Norton Utilities
The Norton Utilities (short: NU ) are a compilation of different programs to expand the functionality of Microsoft operating systems and Mac operating systems . The manufacturer Symantec is one of the market leaders in this category of programs. The main focus is on detecting and correcting errors in files, file systems and hard drives, as well as system diagnostics, system acceleration and data recovery. The first versions were developed by Peter Norton in 1981 for the MS-DOS operating system . Norton Utilities has belonged to Symantec since 1990.
Versions for Microsoft operating systems
Up to version 7 all versions were exclusively for MS-DOS and supplemented it. It included:
- Defragmenter (SpeedDisk),
- File recovery program (Undelete),
- Disk Editor ( Disk Editor )
- extended command interpreter (NDOS, license version of 4DOS ),
- File Finder,
- System analysis program.
From version 8 the Norton Utilities were also available for Windows 3.x , which means that some programs had a version for Windows in addition to the DOS version. With the introduction of Windows 95 , the toolkit was completely ported to Windows and it started again with version number 1. With version 4.5 (released in 2000), Symantec changed the version designation to the year, which was revised in 2009. Between 2003 and 2007, the Utilities were an integral part of Norton SystemWorks, which included Norton AntiVirus . Version 14, released in 2009, runs on Windows XP , Vista and 7 .
meaning
Norton Utilities enjoyed great popularity in the 1980s and 90s. Microsoft also licensed some parts of the program as components of the MS-DOS operating system (e.g. the hard disk defragmenter). However, the original Norton Utilities programs remained more flexible in their use. With the purchase of Central Point Software , the manufacturer of PC tools , in 1994 Symantec took over its fiercest competitor in this area.
Norton Utilities has been on the Mac since 1988. The main competitors on this platform are Micromat TechTool Pro and Alsoft DiskWarrior .
Problems / criticism
The composition and added value of the tool collection fluctuated significantly with the years and versions and has been decreasing for years. In particular, the introduction of new operating and file systems, such as the switch from DOS to Windows and its constant further development, made some traditional extensions superfluous. The collection of tools adapted to this, which worked with varying degrees of success. With the introduction of the recycle bin in Windows 95, for example, B. the stand-alone recovery program is useful, instead the Norton Utilities expanded the functions of the recycle bin, but this became superfluous again with Windows XP. After large NTFS- formatted hard disks became more and more popular, this also applied to the SpeedDisk defragmenter. From version 14 it is no longer included (only as a reference to the integrated defragmenter of Windows).
It was repeatedly criticized that the tool collection under Windows XP could not handle restricted rights.
Individual evidence
- ↑ CT' Software Review: Norton Utilities from Cristian Heise et al. (Ed.), C't 4/1985, p. 8; Hanover 1985.
- ↑ http://www.computerwoche.de/heftarchiv/1994/16/1121117/ ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. computerwoche.de 1994
- ↑ Vahldiek: Norton Useless; from Cristian Heise et al. (Ed.), C't 9/2009, p. 68; Hanover 2009.
- ↑ Axel Vahldiek: Norton Unchanged 2004; from Cristian Heise et al. (Ed.), C't 25/2003, p. 88; Hanover 2003.
