevel 7
No apologies needed.  I was always taught that the only dumb question is the one you don't ask 😉
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
Thanks, David!
 
I guess that perhaps I am spooked and a little gun shy based upon the information that i have gotten from:-)  the Norton techs along the way.
 
I must assume that a massive download is a must to insure security and that i am required to instigate a manual life update to make sure that the most current antivirus and malware information is on my system to recognize anything untoward.
 
Thanks for clarifying for me.
 
I am so excited to have a forum where I can post my remedial questions and get common sense and simple to understand answers
 
Thanks!!!
Massive installs, huge daily definitions updates, massive product updates as we have known for the last decade ae a thing OF the last decade.  :)  WSA is just as effective without all of that.  Welcome to the new way of AV security!
Userlevel 6
Hey, jpasternak!
 
I guess maybe I am trying to redeem my remedial techness by asking a deluge of questions that help me to understand things from the common sense angle!
 
Thanks for the support and welcome!
Userlevel 6
Hi, David!
 
You can't see me, but right now I am doing a major happy dance in my seat at your post!
 
I am so happy that I have found a way to protect my computer and information without having a resource hog glutting on my high speed wifi to make it happen.
 
So thrilled!
 
Thanks!:D
Userlevel 7
You are most welcome!  Believe me, coming from a McAfee/Norton user background myself, i certainly understand!
 
:-) 
 
Have a great night.... i am off to bed.  Just remember to stick around to learn, have fun, and ask any questions that you may have!
Userlevel 6
Believe me, will do!!!!!
 
Have a good night!
Userlevel 7
Welcome you have come to the right forum, stay around and browse our subject matter and ask questions people here are very friendly and we have people whom can give you expertise advise on your issues 😉
Userlevel 7
Badge +56
Hello gr8auntteffie and Welcome to the Webroot Community Forums!


 
There are no dumb questions as you can see everyone on the forum are willing to help so just fire away on the questions! I like to show new members this short Video to show a big part of what WSA really does: https://community.webroot.com/t5/Webroot-Education/What-Happens-if-Webroot-quot-Misses-quot-a-Virus/ta-p/10202
 
Cheers,
 
Daniel ;)
 


 

Userlevel 6
Thanks, Antus67! :D
 
I am really excited to have so much access to information from users who know the product and why it does what it does.
 
I had a threat detected today when I logged on and ran a scan and it removed it in a blink and gave me a simple checklist of things to do before continuing the threat removal process. 
 
No muss, no fuss, no stress...  Whodathunkit?!!!  :womanlol:
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
Thanks, Antus67! :D
 
I am really excited to have so much access to information from users who know the product and why it does what it does.
 
I had a threat detected today when I logged on and ran a scan and it removed it in a blink and gave me a simple checklist of things to do before continuing the threat removal process. 
 
No muss, no fuss, no stress...  Whodathunkit?!!!  :womanlol:
Yeah.. pretty cool isnt it??  I came to the Community 18 months ago to ask a question... I stayed, I learned, and you see what happened LOL.  I am a junkie helping other now  🙂
Userlevel 7
Badge +62
:smileyvery-happy

gr8auntteffie Great News! 
 
Thanks, Antus67! :)
I am really excited to have so much access to information from users who know the product and why it does what it does.
 
I had a threat detected today when I logged on and ran a scan and it removed it in a blink and gave me a simple checklist of things to do before continuing the threat removal process. 
 
No muss, no fuss, no stress...  Whodathunkit?!!!  


_________________________________________
Awesome , Thanks for letting us know!!
Userlevel 6
Hi, TripleHelix! :D
 
Thank you for the warm welcome and the video to help me get a better sense of what Webroot does!
 
I do have a question for you that I have noticed in my Outlook.
 
When I get messages from Webroot Forum that there is a new message posted, my Outlook shows a red bar and says that the email didn't pass their security filter.
 
Why would it flag an email notification from Webroot when it is a computer security system site?  I know that I read where Webroot works with the Windows program in place with my operating system so I was wondering if there is something I need to do in my Outlook so that it will stop tagging emails from the forum as suspicious?
 
Again, thank you for the warm welcome and invitation to post my 'tricycle on the web superhighway' questions to you! 
Userlevel 7
Hello there :)
 
I might be able to answer the question.  I think it might be considering the email as Spam.  Since the emails are sent automatically, it just might be thinking it is spam and so wanting to block it.
 
I am NOT however an Outlook expert LOL, so on how to fix it we might need TH to give a reply on that.  On my own computer, I DO use Outlook, but it does not flag my email from the Community.  (My incoming address is a Gmail if that is of any help/difference)
 
I think TH is offline at the moment, but hopefully he will chime in soon.
 
What do you think TH?
 
 
Userlevel 7
Badge +62
Hello   gr8auntteffie, Well I 'll ask @  if he knows why this is happening...This is new to me so let me check ok? Looks like @ is off line....
_________________________________
Question from gr8auntteffie:
 
 
I do have a question for you that I have noticed in my Outlook.
 
When I get messages from Webroot Forum that there is a new message posted, my Outlook shows a red bar and says that the email didn't pass their security filter.
 
Why would it flag an email notification from Webroot when it is a computer security system site?  I know that I read where Webroot works with the Windows program in place with my operating system so I was wondering if there is something I need to do in my Outlook so that it will stop tagging emails from the forum as suspicious?
______________________________________________ 
@ can you help out here? Or  Open a Support Ticket  ?
Userlevel 6
Don't worry, David!

This kind of addiction is a good thing to have! Especially when it gets shared with those of us who are tech turtles and the rest of you are tech cheetahs!

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