You should disable your Norton AntiVirus protection before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1. Why? How? Read on.

Can't we all just get along? I guess, not so much.

If you haven't received Service Pack 3 for XP in your updates yet, stand by. It will be offered as an automatic update beginning June 10. At least that's the current plan.

Meantime, people who have downloaded and installed the service pack through Microsoft Download Center and Windows Update have encountered problems if they are also using Symantec security products, including Norton AntiVirus. The problems are severe enough that Symantec is telling people to disable the protection before installing XP SP3.

Computerworld details the problems and Symantec's reaction in this article:

Computerworld

Symantec's instructions to prevent the problem, or to fix the problem if you're already having it, are here:

Symantec solutions

and here:

Symantec

Affected products are Norton AntiVirus, Norton Internet Security, Norton Systemworks, and Norton 360. Symantec is now advising everyone to turn off the protection before installing Vista SP1, too.

Several experts have recommended uninstalling your Norton security product completely before installing your Service Pack. If you do that it's entirely up to you whether you install it again. You should make a note of your product key and registered name before you uninstall, in case you do want to reinstall the product.

There are several good, free alternatives to Norton AntiVirus, discussed most recently here:

Antivirus alternatives

NO MATTER WHICH PRODUCT YOU USE, YOU SHOULD DISABLE YOUR ANTIVIRUS PROTECTION. See this article from Microsoft:

Microsoft article

Prevent XP SP3 From Installing

If you don't have time to sort out your anti-virus software in the near future, you may want to prevent SP3 from installing. It's scheduled to go to Automatic Updates starting June 10. You can stop it by setting your Windows Update to download your updates but not install them. Here's how:

Click on Start Control Panel Security Center

Click on Automatic Updates (near the bottom of that window)

Select "Download updates for me but let me choose when to install them"

OK your way out

Now, your updates will download as always, and you will see a yellow shield icon in the Notification Area (by your clock, in the lower right-hand corner of your screen) when they are ready for you. Select "Custom Install" and refuse the SP3 update until you are ready for it. You can allow the other updates to install.

Power users can use the Blocker kit from Microsoft, available here:

Blocker kit

If you don't understand the documentation, don't even think about using it!

Thank you everyone who wrote with questions, comments, and suggestions. I appreciate your email. Please send more! My email is cate@rlis.com. You can browse through the old columns in the archives, here:

Cate's archives