Norton SystemWorks 2000

Given the importance of keeping Windows working well, many people are surprised that it doesn't come with better tools and utilities to check performance, improve reliability and keep data intact. Indeed, some of the features you'd expect Windows to include are missing altogether: there's no reliable virus protection and no advanced warning of errors that could become serious enough to cripple a computer.

Norton SystemWorks provides all the missing features, plus better alternatives to many of the ones Windows provides. It's actually a compilation of four Norton programs that were originally sold separately, but unlike similar collections it manages to work (almost) seamlessly. The four modules are Anti-Virus, CleanSweep, CrashGuard and Utilities.

With such a clear naming policy you can pretty much guess what each program is for. Anti-Virus clears up existing viruses on a PC and prevents new ones infecting it when you slot in new disks or download data from the web. It also protects against bugs sent disguised as email messages. In our opinion there's no rival anti-virus program that has as many features and is as easy to install.

CleanSweep is a tool to remove programs and files that have become redundant.

In one sense it duplicates the uninstall mechanisms built into many Windows programs, but it can do more. It monitors software during installation, even those programs that install themselves from the internet, so they can be safely removed at a later date.

Another enhancement is that CleanSweep can make compressed copies of deleted programs in case you change your mind and want to reinstate them.

But, CleanSweep is not omnipotent and there are some things it can't do, such as cope with the complexities of install-on-demand programs like Microsoft Office 2000.

CrashGuard is a program that keeps an eye on what Windows is doing and, if it sees a situation where a program might crash, steps in to save the day. There's a related feature called AntiFreeze, which is sometimes able to jump-start programs that have stopped responding. CrashGuard worked well in our tests and it can usually stop an ailing PC from failing completely.

But we recommend you use the other programs in SystemWorks' toolbox to ensure your PC is in tip-top condition rather than rely on CrashGuard to stop a shaky system from grinding to a halt.

Pride of place in SystemWorks goes to Norton Utilities, which provides no fewer than 14 tools designed to diagnose and fix PC problems, boost performance and prevent faults developing. Each program can be started separately or through the SystemWorks menu.

The performance-enhancing tools include Speed Disk, which runs about 10 times faster than Disk Defragmenter, and Norton Optimisation Wizard.

The latter is an ingenious tool that digs deep into the Windows Registry, where only the cleverest or most foolish users go, and automatically adjusts it for top performance.

The standard edition of SystemWorks 2000 (there's a dearer Professional version) offers more than just a compilation of four other programs: you also receive a set of emergency floppy disks that can get an apparently dead PC back on its feet. Less impressive is LiveUpdate, which is a fairly standard download facility to keep SystemWorks up to scratch by downloading improvements from the internet. Another web service is LiveAdvisor, offering tips, tricks and advice on using SystemWorks effectively. A better feature is the genuinely useful Norton Web Services. You only get this for six-months and then you have to subscribe, but it checks your PC for out-of-date software from any supplier and, if there is an update available, then it will be automatically downloaded and installed on your computer.

SystemWorks Professional offers everything in the standard version plus Norton Ghost and Norton 2000. Ghost is a hard disk cloning tool along the lines of PowerQuest's Drive Image, but not quite as clever. Norton 2000 checks that a PC can cope with the millennium bug and warns if any of the programs and data on the hard disk will need modifying before the year 2000.

SystemWorks is a good way of buying an anti-virus program and receiving a stack of extra goodies, but if you're already protected against viruses and don't need CrashGuard or CleanSweep, you could always buy Norton Utilities separately. Whichever product you choose, it's worth shopping around because some suppliers heavily discount Symantec's Norton range.

Contact: Symantec, 0171 616 5600

Website: www.symantec.co.uk