Norton AntiVirus 2005 is the most comprehensive anti-virus software to date. If you don't already have an anti-virus software program on your computer, now is the time to get one. The 2005 includes 12 months of updates, support for instant messenger software and much more.

Simple and powerful, Norton AntiVirus protects your PC against viruses--and it covers e-mail and instant messaging, too. The program's clear and simple interface shows you what you're protected against, how up-to-date your virus definitions are, and when you last checked your whole system. Anything you need to worry about is clearly marked in red.
Installation is simple: you can accept all the defaults without worry, and you'll be prompted to go online and get up-to-date definitions as soon as you install. If a virus is found, the software will try to automatically repair the file. In addition to looking for known viruses, the Norton AntiVirus Bloodhound feature tries to spot new viruses and worms by their behavior. AntiVirus also checks for viruses in files you download from the Web, in e-mail, and now in instant messages. If you use MSN Messenger you'll need to reboot; other messaging tools are protected straight away. With e-mail, Norton AntiVirus can check incoming and outgoing messages and files in POP3 clients like Outlook Express. While an older version such as Norton AntiVirus 2002 would only stop you from getting infected by an e-mail worm, this version stops you from passing the infection on to others.

Checking your system and downloading updates are two things you need to do regularly. Norton AntiVirus makes them relatively painless by setting up a full scan once a week and checking for new updates whenever you're online. Running a full scan does take time and you're not given an estimate of how long; a large drive can take 30 minutes or even an hour, and it ties up a lot of your PC's power. Simple update scanning hardly slows down your PC down at all.

Norton AntiVirus is an excellent way to guard against viruses. While it's not a major upgrade, as instant messaging becomes more popular, it's good to see tools to protect your system. --Mary Branscombe, Amazon.co.uk

Norton AntiVirus 2005 is by Symantec