Symantec Norton Bug Internet Security At Risk Red X Icon Taskbar Tray Back One Week (7 Days) Later

Like clock work, one week (7 days) later, the Symantec Norton anti-virus software bug reared it's ugly head again on my new Windows 10 computer. The Symantec Norton Security icon in the Taskbar tray changed to show a Red X. After clicking on the icon, the Norton LifeLock Security window displayed these messages for the Internet Security tab: Internet Security At Risk and Browsing at Risk. (See image above.) Their software bug has existed since at least August 2019, but Symantec can't be bothered to fix it, according to comments I read here.

The Symantec Norton Security icon in the Taskbar tray should be a green check mark (see image below) and the Norton LifeLock Security window should look like this:

Today, one week (7 days) after uninstalling and reinstalling Norton to fix their software bug, which is merely resetting the 7 day clock for when the bug will return, this popup dialog appeared (see image below). Because I didn't take any action in response to it, it timed out, disappeared, and the Taskbar tray changed to show a Red X, meaning the bug was back.

My immediate response to their software bug returning was to research the quality of Windows 10 Windows Defender, and I found an article saying it can be used instead of an anti-virus program (like Symantec Norton). The article recommended using Malwarebytes too:

What’s the Best Antivirus for Windows 10? (Is Windows Defender Good Enough?)

Malwarebytes

Basic Computer Security: How to Protect Yourself from Viruses, Hackers, and Thieves

Then I reinstalled Norton for the FOURTH time, to work around THEIR SOFTWARE BUG! If this problem happens again next Tuesday, I'll uninstall Norton for the last time, and use Windows 10 Windows Defender instead. I also won't be renewing my subscription with Symantec Norton.

Symantec Norton Bug Internet Security At Risk Red X Icon Taskbar Tray

Let's call this what it is: a software bug! Because if it is intentional, then Symantec has become Big Brother and is now dictating what users MUST have installed on their browsers, even if the user does NOT want those items installed. That sounds like what the US Government says China does to their people, doesn't it? But I digress...

For the second time, after a one week (7 days) gap of time, Symantec has inflicted (or should I say infected) my computer with their Symantec Norton Bug - Internet Security At Risk - Red X Icon in the Taskbar tray.

Apparently this bug has existed for awhile, based on the comments I found here.

The symptoms on a Windows 10 computer: the Symantec Norton Security icon in the Taskbar tray changes to show a Red X. After clicking on the icon, the Norton LifeLock Security window displays these messages for the Internet Security tab: Internet Security At Risk and Browsing at Risk. (See image above.)

If one clicks on the Why fix this? beneath the Fix Now button, and selects the ignore choice, it does nothing: the red alerts remain.

Having an always Red X icon displayed leads to one of two things: 1) the user ends up ignoring it altogether, which means that real problems that occur will be ignored! 2) the user has to uninstall and reinstall Norton, perhaps gaining a one week reprieve from the software bug, before having to do choice 2 again! (I lost 40 minutes of time for choice 2. Is Symantec going to reimburse me for that?!)

Shortly before the bug reappeared, I received a popup dialog from Norton, about Internet Security not being set up, or some such, and asking me something along the lines of two choices: Remind me again later or Don't ask me again. I chose Don't ask me again, and shortly after that, the Red X icon appeared. So the next time I see that question, I'll try choosing Remind me again later, or close the window without making any choice, and see if the icon remains green, which is how it SHOULD appear even if I CHOOSE NOT to install their browser add-ons.

In the meantime, before my subscription comes up for renewal, if anyone has recommendations for other anti-virus programs that don't dictate what the user has to install, please leave a comment, so I can look into changing from Norton to another provider. Because unless Symantec fixes this bug, I won't be renewing with them.