Norton System Works (NSW) is a shopping-cart-full of software. The package contains a substantial User's Guide and two CDs. One CD holds five, separate, major utilities: Norton Utilities (NUT), Norton AntiVirus (NAV), Norton Crashguard (NCG), Norton CleanSweep (NCS), Norton Web Services (NWS). The other CD holds a Bonus Pack (BP) of five minor utilities: Norton 2000 BIOS Test & Fix, Zip-It, WinFax Basic, Norton Secret Stuff, and Visual Page. Street cost is $100. The key items on the NWS are ordinarily $29.95 per year but come free for 6 months, following the registration of NSW. Trial versions of the five major utilities on CD1 can be downloaded from http://shop.symantic.com/trialware.

Installation on my pc took 72.4M of hard drive space.

NSW comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee and sells for about $40 via a mail offer. Considering the previous cost of each of these programs, separately, NSW is a good buy. Installation on my 486 100k Hz computer was straightforward ... except that NSW caused a mass rearrangement of my desktop icons. Some icons were laid on top of others and I spent a deal of time reassembling the desktop-look I preferred. NSW also adds some icons of its own both on the desktop and on the task bar (for automatic activation on boot up); these may be retained or deactivated, as desired. The main NSW icon contains buttons that allow activation of any of the five major NSW utilities.

One of the standard desktop icons and corresponding facility, the Win95/98 Recycle Bin, is changed to a Norton Recycle Bin (NRBN). The NRBN expands the operation of the Win95/98 bin. The NRBN has two degrees of protection (vice Win95/98 one degree) for a file that is deleted; additionally, the NRBN facility allows files that are merely overwritten to be recovered. For my purposes and on my PC, I found the NRBN unnecessary and slow, and I finally deactivated this type of recycle bin.

NUT may be thought of as the core program in the NSW package. It is the latest version in a long run of this same type of software package by Peter Norton. These have been dedicated to exploring fundamental aspects of PC functioning, troubleshooting, and repairing. I still have a version of 'The Norton Utilities', useable with DOS 2. It contains essentially the same functions. In fact, this current NUT contains a number of hidden, hangover, DOS-based sub-utilities which are not automatically installed. One of these is Disk Edit, which I've tried, on and off, for many years just out of curiosity. It's a powerful tool for actually viewing and changing the particular coding of information recorded on each segment of your hard-drives. Another powerful DOS-based utility is 'Norton Diagnostics'; it automatically detects and analyzes hardware components like memory, processors, etc.

The general tasks you can perform with NUT are: system checkup. file restoration, crash recovery, problem diagnostics and repair, computer speedup, computer cleanup, software update, system depiction. The software has a Help file that contains an extensive Dictionary of computer terms. For example, I've been curious about the difference between Class1 and Class2 modems but haven't seen this information so far. Class 1 - A modem standard in which the computer does most of the protocol work and image generation, while the modem handles only the basic modulation and asynchronous data conversion; Class 2 - A modem standard in which the modem does most of the protocol work, while the computer manages the session and provides image data in the appropriate format.

Activating the NUT utility brings up a window with four buttons which denote general category of utilities: Find & Fix Problems, Improve Performance, Preventative Maintenance, and Troubleshoot. Each type of general category has its own set of buttons which, when activated, turn on specific utilities that actually do the jobs desired. Scattered among the four general types are seventeen specific utilities, some of which overlap and somewhat replicate others. The Find & Fix Problems category contains five utilities: System Check, WinDoctor, Disk Doctor, Connection Doctor and Unerase Wizard. The Improve Performance contains three utilities: Speed Disk, Optimization Wizard, and Space Wizard. The Preventative Maintenance category contains six utilities: System Doctor, Rescue Disk, WipeInfo, Registry Tracker, and Image. The Troubleshoot category contains three utilities: System Information, Registry Editor, and File Compare. Each one of these individual utilities run a substantially large number of checks on the PC hardware or software, and also search out solutions to problems that turn up.

Over a period of time, various trials of the System Check and WinDoctor utilities (which essentially cover the same types of checks), turned up a fair number of software, registry, shortcut, missing file, and program-installation problems. NSW allows either 'automatic' fixes or 'user-choice' fixes. I chose 'user-choice '. Many fixes involved deleting Registry entries and DLL files of old software which supposedly had been uninstalled. This really cleaned up hard-drive junk. Curiously, in one case, WinDoctor discovered an executable that could not find a necessary DLL file and suggested that this problem be fixed by finding the file and copying it to useable location. I OK'd the fix, but WinDoctor could not find the missing file. However, since the software involved worked OK, I looked for opstor32.dll in the software file and found it; ?

The System Doctor, either when turned on manually or automatically at boot up, produces a nifty graphic window that shows a set of 'sensors' which tie into the various results of regular System Checks. Thus, you can see graphic depictions of: hard-derive fragmentation and free space, CPU and swap-file usage, update reminders, etc. You may choose from nine styles for displaying a sensor . In addition, should you find them useful, you can add a slew of other sensors covering memory, disk, performance, information, etc. This window also has drop-down tabs that allow you to call up any of the NUT utilities or features.

Along with its continual monitoring, System Doctor produces a pop-up-window alert of any problems found during a time-adjustable monitoring cycle. While typing this review, the System Doctor produced the pop-up alert: a disk error was detected on Drive C; two lost clusters were found; click for details. When I clicked, I was ultimately taken to Disk Doctor, which allowed the files to be removed and saved to the C root directory and a floppy, should restoration be required.

The Connection Doctor checks: Swap Files, Logical Drives, Communication Ports,System Resources, Telephony, Modems, and Dialing for connection Problems. A check on my PC found the Com Port's (modem) maximum data rate of 115,200 bps might possibly make the modem unreliable since the rate was above the 4,800 bps limit, as considered by Connection Doctor. However, a check of the modem documentation showed that the 115,200 number I set was in accordance with the manual recommendation .

A set of three utilities are aimed directly at hard-drive maintenance: Speed Disk, Space Wizard, and Image. Speed Disk does essentially the same things as the Tools function of Win95/98, obtained when Properties is activated for any hard drive in the PC. In fact NSW adds a 'Norton' tab to the Tools window. Both utilities give essentially the same presentations and carry out the same operations; I've used both and noticed no difference in defragmenting drives and detecting errors in the drive setup data.

Space Wizard, scanning each drive separately, first identifies files that are commonly descardable, infrequently used, excessively large, or duplicates of other files on your drives, and then gives you the option of deleting the ones you feel unnecessary. This utility comes with a caveat: Review displayed files carefully. Some of the files displayed for selection should not be removed;. A scan on my PC identified many temp and other files for deletion or compression. I chose to delete all the temp type files. One of these files I chose brought up a warning: file may be used by another program. On previous occasions I've ignored the basic caveat and such warnings ... to my sorrow, so I kept this mysterious file and some back up files also.

The Unerase Wizard is based on the Norton Protected File feature of the Norton Recycle Bin, which saves the various types of deleted files. Activating this utility brings up a list of deleted and saved files, and allows you to choose which you'd like to restore. I had none.

The Optimization Wizard reorganizes the Registry data for efficient storage and retrieval. It also optimizes the Win95/98 Swap File; this involves choosing a minimum Swap-File size to prevent fragmentation and examining your hard drives to place the file in the fastest drive; if you have only one drive this aspect is useless. The wizard let me know that my Swap File was not optimized, so I let the wizard do its thing along with its automatic boot. Didn't note any substantial changes in my PC operation and, in fact, when I checked how the Swap File was being managed, I found that it was being managed by Win98 ...just as it had been done prior to the wizard operation.

WipeInfo is a super delete utility that removes all traces of selected files or folders from any place on your hard drives. It has two levels of wipe (a Fast and a government 5220-22-M) and it comes with the warning that you cannot unerase information after it has been wiped. WipInfo is a good utility for giving away your old computer without compromising your privacy.

File Compare is a utility for comparing different versions of text files, see What’s changed, and selectively undo changes. I tried it with two files. Each was given a half of the screen with the left-hand file as the base and the right-hand file as the compared. Changes in the right-had file, form the left, were highlighted in red and a small data window showed the lines added, or moved, or deleted if such operations were effected; the window also pointed to the newer file.

Image takes a "snapshot" of a disk's critical file information, a process called imaging. The disk's image is used by NSW utilities UnErase Wizard and UnFormat to restore deleted files or directories and rebuild deleted folders if you accidentally format or seriously damage a disk. Image saves your disk's boot record, file allocation tables (FATS), and root information. It also creates an image backup file of the previous image file, which you can use if your current image file is damaged. Image provides peace-of-mind data protection and ensures the best chance of a full recovery.

Registry Editor is an expanded version of the Win95/98 utility activated through the file REGEDIT.EXE found in the Windows folder. It allows you to poke around and revise your Registry file ... a dangerous undertaking unless you know your way about. The core of the NSW window is the same as that of REGEDIT window ... the list of the HKEY's on the left-hand part of the screen, the corresponding Name/Data on the right-hand part. Use of both is the same except that the Registry Editor is more tailored to the quick convenient actions obtainable from Windows icons. For example, the ‘Find’ process (often used when poking around) is accessed in both from a drop-down menu, but Registry Editor also has an icon to do this job conveniently. The Registry Editor window opens up with the lower half taken up with some secondary functions (Bookmark, Undo, etc.) which, I consider, only take up space needed when expanding the HKEY's. However, this lower space is easily reduced or by dragging its upper border. Registry Editor does offer advantages in getting around the Win95/98 Registry.

Along with the Registry Editor, there is the utility Registry Tracker that helps keep track of changes made to critical files, folders, and registry keys on your system. The tracker takes "snapshots" of tracked items when they change, showing changes that were made and allowing restoration tracked items to their former state. The tracker window opened shows an expanded list of the HKEY's and all the recorded items associated with them and tags items with icons showing New, Old, Moved From, Moved To. Thus, having a baseline Registry snapshot, you can see what a system change ... like a program installation ... has done to the Registry.

The utility, System Information, gives detailed information about: the PC itself; the attached peripherals - keyboard, mouse, printers, and multimedia devices; the PC Internet and network connections. The information is displayed by category on the nine tabs of the System Information window: 1) System Information displays general information about your system and its attached hardware; 2) Display shows display capabilities; 3) Printer shows printer capabilities; 4) Memory shows the amount of available memory, and indicates how much is being used by each running program; 5) Drive shows the amount of free and used disk space, and indicates the amount occupied by any file; 6) Input shows the types of input devices attached to the PC; 7) Multimedia shows the audio, video, and joystick devices attached to the PC; 8) Network shows information about the Microsoft and Novell NetWare networks to which the PC is attached; 9) Internet shows details about the system's Internet connection. System Information can print reports about your system and its components. These reports provide a complete description of your system and are helpful when purchasing new software, installing new hardware, or calling a vendor for technical support. System Information can also benchmark your system, drives, and the multimedia capabilities of your computer. However, it should be noted that Win95/98 also contains a similar utility Microsoft Systems Information (gotten in Program/Accessories/System Tools) which, in some cases, provides more information.

The utility, Rescue Disk, copies the PC's critical setup data and startup files to a set of removable disks, or to a folder. If the PC fails to start, the rescue disk set can usually get the computer started again. Once the computer is running, the NUT programs stored on the rescue disk set can help you diagnose and fix computer problems, and restore the computer to full functioning. Two different types of rescue disk sets may be created: 1) a basic rescue set on floppy disks; 2) a Zip rescue set using an Iomega Zip (or Jaz) disk. Rescue Disk would not create the rescue set on my SparQ drive. The floppy three-diskette set was easy to create and test. Every PC owner should have this type of emergency backup in order to deal with the major heart palpitations which will come some day (for certain) when your PC obstinately refuses to boot up.

Some concluding comments about these seventeen NUT utilities. First, most of them mess with core software elements which make Win95/98 turn on and work. So many of the choices allowed are dangerous and can knockout a healthy PC. Next, it takes some dedicated effort to sort out and learn NUT, and then configure it to work to your liking; but the effort is worth while. Finally, the program takes a fair amount of both storage and memory to work efficiently. My 486, 100 MHz, PC was just about sufficient and ended up working slower (?)

The best part of fooling around with these utilities is that my PC still boots up and works.