Should I install Norton on my iMac?
Should I install Norton on my iMac?
iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.7)
No
Question marked as
True. However, Norton AV has destroyed a system file, preventing a system from booting until the OS was reinstalled, and has destroyed email. Meanwhile, I have not seen malware, of any type which could affect a Mac, on a Mac under my control. since 1997. I have seen plenty of malware aimed at Windows; I just killed two examples today, both served up in email, one a phish, one from spam. (Hint: if you get an email with a file with a .DOTM extension, that's a Word macro file and is almost certainly a macro virus, especially when the email it's attached to says that it's an invoice from Apple. It's a good idea to show extensions, it really is. In this particular case, a quick run past AV on Windows confirmed that it was malware and I nuked it.) Norton AV will detect Mac malware, but there's so little Mac malware (over 99% of all malware is for Windows, and another 0.4% is for Android) that most people are unlikely to ever see any real Mac malware. I have not seen Mac malware on one of my Macs in 20 years. In that time I have seen Mac malware on other people's Macs, but only a few cases, less than a dozen all told. Meanwhile, it is actively dangerous to run Norton AV: it eats system files and email. It has done more damage to Macs under my control than malware has over the last 20 years.
Go right ahead and use it. I certainly won't be joining you.
43 replies
No, no, no! You should never install an antivirus on a Mac! As you read above, is not secure to install something like an antivirus, the cause: pure virus ferocity. You never know WHEN your Mac is going to be attacked by trojans or somewhat. If you want to kill your Mac as I did in the past, it's your own risk.
Good luck!
I haven't run Norton anything in a very long time... mostly because the last time, the very last time, I got a false positive which ate a system file on my system and prevented my from booting. I have also had it eat email. I simply do not trust it. Period. (Note: Virex is as bad or worse.)
The enterprise version is the version which generated the false positive on my machine...
No.
Macs rarely get viruses (OS X is built UNIX). I don't see why you should get an AV if Macs rarely get any virus at all.
Mac might not get viruses but, you can send a virus to a window user by way of (forward) email. There is nothing wrong with running AV on a Mac. It's up to you if you want to do so. If you feel you want to make sure that what you send to a window user does not have a virus attached to it run the AV program.
Dave... I've lost track of how many Safari users have had problems as a result of having Norton a/v installed.
And not just Safari.
Carolyn if you notice I never mention Nortons AV, but then again I guess it was implied. I have ClamXav (free) on my Mac and never had a problem with it. I guess it all depends on which AV program you have installed on your Mac if your going to have problems or not. As for anything Norton, going by their track record for the past ten years on a Mac running OSX, I wouldn't install anything Norton.
I want to know whether Norton or for that matter any AV is needed for Mac. I have Mac Pro running El-Captain and have been using Norton on my Windows Pc's and note books and never had any problem, but I switched recently from Windows to Mac and need an answer for this question too.
I have gone through these discussions here and found that Norton Interference with the system is mentioned often, but as a previous windows user, I would tell you that Norton has changed significantly and their software is very light on the system in Windows, but how far is it on Mac I do not know.
Any advice is needed....and Thanks.
FWIW, you posted to a 5 year old thread. You could have started your own. But to answer your question, you don't need to install Norton or any anti-virus programs on a Mac.
Ah sorry for that, but this was the same question and since I am new to this OS I asked the question.
And thanks for the prompt reply.
it's not a problem. You're welcome.
And for what it's worth, I wouldn't install a Norton product on my Macs or Windows machines. 😎
No, it is not needed
Should I install Norton on my iMac?