Norton Power Eraser 4.0 Beta

http://community.norton.com/t5/Nort...ton/Norton-Power-Eraser-4-0-Beta/td-p/1002667

Download at https://security.symantec.com/nbrt/npe.aspx?&env=beta&NUCLANG=en-us.

 

This version sounds like it has potential. NPE scans are very fast and NPE doesn't require a valid subscription to a Norton product (the boot disc does).

 

I don't like all the false positives.

 

I haven't tried a scan yet with this new 4.0 beta. Did it give you false positives or are you referring to a previous version.

 

Worked OK for me, no positives / no false positives

 

It was a previous version with horrible false positives, this tool is on my blacklist.

 

False positives for me with version 4.0.

 

NPE comes with the following disclaimer:

Because Norton Power Eraser uses aggressive methods to detect threats, there is a risk that it can select some legitimate programs for removal. You should use this tool very carefully. If you accidently remove a legitimate program, you can run Norton Power Eraser to review past repair sessions and undo them.

It tells the user upfront that false positives are possible. IMHO FPs from an on-demand scanner are a reasonable trade-off if you suspect a serious infection that isn't being detected by the resident security software. For me the more important question is how good is it at detecting the actual malware compared with other on-demand scanners, such as MBAM or Kaspersky Rescue CD, etc.

 

Looks like the System Restore point creation option is new with this release. Prior versions required you to rerun NPE to reverse its previous changes.

Actually this is a tool for an experienced user and newbees should look elsewhere or only run under a malware remover's supervision.

 

I have never tried Norton Power Eraser.

I need to make an Image of my Windows System Partition, and then give Norton Power Eraser a try.

 

Softpedia: Norton Power Eraser Review
http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/windows/Norton-Power-Eraser-Review-299852.shtml

 

Thank you.

 

This article states NPE does not require an install. True in that nothing is installed in the WIN program/s folders but it certainly installs crud everywhere else on your PC. Most troublesome is its hidden drivers. They are next to impossible to remove.

 

Maybe I won't try it. I don't like stuff being left on my PC's, especially hidden stuff.

 

Can you say more about what drivers driver NPE installs and how they are "hidden"?

 

This is probably one of the most powerful tools out there. Just watch out for false positives... but I think the trade-off is worth it. I'd rather have the highest potential malware remover than a weak one without false positives, since I usually can determine which is FP or not.

 

That's a review for version 3. This thread is about 4.0 Beta. We'll see how this goes!

 

That's a review for the stable version 3. Not for 4.0 Beta.

 

Correct,
i.e. : in AppData folder / Application Data folder.

 

They are stored in non-plug and play drivers section. Note I have not been able to uninstalled the "ghosted" drivers shown in the screen shot using the driver uninstall option. Will have to "scrub" the registry to get rid of them.

 

Do these drivers show in the Services.msc window and do they start automatically?

 

That's exactly what I said.

 

I have uninstalled them previously so I can't say. However, they didn't uninstall clean and left the "ghosted" drivers I showed in the screen. I believe some of those drivers are created when you select the rootkit scan option of NPE and a reboot scan is initiated.

Bottom line - when you install anything made by Symantec, lots of crud will be installed on your PC. Just the natute of the Symantec beast. Anyone who has used their software should know that.

 

Features and configuration options removed in Windows 8:

 

Another along with a long list of reasons to stay with WIN 7.