# Are the Norton Utilities better than the Windows system tools?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-norton-utilities-better-than-the-windows-system-tools/54337>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 13, 2001, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-norton-utilities-better-than-the-windows-system-tools/54337 "2001-02-13T18:53:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-norton-utilities-better-than-the-windows-system-tools/54337/21 "2001-02-15T01:01:32Z")

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Jeez Arnold, that would ruin one of my childhood heros. I recall seeing an old Absolut Vodka add with Peter Norton on the front. He described himself as “a nerd who got lucky” I always thought he was just being modest.

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-norton-utilities-better-than-the-windows-system-tools/54337/22 "2001-02-15T06:03:59Z")

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Well Balduran, as far as my story goes, consider the source. It’s probably a load of hooey.

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**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-norton-utilities-better-than-the-windows-system-tools/54337/23 "2001-02-15T08:44:50Z")

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Anyone else get annoyed as hell seeing that #@!$% Peter Norton pic on the NAV splash screen at startup. F—in’ egoist!

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**Author:** ![The\_Raven\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@The\_Raven\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Raven_1)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-norton-utilities-better-than-the-windows-system-tools/54337/24 "2001-02-15T21:21:33Z")

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Howyadoin,

ODBC (Open DataBase Connectivity, IIRC) is a fairly obscure method for simplifying connection to various database products (Access, etc…) through a common interface. In my particular situation, the Access database was critical to the operation of the machine I was controlling, so it was a real bummer when Ghost over-wrote the ODBC drivers. Ghost’s uninstaller also made it impossible to uninstall or reinstall Office 97 Pro, which is where my original ODBC drivers came from.

Ghost 5.1 under DOS is a great tool; 6.0 and above, I wouldn’t get involved…

\<\<The\_Raven\>\>

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**Author:** ![Oicu812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f475e1/32.png) [@Oicu812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oicu812)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-norton-utilities-better-than-the-windows-system-tools/54337/25 "2001-02-15T21:39:06Z")

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Peter Norton sold the Norton software name to Symantec, IIRC. One of the things that they insisted on was retaining him for his name and advertising. He contractually HAS to do this stuff. Even though he no longer runs the company, and probably does not even have any say in the way his image is used. But he is a multi-gazillionare, though…

## O

Vidi Vici Veni!

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