If you want to know when new articles go
online,
subscribe to the WebWord.com
Usability Newsletter!
Installing
Norton AntiVirus 2002: A Usability Case Study
Article by John
S. Rhodes
Abstract
The purpose of this article is
to provide you with an in-depth description of my experience installing
Norton AntiVirus 2002. Several images and descriptions are included, along
with numerous comments about the usability associated with the installation
process.
Introduction
This is a highly detailed
description of my installation of Norton AntiVirus 2002. I've written it in
sequential fashion so that you can pretty much follow along with my
progress, from start to finish. It took me 87 minutes to get the software
installed and running.
I do not discuss how the
software works. Instead, this article is strictly about my software
installation experience. I've included 23 images in this article, which
might be overkill for some people, but I felt it was important to show you
what I saw. In this way we can experience the pain of the installation
together. I've also included several important comments about the usability
of the installation process.
In effect, this is a case study
about the usability of the software installation process for a very popular
software product. Hopefully some developers will read this article and find
ways to improve the process. Similarly, I hope that the business leaders at
Symantec and the other software companies read this and choose to make
improvements.
The First Reboot
11:42 AM
I insert the Norton AntiVirus CD into the CD player. The CD autoruns and provides me with a
display (see Figure 1). As
you can see, four options are provided. The interface is simple. At this
point in time, I am happy to say that the installation program is not
causing any system problems.
11:46 AM
I choose to install Norton AntiVirus. I'm hit with a message in a prompt box
(see Figure 2). The message doesn't make sense the first time I read it.
What is Windows Installer exactly? Is it related to this program or another program?
I don't want to restart Windows now, so I choose to manually restart later.
11:49 AM
My choice to manually restart later must have been a bad choice. When I chose "No", the prompt box went away and I was left looking at the
main installation menu. So, I will now try to install it again and I will choose
"Yes", which will probably force me to restart my computer. I'll
close Notepad and PaintShop Pro. I'm unhappy. I follow the same steps as
above but this time I agree to let Norton reboot my machine. I'll be back in
a few minutes.
The Second Reboot
11:55 AM
I'm now back after my machine rebooted. I'm looking at my desktop. Nothing
is happening. I guess that I need restart the installation process again. You would think that after rebooting, the program would
autorun for me. It is silly that I have to launch the installation program
again.
11:59 AM
I'm now looking at the main screen for installing the software (see Figure
3). I'm supposed to close all Windows programs before I continue. I've seen that warning before, during other installations. Is it really
possible to close all programs?
12:01 PM
Now I am looking at yet another ridiculous EULA (end user license agreement;
see Figure 4). It is long and boring. I read
some of it, but it is so ridiculous. For example, if this is an upgrade, then after I install
this software, I need to destroy all previous versions of it. Are they serious? You bet.
The software industry is so anti-user in this regard it is pathetic. To go on, I must accept the EULA.
Grumble, grumble.
12:04 PM
The installation program has detected a previous version of Norton AntiVirus.
They will remove it for me (see Figure
5). It seems like you must remove prior versions. (Why?)
Either they will do it, or I must do it before they'll let me install Norton
AntiVirus 2002. I choose to let Norton remove the previous version.
12:07 PM
Oh no! I need to restart Windows...again (see
Figure 6). This is ridiculous. As Figure 6 indicates, I'm told to
remove the Norton AntiVirus 2002 CD and then restart. What should I expect when the machine reboots?
Also, as you can see, I must restart my machine. I cannot cancel. I have lost all
decision-making power. Time to restart again, I'll be back in a few minutes...
The Third Reboot
12:12 PM
I'm back. Since the CD is out of the CD player, there is no way Norton will autorun.
I decide to put the CD in the CD player and I browse to it again. I start the
installation process again. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no indication that I have done anything so far.
In other words, I have to once again choose to Install Norton AntiVirus. This is insane. As a user, I have no idea what is really
going on. I'm completely uninformed about the situation. However, I need to update my virus
protection, so I must press forward. I bought the software and opened it up,
so I might as well continue since I probably can't return it. I click on Install Norton AntiVirus.
Wish me luck.
12:15 PM
Once again I have to accept the EULA. (They are in control, that is
certain.) I'm given a choice about where Norton AntiVirus will be installed
(see Figure 7). I stick with the default choice, which is what I normally do when installing programs.
12:18 PM
Now I am told where Norton AntiVirus will be installed and I am also told where
Shared Symantec files will be installed (see
Figure 8). There are two problems with this. First, I'm not given any choice about installing
these shared files. I'm powerless. Second, and more important, what are "Shared Symantec files" and why do I need
them? Norton should either provide me with more information about these potentially important files,
or they should hide the information completely so that I don't have to worry.
I choose to continue by clicking on the Next button.
12:23 PM
Progress is being made. Files are installing (see
Figure 9).
12:25 PM
The actual installation of files went well, I think. At the end of the process, I am hit with a README
file (see Figure 10).
I quickly read it and then click on the Next button.
12:27 PM
I've been told that the program has been installed successfully (see
Figure 11). That seems like good news to me. I am told that I must remove the CD and reboot.
No! Not again. What a hassle. What a total and complete hassle. I
don't have a choice. I'm going to push the Finish button. I expect the worst.
12:29 PM
Oh boy, it seems like they decided to hand back over some control to me (see Figure
12). I can restart now or later. At least I have a choice. Since I must restart to have the installation take full effect,
I choose to restart now. I'll be back in a few minutes.
The Fourth Reboot
12:33 PM
When I restart the machine, I am hit with the Norton AntiVirus Information Wizard
(see Figure 13). I click on Next.
12:35 PM
I'm told that I need to register (see Figure
14). I click on Next.
12:36 PM
I'm given a choice on how to be contacted by Symantec (email, postal mail,
or telephone). See Figure 15.
I choose email and click on Next.
12:38 PM
I start entering other registration information (e.g., name, company, address, etc.).
Unfortunately, it seems like I am being forced to register and give up all kinds of information.
This is really annoying. Why should they get to know this about me? All they really need is my email address (which is
not required) so that I can get updates. I'm unhappy. I don't like giving out my
postal address.
12:41 PM
I'm hit with a 9 question survey. Fortunately, I can skip it.
12:42 PM
I'm told that it is time to submit my registration (see Figure
16). I click Next.
12:45 PM
I'm tired of waiting to send in my registration. I decide to click
"Skip" and move along, if I can. The dialog box disappears. I'm looking at my desktop.
I have no idea what just happened. I decide to start Norton AntiVirus 2002 using a shortcut on my
desktop, which the installation program put there. Nothing happens. I wait a
few seconds. Nothing happens. I have no idea what I should do. Hmm.
12:47 PM
Now I get it. I realize that Norton is running, but not in a window.
Instead, I see it in my taskbar and open it up. Now it is time to subscribe
(see Figure 17). I click Next.
12:48 PM
I'm given a choice of several post installation tasks (see Figure
18). As usual, I stick with the defaults. I click on Next.
12:50 PM
The LiveUpdate window appears (see Figure
19). There are a lot of things here. I quickly read the information and click Next.
The program starts to "Confirm Subscription Status", whatever that means.
12:53 PM
While I am waiting I look at the manual. It is boring and I don't really need it, so I toss it down again.
I wait.
12:54 PM
LiveUpdate has found several Symantec products. I think it is time to download the updates for these products.
However, at this point I am confused. I thought that I merely installed one program (Norton AntiVirus 2002).
I decided to shrug it off and I click on Next.
12:56 PM
Downloading of updates begins... (see Figure
20). I wait again.
12:57 PM
I get hit with an extremely silly dialog box (see Figure
21). Why should I be forced to run LiveUpdate multiple times!? I'll be upset if I need to run it again during this installation.
Again, I am confused and unhappy. Why is software so bad? Why are installations so painful?
12:59 PM
My hard drive is churning. I'm waiting for something to happen. I'm waiting for a message that I can continue and that things are great.
1:00 PM
Excellent. I am told my products are now up to date (see Figure
22). I hope this is the end of the installation. What do you think? Will I need another reboot?
I'm going to click on Finish.
1:02 PM
I have the choice of rebooting now or later (see
Figure 23). This is a pretty good dialog box. I'm given a choice of actions and
they even suggest that I save all my work before moving ahead. Good! I decide to reboot and click OK.
I'll be back in a few minutes...
1:09 PM
Installation is complete. I decide to run Norton AntiVirus. I need to scan my machine, create a series of backup disks, and
do a whole lot more. In other words I made it through the process and
I am up and running. I missed lunch and I am hungry.
Key Points
In some ways this was a typical
installation and in other ways it was not. No matter how you perceive the
process outlined above, there are several lessons to be learned:
- Installation can take a
lot of time. This took 87 minutes of dedicated time. That is a lot
of time! Users are sacrificing hours and hours of their time to install
software. I'm estimating that Norton's users have spent nearly 1 billion
minutes doing installations (87 minutes x 100
million users). This is a serious issue. It's a multi-million dollar
problem.
- Users are often forced to
reboot their machines many times. This is painful. Some machines can
take 5-10 minutes per reboot. Think of how much time users must wait!
Everyone hates to reboot. Being forced to rebooting 4 times is
insane.
- Users are often given
very little control over the installation process. The End User
License Agreement (EULA) stinks, the prompt boxes offer little
information, and users are generally forced to obey the installation
software. The structure is sometimes good and occasionally leads to
fewer problems, but users are powerless.
- Users are not given good
information about the installation process. What is the software
doing? Where are the files going? What are they
installing exactly? It is often a big mystery. Many users really need to
know what is going on. Of course, the rule should be that the
installation program should give you a lot of decision making
information or they should hide the information. When information is
there, but it is ambiguous, users are punished. Decisions are difficult.
- Unfortunately, users are
forced to buy software that is painful to install. I needed to
update my virus protection and I needed to get new software. While many
people say that this is the best antivirus software available, that
doesn't mean that it offers the best installation process. (Think about
that.) Perhaps other antivirus companies have a better installation
processes, although I really doubt it.
- Reports like this one
are important because they put focus on the total cost of owning
software. Many software vendors only talk about the software as it
operates, not how to get the software installed or uninstalled. These
other activities take time and energy. This should be important to
companies also because their support lines get hit when installations
are difficult, even when their software is flawless.
Comments?
Please send them to me: john@webword.com
I want to know what you think about this article.
What next?
|
