PC utilities are notorious for providing inadequate information and heaping cumbersome procedures on users. So its a compliment when I say Ive been using Symantecs Norton SystemWorks 2005, and, overall, it has helped more than hindered my day-to-day computing activities.
The newest addition to SystemWorks is Norton GoBack, a utility that resembles Microsofts System Restore feature built into Windows XP. However, in addition to restoring the system, as System Restore does, GoBack can restore data.
SystemWorks 2005 let me test new programs in a SafeTry Mode. I install a lot of utility applications on my laptop, so the SafeTry Mode has been a real help to me. In fact, Ive avoided some hairy uninstalls of dicey desktop utilities by simply rejecting proposed changes to my system after I got a taste of how my latest software toy didnt work.
SystemWorks 2005, released in September, costs $70. Go to www.symantec.com for more information.
Check out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, reviews and analysis about productivity and business solutions.