NIS 2005 Bug? (Can't Bring Up Properties or Sharing Dialogs)

Installed Norton Internet Security 2005 on Windows XP SP1 and just noticed that whenever I right-click a folder or sub-folder, and select Properties or Sharing and Security... from the pop-up menu, NOTHING HAPPENS! No dialog box, nothing. If I right-click at the drive level, no problem, it behaves normally, the problem ONLY occurs at the folder/sub-folder level. I then uninstalled NIS 2005, and all the problems go away. Reinstall NIS 2005, problem returns. I then went back to an older version, NIS 2003, and noticed it too has this same problem, something I never noticed before (I presume it was always there but somehow escaped my notice).

Anyone else seeing this problem? Is this a known problem? I can't seem to locate anything about it in the Symantec knowledgebase, and their tech support is useless, emailed me some irrelevant response to my inquiry. I tried disabling various features in NIS 2005 as well to see if the problem goes away, nothing helped short of uninstalling the product. I even tried installing NIS 2005 on a brand new Windows XP SP1 installation, same problem.

I find it hard to believe that this problem can be duplicated w/ NIS 2003, and yet can't find any other indication in a Google search of similar complaints. I wonder if the problem is peculiar to my hardware, such as Intel, hyperthreading, some BIOS setting, whatever. Just speculating.

TIA

Jim

Wouldn't you know it, a few minutes after posting, I found this:

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Guess I just didn't select the right search terms initially, finally hit on this one, and it corrected the problem.

What's so surprising is how Symantec tech support is CLUELESS about this problem. Emailed them yesterday, explained it in great detail. Yet, they responded w/ suggestions that were totally irrelevant! Tech Support is basically a waste anymore, all you ever get is a first level responder in India who simply finds a few keywords in your email complaint, digs into their book of "rote" replies, and sends you a completely irrelevant response. Then moves on to the next case. In most cases, I don't even call tech support, just isn't worth the effort, easier to dump the product and find something else. Just to show you, here's the actual email response I received this morning:

Thank you for contacting Symantec Online Technical Support.

I understand from your email that, you have an issue with Norton Internet Security (NIS) 2005 installation.

James, I request you to install NIS 2005 by following the steps provided below. Then check the issue persist.

-- Uninstall NIS 2005

-- Prepare your computer before installing.

-- Install NIS 2005.

-- Uninstall completely NIS 2005

Please click on the link below and follow the steps provided in the document.

Title: 'Removing Norton Internet Security or Norton Personal Firewall 2004 from Windows 2000/XP after Add/Remove Programs does not work' Document ID: 2004020314035036

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Prepare your computer before installing

Please click on the link below and follow the steps provided in the document.

Please refer to the document linked below before installing 2005 version of your product:

Title: 'What to do before installing your 2005 Symantec product' Document ID:2004090914191713

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Install NIS 2005

Please click on the link below and follow the steps provided in the document.

Title: 'Installing Norton Internet Security or Norton Personal Firewall 2005 from the CD' Document ID: 2004090714323036

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I also request you to Optimize your system resources.

Please click on the link below and follow the steps provided in the document.

Title: 'Basic guide to optimizing system resources' Document ID: 2002061015214139

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Then I request you to check the issue persist.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

As I said, a completely worthless, irrelevant response. Why bother?!

Jim