If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!!!

The title of this message should be a slogan around Eset, unfortunately it's not. Up until this week I had been using NOD32 v2.7. I had tried v3.0 over a year ago and had various issues with updating, services quitting or not initializing and every other error under the sun so I totally bypassed the 3.0 version as the junk it was. On Monday, I attempted to try v4.0.437(latest build) of NOD 4 hoping the problems of v3 were resolved and furthurmore, Eset had some time to get this latest product ready for primetime, unfortunately, it's not starting off well. My first install had to be removed and reinstalled due to "Failed to Initialize" errors stopping me from updating. After reinstalling the trial, it took almost an hour to get the updates to complete successfully with failing due to error. Luckily, they at least resolved the issue where some websites hung as in v3.0 but I fear the day when they retire v2.7 as I only updated 3 machines to test v4.0.

My question is...........will, or better, can Eset finally get their stuff together and build a working product again or have the developers that created the perfect v2.7 working for someone else now

 

Unfortunate experience but on few installs I have seen the 4.0 works well (excluding the episode with Vista SP2)

 

Sounds like you have hardware problems. I'm running close to 600 v3 and v4 clients without incident and I appreciate the better detection rates compared to v2.

 

Well, I'm keeping my hopes up. On the bright side, the client has been stable for a couple of days since the initial installation issues and still runs with a light footprint. I also would like the better virus detection as v2.7 was getting a little long in the tooth when testing as newer viruses are able to damage NOD with increasingly greater success, which didn't occur in years past which prompted my trial of 4.0. I would really hope that Eset does get this one right as I'd hate to turn back to Symantec, which I used before my years with Eset (last used Symantec Corporate Edition v7.5)

Just to add, I'm using Symantec Endpoint Protection 11 MR4 at work and I also can add that Symantec has definitely improved upon lightening the bigfoot-sized Symantec Antivirus Corporate 10, which hung around your machine like a dead weight with it's massive footprint.

 

One thing...

If you are attempting to do an in-place UPGRADE - meaning, install the new version ON TOP OF the old version, this is most likely your problem.

Doing this can cause problems with almost any software. I'm comfortable doing in place upgrades with respect to MINOR updates, but not major ones.

 

I have personally recommended, installed and maintain V 4.0.437.0 on at least a dozen client machines, both home & business.
ESET gets my vote of confidence

 

That is great! I am sure they appreciate it.

 

I hope so, as well - ESET AV Rocks

 

After some more time to play around with this 4.0 version I have more to report. As I said earlier, it was troublesome to update those clients initially, however reinstalls fixed those issue. I a now embarked on fixing a new issue with some of my machines failing on install with the "ESET NOD32 Antivirus Setup Wizard ended prematurely" messages. Iin all, I've attempted to upgrade 12 machines with only 5 completing successfully. I had similar issues with version 3 as well which is why I'm still running v2.7 mostly.

I'm contemplating rolling everyone back to v2.7 just because I'm not happy with the instability of this product right now and I shake my head in disbelief and wonder if Eset is run by the same people or has this company changed hands? Version 2.7 was perfect in practically every way and a reliable, stable, easy to install product with an extremely light footprint and great detection abilities, that all changed when version 3.0 came along!!! Ever since then, this product has been difficult to install, unreliable with realtime protection stopping and BSOD's and installation and removal errors forcing me to manually clean up after. This product has become a burden and bares no resemblance to the former 2.7 product in terms of quality.

ESET - WAKE-UP AND GET YOUR STUFF TOGETHER!!!

 

ioniancat21 The scrolling message is inventive though.

 

I have found every single Nod32 product (post 2.79) increasingly bulky, slowed windows boot times, scanned and runs slower and with more of a memory print, and was graphically overkill... directed towards the target main stream fad fans. IMHO, I like nod32 2.79 as I like using winamp + classic skin, it is small slick and does the job perfectly. Nod32 2.70.39 is flawless as far as I can tell, however, I would like to know what the fundamental differences between 2.70.39 and 4+ are? Is it mostly the GUI? Or are the scanner kernels so different that 2.70.39 is considered a security risk? Do they continue to update 2.70.39's abilities to keep up to par with 4.0 as well?

 

I've said what I feel needs expressing in these sorts of threads, ESET has made great strides of late and continues to do so
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=1510017&postcount=6

 

I went from 2.7 to 4.0 and have yet to have any issues.
Probably some other software of hardware is conflicting with ESET.

I no longer loose sleep over any software conflicts. If one doesn't work on your PC, and you can fix it, use another one. I love ESET but there a lot of other good AV out there including the new from MS, but it's still beta.

Good luck.

 

I hope Eset understands that my harsh criticism is only due to the fact that it frustrates me how NOD32 could go from a top-notch product to this problematic inferior piece of work. If they had produced garbage like McAfee since day one for example, I wouldn't be here complaining because I've written that product off as a mess almost a decade ago so my expectations are zero.....

 

Perhaps a suggestion would be to take your issues to ESET directly ?

 

ioniancat21:

In Message 5, tanstaafl wondered whether your installations were an "in-place UPGRADE - meaning, install the new version ON TOP OF the old version."

I may have missed it, but I don't think you answered that question in any of your posts, and I'm very curious about your answer.

At http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN2116, Eset notes that for a truly clean install you need to uninstall not only the currently installed version [e.g. 2.7], but you need also to delete the installation folder and some Application Data folders.

To that I'd add a reminder that according to the NOD32 version 2.7 Installation Guide, "Appendix C: Uninstalling NOD32," page 51, you need to uninstall version 2.x using the uninstall file in the NOD32 v2.x installation folder. (That uninstall file can be reached using a standard start menu shortcut, usually located in the NOD32 start menu folder.)

From some other document that I do not recall, I have notes that state unambiguously that NOD32 v2.x should NOT be uninstalled using Windows Control Panel Add/Remove programs.

(However, my understanding is that Add/Remove can be used to uninstall NOD32 v3.0 and 4.0, because they were installed using a Windows *.msi installer.)

Although I have had some trouble learning what some of the NOD32 AV 4.0.437 settings do, I've successfully installed NOD32 AV 4.0.437 on one Win2kSp4 computer, and it is working well with no problems. I will soon put NOD32 AV 4.0.437 on a second and third Win2kSp4 computer. But I realize that's cold comfort to someone running a large herd of computers, as I gather you are.

Best wishes and good luck.

Roger Folsom

 

Ravenise:

You may be interested in a thread from March 2009, "What are the Major detection differences between 4.0 and 2.7?" at https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?p=1436970#post1436970

More accurately, that link takes you to message 11 from me to Marcos (responding to message 7 from Marcos to me), because I don't know how to convert a link to a particular message (which I had saved, including its source) into a link to a thread's beginning. But if you scroll up, and down, you will find many (but not all <grin>) of the messages in the thread interesting, and my recollection is that this thread 's messages include some links to other threads or messages that discuss differences between NOD32 AV 2.7, 3.0, and 4.0.

Roger Folsom

P.S. The "AH" in some posts means "Advanced Heuristics."

 

sorry for the late response;

My final personal resolution was to leave the successful installations of 4.0 alone to see how they go long term while halting the upgrade of my remaining clients.

I don't view this as a loss as I still like the reliability of the 2.7 client over any of the 3.x and 4.x versions. I haven't been having any kind of problems with virus so not upgrading hasn't had a negative effect on security. I guess I'll keep checking out the future client updates with VMware for now until I find something I feel confident in to continue my upgrade. If they were to stop support for the 2.7 client, I may then excercise my option to call for support. Also, search the forum for "installation ended prematurely" and/or Google "NOD32 4.0 Setup Wizard ended prematurely", you'll find many users who have similar problems with both the 3.x and 4.x versions

Just to add I always do clean installation upgrades when they are full version as I figured upgrading from 2.7 to 4.0 wouldn't be a desirable upgrade path. I've failed with this error on both Windows XP and Vista machines (32-Bit). Also again, what angers me is that, as the title of this message states, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!!!". Sometimes there's no reason to reinvent the wheel, maybe it's fine as it is..........

 

You responded in less than a day! Nothing to be sorry about.

Thanks for answering my question. I suspected you were experienced enough to do clean installs, but this thread and tanstaafl's message 5 gave me an opportunity to tell anyone reading this thread that it's necessary not only to uninstall version 2.x but to uninstall it using version 2.x's own uninstaller rather than Windows Add/Remove programs --- which Eset's own documentation doesn't make completely clear --- and necessary also to delete folders.

Thanks also for explaining where you are going from here.

Eset may continue supporting version 2.7 with signatures, because I'd guess that Europe, especially Central and Eastern Europe, still may have a lot of Windows 9x computers running, and since 9x can't use version NOD32 3.0 or 4.0, Eset could lose a noticeable amount of revenue and profit if it abandoned version 2.7. But Eset is privately held, so this paragraph is pure guesswork, totally uncorrupted by any actual information.

According to Wikipedia, Eset is headquartered in Bratislava, Slovakia, with branch offices in San Diego, California; Wexford, Ireland; London, UK; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Prague, Czech Republic. Thanks to you, I just now got around to looking that up, which I'd been meaning to do for some time.

Roger Folsom

 

I continue my rant over here in the Smart Security section with a user suffering a similar fate. Read along if you're having similar issues.
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?p=1512708

 

No thanks Vent @ ESET, perhaps.

 

I have to wonder what O/S and SP level the people running version 4 and having no problems are on?
Every Vista SP2 machine I have seen so far has had problems caused by version 4 and have had to uninstall it from all of my Vista machines
Running with no antivirus because of Eset's lack of attention to the Vista SP2 compatibility issue FTL

 

Since the fix issued by Eset for Vista SP2 no problem at all. Never a need to remove it even before the fix. No need to run without an AV when there are decent free ones

 

Hi-for what it might be worth to you in isolating the problem, my experience - I have been using NOD32 for three years now with absolutely no problems. In fact, it has jumped in and saved me from a virus a couple of times while browsing. (I tried Symantec IS way back - never again a Symantec product for me. Tried Spybot (problems), tried AVG both free and paid version, (problems).
About two years ago I settled down with the following protection systems (only), and there have been no problems: NOD 32 av, Spysweeper Antispyware, and only the Windows firewall.
(I always download and install the new versions without uninstalling the old one. However, I do disable the other protection program before installing the download, (but not the Windows firewall). (I run XP home on a Toshiba Satellite laptop.) Luck. A.

 

Forgot to mention - I have always installed the latest MS Service Packs and security updates. A.