Security and Anti-Virus

[tcdjmom]

Something called "constant guard" has installed thru Comcast/Norton and continually slows down and/or crashes my computer.  How can I get rid of this but still keep Norton?

[reasd]

Hello,

Use Add/Remove Programs to uninstall Constant Guard. If you remove constant guard it will not remove Norton.

[reasd]

Hello,

Use Add/Remove Programs to uninstall Constant Guard. If you remove constant guard it will not remove Norton.

[Queen-Evie]

Constant Guard also installs the Xfinity toolbar. After you uninstall Constant Guard get rid of the toolbar.

[CGPS-Support]

Based on your posting, it doesn't sound like you intalled the Constant Guard Protection Suite - "Constant Guard" is the phrase for anything associated with internet security and available through Comcast. the xFinity toolbar is just that, and includes anti-spyware. You can pick and choose what you wish to keep and what you wish to remove by looking at the services - go to Control Panel to Administrative Tools to Services. Find the services you wish to disable, click on them to highlight them, and click to Stop them. Then, if you wish to remove a service or application, do so through the Programs/Features (Vista and 7) or Add/Remove software (XP) control panel. RESTART your computer after making any change such as removing an application.

You CAN install Constant Guard Protection Suite including Norton without installing the toolbar and the anti-spyware. When you download the software you are prompted at the End User License Agreement, and at that point can "UNCHECK" the box asking if you with to make Comcast your homepage and install the Xfinity toolbar.

[CGPS-Support]

One additional note - the slowness, would be from running multiple fulltime web applications at the same time on a computer which may not have enough memory to do that. You may find that IF you run multiple fulltime (such as a security application) web applications, you may need to only run one at a time if you have less than 1 gig of physical ram. If you run multiple applications and run out of ram, the computer begins to rely on the hard drive to use as ram - virtual memory - and at that point, your computer "speed" is actually very much tied to the speed of the hard drive. Your hard drive speed will be slower and slower and slower, the more full it gets and as more errors accumulate it get s slower still.

[Queen-Evie]

Please be aware of one other thing: The Xfinity toolbar may also be a cause for the slowness.

In the past it has caused system slowdowns which disappear when the Xfinity (formerly Comcast) toolbar was UNINSTALLED.

Yes you can opt out of the toolbar install and making Comcast your homepage if you happen to notice that installing them is checked by default on the first screen and you uncheck it. Unfortunately to many people don't pay attention to such things. They keep hitting next and end up with unwanted stuff on their systems.

[LinuxMint]

Why do people even need toolbars these days? For what purpose exactly??

All it does is add unnecessary junk to your browser.

[USAF_E-8_RET]

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LinuxMint wrote:

Why do people even need toolbars these days? For what purpose exactly??

All it does is add unnecessary junk to your browser.

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Although off topic,  I will respond and say that I do find the Norton Toolbar to be useful and is the only toolbar I have on my system.  I feel the advantage of using it (especially for some of the lesser tech savy folks) is well worth the space given up:

http://us.norton.com/products/tutorials/features.jsp?pvid=n3604&tutid=norton_toolbar

Just my 2 cents!

[Iceman107]

What SPECIFICALLY would I be looking for in Administrative Tools>Services?

I don't have any toolbars and don't recall downloading any security features when signing up with Comcast though I too am experiencing not so much of a slowdown as a lockup. My system will be unresponsive to ANYTHING I try to do while being held hostage for sometimes 10 minutes or so before I can do ANYTHING! I have minimal events running so as to not tax my system and yes I already have Norton on my computer. So what gives and how can I remove that aspect of security? I have already tweaked my Norton system as best as I can without it not functioning altogether. Thanks.

[CGPS-Support]

Hi - the Administrative Tools are a control panel, and so wouldn't be seen in a toolbar. Go to your Control Panel to Administrative Tools and after clicking it, you'll see that "Services" is an option. When you click on it, it will list ALL services installed on the computer, and if they are running or not. Using this function, you can pick and choose as to what services you allow to operate, or not.

[Iceman107]

I'm aware of Administrative Tools.

Again, what SPECIFICALLY would I be looking for in this extensive list?

[CGPS-Support]

I'm sorry, but you haven't provided anything which would point to a potential cause. You haven't stated your issue beginning after you installed anything. It appears that your initial question is basically, "What should I be looking for?" but without stating when your issue started. If you wish to remove Constant Guard Protection Suite from the list of potential issues, then you would find "CGPS" in the list, and would click to STOP that service.

If you are being held "hostage," as you state before you can do anything - what does that mean? Do you type and nothing happens? Is the boot slow? To start with - turn off the CGPS (Constant Guard Protection Suite) if it is in the list, and see if the issue is resolved. Is the computer slow all the time, or only when a browser is open? Have you tried a different browser? We have seen issues with the processor slowing dramatically with Firefox IF Google is the active search engine and is open, AND there is an active anti-key-logger present such as GuardedID which installs as part of Constant Guard Protection Suite.

Again - in your Services, disable CGPS Service and if you see GuardedID, or GIDD, disable it, and see if your issue is lessened or resolved. If they are not there, then you would need to begin disabling other services OR restore your computer to a point before the issue began.