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Norton CrashGuard Users Guide
Norton CrashGuard Users Guide

The software described in this book is furnished under a license agreement and may be used only in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
Copyright Notice
Copyright 1996-1998 Symantec Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Any technical documentation that is made available by Symantec Corporation is the copyrighted work of Symantec Corporation and is owned by Symantec Corporation. NO WARRANTY. The technical documentation is being delivered to you AS-IS, and Symantec Corporation makes no warranty as to its accuracy or use. Any use of the technical documentation or the information contained therein is at the risk of the user. Documentation may include technical or other inaccuracies or typographical errors. Symantec reserves the right to make changes without prior notice. No part of this publication may be copied without the express written permission of Symantec Corporation, Peter Norton Group, 10201 Torre Avenue, Cupertino, CA 95014.
Trademarks
Symantec, the Symantec logo, Norton, Norton CrashGuard, Norton QuickReload, Norton SystemWorks, VitalSave, SafeOriginal, Norton Web Services, LiveUpdate, and LiveUpdate Pro are trademarks of Symantec Corporation. Microsoft, Windows, the Windows logo, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other product names mentioned in this manual may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged. Printed in the United States of America. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
SYMANTEC LICENSE AND WARRANTY

NOTICE: SYMANTEC LICENSES THE ENCLOSED SOFTWARE TO YOU ONLY UPON THE CONDITION THAT YOU ACCEPT ALL OF THE TERMS CONTAINED IN THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT. PLEASE READ THESE TERMS CAREFULLY. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS, PLEASE PRESS THE "NO" BUTTON TO EXIT INSTALL AS SYMANTEC IS UNWILLING TO LICENSE THE SOFTWARE TO YOU, IN WHICH EVENT YOU SHOULD RETURN THE FULL PRODUCT WITH PROOF OF PURCHASE TO THE DEALER FROM WHOM IT WAS ACQUIRED WITHIN SIXTY DAYS OF PURCHASE, AND YOUR MONEY WILL BE REFUNDED. LICENSE AND WARRANTY: The software which accompanies this license (the "Software") is the property of Symantec or its licensors and is protected by copyright law. While Symantec continues to own the Software, you will have certain rights to use the Software after your acceptance of this license. Except as may be modied by a license addendum which accompanies this license, your rights and obligations with respect to the use of this Software are as follows: YOU MAY: (i) use only one copy of one version of the various versions of the Software contained on the enclosed media on a single computer, or if only one version is contained on the enclosed media use one copy of such version on a single computer; (ii) make one copy of the Software for archival purposes, or copy the software onto the hard disk of your computer and retain the original for archival purposes; (iii) use the Software on a network, provided that you have a licensed copy of the Software for each computer that can access the Software over that network; (iv) after written notice to Symantec, transfer the Software on a permanent basis to another person or entity, provided that you retain no copies of the Software and the transferee agrees to the terms of this agreement; and (v) if a single person uses the computer on which the Software is installed at least 80% of the time, then after returning the completed product registration card which accompanies the Software, that person may also use the Software on a single home computer. YOU MAY NOT: (i) copy the documentation which accompanies the Software; (ii) sublicense, rent or lease any portion of the Software; (iii) reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, modify, translate, make any attempt to discover the source code of the Software, or create derivative works from the Software; or (iv) use a previous version or copy of the Software after you have received a disk replacement set or an upgraded version as a replacement of the prior version, unless you donate a previous version of an upgraded version to a charity of your choice, and such charity agrees in writing that it will be the sole end user of the product, and that it will abide by the terms of this agreement. Unless you so donate a previous version of an upgraded version, upon upgrading the Software, all copies of the prior version must be destroyed. SIXTY DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE: If you are the original licensee of this copy of the Software and are dissatised with it for any reason, you may return the complete product, together with your receipt, to Symantec or an authorized dealer, postage prepaid, for a full refund at any time during the sixty day period following the delivery to you of the Software. LIMITED WARRANTY: Symantec warrants that the media on which the Software is distributed will be free from defects for a period of sixty (60) days from the date of delivery of the Software to you. Your sole remedy in the event of a breach of this warranty will be that Symantec will, at its option, replace any defective media returned to Symantec within the warranty period or refund the money you paid for the Software. Symantec does not warrant that the Software will meet your requirements or that operation of the Soft-
ware will be uninterrupted or that the Software will be error-free. THE ABOVE WARRANTY IS EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS. YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS, WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES: REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ANY REMEDY SET FORTH HEREIN FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE, IN NO EVENT WILL SYMANTEC BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT OR SIMILAR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS OR LOST DATA ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE EVEN IF SYMANTEC HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IN NO CASE SHALL SYMANTEC'S LIABILITY EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE FOR THE SOFTWARE. THE DISCLAIMERS AND LIMITATIONS SET FORTH ABOVE WILL APPLY REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU ACCEPT THE SOFTWARE. U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS: RESTRICTED RIGHTS LEGEND. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c) (1) (ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013 or subparagraphs (c) (1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer SoftwareRestricted Rights clause at 48 CFR 52.227-19, as applicable, Symantec Corporation, 10201 Torre Avenue, Cupertino, CA 95014. GENERAL: This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of California. This Agreement may only be modied by a license addendum which accompanies this license or by a written document which has been signed by both you and Symantec. Should you have any questions concerning this Agreement, or if you desire to contact Symantec for any reason, please write: Symantec Customer Sales and Service, 10201 Torre Avenue, Cupertino, CA 95014. END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR Distributed COM for Windows 95 IMPORTANT READ CAREFULLY: This Microsoft End-User License Agreement (EULA) is a legal agreement between you (either an individual or a single entity) and Microsoft Corporation for the Microsoft software product identied above, which includes computer software and associated media and printed materials (if any), and may include online or electronic documentation (SOFTWARE PRODUCT or SOFTWARE). By installing, copying, or otherwise using the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, you agree to be bound by the terms of this EULA. If you do not agree to the terms of this Agreement, you are not authorized to use the SOFTWARE PRODUCT. The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties. The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is licensed, not sold. 1. GRANT OF LICENSE. This EULA grants you the following rights: Use and Copy. Microsoft grants to you the right to use copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT only in conjunction with validly licensed copies of Microsoft Windows 95. You may make copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT for use on all computers for which you have licensed Microsoft Windows 95. You may also make copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT for backup and archival purposes. 2. RESTRICTIONS. --You must maintain all copyright notices on all copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT. --You may not distribute copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT to third parties. --You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, except and only to the extent that such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law notwithstanding this limitation. --You may not separate the SOFTWARE PRODUCT into its component parts for use on more than one
computer. --You may not rent or lease the SOFTWARE PRODUCT. --You may permanently transfer all of your rights under this EULA only in conjunction with a permanent transfer of your validly licensed copy or copies of Microsoft Windows 95. 3. TERMINATION. Your rights under this EULA terminate upon the termination of your Microsoft Windows 95 operating system EULA, or without prejudice to any other rights, Microsoft may terminate this EULA if you fail to comply with the terms and conditions of this EULA. In such event, you must destroy all copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT. 4. COPYRIGHT. All title and copyrights in and to the SOFTWARE PRODUCT and any copies thereof are owned by Microsoft or its suppliers. All title and intellectual property rights in and to the content which may be accessed through use of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT is the property of the respective content owner and may be protected by applicable copyright or other intellectual property laws and treaties. This EULA grants you no rights to use such content. 5. U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS. The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is provided with RESTRICTED RIGHTS. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013 or subparagraphs (c)(1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software Restricted Rights at 48 CFR 52.227-19, as applicable. Manufacturer is Microsoft Corporation/One Microsoft Way/Redmond, WA 98052-6399. 6. EXPORT RESTRICTIONS. You agree that you will not export or re-export the SOFTWARE PRODUCT to any country, person, entity or end user subject to U.S.A. export restrictions. Restricted countries currently include, but are not necessarily limited to Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Syria, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro, U.N. Protected Areas and areas of Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina under the control of Bosnian Serb forces). You warrant and represent that neither the U.S.A. Bureau of Export Administration nor any other federal agency has suspended, revoked or denied your export privileges. 7. NO WARRANTY. ANY USE OF THE SOFTWARE PRODUCT IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE SOFTWARE PRODUCT IS PROVIDED FOR USE ONLY WITH MICROSOFT OPERATING SYSTEM PRODUCTS. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, MICROSOFT AND ITS SUPPLIERS DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NONINFRINGEMENT. 8. NO LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, OR ANY OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE PRODUCT, EVEN IF MICROSOFT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. BECAUSE SOME STATES AND JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. 9. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. MICROSOFT'S ENTIRE LIABILITY AND YOUR EXCLUSIVE REMEDY UNDER THIS EULA SHALL NOT EXCEED FIVE DOLLARS (US$5.00). 10. MISCELLANEOUS This EULA is governed by the laws of the State of Washington, U.S.A. Should you have any questions concerning this EULA, or if you desire to contact Microsoft for any reason, please contact the Microsoft subsidiary serving your country, or write: Microsoft Sales Information Center/One Microsoft Way/Redmond, WA 98052-6399.
Chapter 1
Introducing Norton CrashGuard

Welcome to Norton CrashGuard 4.0 ............................................... 9 Whats new in this version ............................................................... 9 Integrated crash protection ....................................................... 9 Redesigned user interface ....................................................... 11 Enhanced crash recovery options ............................................ 12 Introducing SafeOriginal .......................................................... 14 Introducing Blue-screen crash protection ................................ 14 Getting help in CrashGuard ........................................................... 15 Giving us your feedback .......................................................... 16
Chapter 2
Getting started with Norton CrashGuard

What happens when you install Norton CrashGuard ...................... 17 Installing Norton CrashGuard ........................................................ 18 System requirements .............................................................. 18 Viewing the CrashGuard demo ............................................... 18 Installation procedure .............................................................. 19 Removing Norton CrashGuard ................................................ 19 Getting started after installation ..................................................... 20
Chapter 3
Getting the most out of CrashGuard

Preparing yourself for crashes ....................................................... 23 Knowing the difference between a crash and a freeze ............. 23 Prioritizing what to save first ................................................... 24 Learning alternate ways to save your work .............................. 25 Exploiting the safety features of your favorite software ........... 26 Be prepared for additional crashes .......................................... 27 Evaluating a crash .......................................................................... 27 Changing CrashGuard settings ...................................................... 28 Viewing CrashGuard statistics ....................................................... 29 Reading a technical crash report .................................................... 30 Keeping CrashGuard and other programs up to date ................................................................................... 32 Updating Norton CrashGuard ................................................. 32 Updating other programs on your computer ............................ 32
Contents
Chapter 4
Using CrashGuard to recover from crashes

Interpreting the status indicators .................................................... 35 Program status ....................................................................... 35 System status ......................................................................... 36 SafeOriginal status .................................................................. 36 Understanding your recovery options ............................................ 37 VitalSave ................................................................................ 37 QuickReload ........................................................................... 38 Revive ..................................................................................... 38 AntiFreeze ............................................................................... 39 FreezeCheck ........................................................................... 39 Terminate ................................................................................ 39 Walking through the crash experience ........................................... 40 Saving a file in a crashed program ........................................... 40 Recovering from a crash in your web browser ......................... 43 Handling a crash when you want to keep working ................... 45 Diagnosing problems when an alarm does not appear ......................................................................... 46 Using SafeOriginal to recover your data ........................................ 48
Symantec Service and Support Solutions Disk Exchange and/or Replacement Form Index

Welcome to Norton CrashGuard 4.0
Norton CrashGuards goal is to protect you from the effects of computer crasheslost data and time. Since it is impossible to prevent computer crashes, CrashGuard gives you the ability to do what you want mostsave your work and, if necessary, return you to the program that crashed so you can keep on working. CrashGuards Crash Monitor runs continuously in the background, intercepting crashes and preventing data loss and wasted time. As long as you see its icon in the system area of your taskbar, you know CrashGuard is monitoring your computer for crashes. CrashGuard can also help you recover from freezes. When you notice a program is not responding to input from you or Windows, use CrashGuards FreezeCheck to access recovery options like VitalSave, QuickReload, and AntiFreeze. Before CrashGuard, your only option was to press Ctrl+Alt+Del and close the frozen program, losing your work and possibly corrupting your le.
Whats new in this version

Norton CrashGuard 4.0 is loaded with new features, and all of the existing features have been improved or enhanced to offer you greater crash protection and ease of use.
Integrated crash protection

CrashGuards Crash Monitor, Crash Assistant, and Crash Advisor work together to help you easily recover from crashes and freezes.
Chapter 1:
Introducing Crash Monitor

Each time you start your computer, Crash Monitor begins monitoring your system for crashes. Since it must run constantly to catch crashes, it uses as little memory as possible so it does not interfere with your computing. Crash Monitor also:
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Briey displays a splash screen when it starts and places an icon in the system tray to let you know it is protecting you. Alerts Crash Assistant when a crash occurs to help you recover from the crash.
Introducing Crash Assistant

Crash Assistant appears when a crash occurs. It helps you diagnose the problem and offers you choices to assist you in recovering from the crash. It also does the following:
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At crash time, Crash Assistant offers recovery options that allow you to save your data and get back to work. During recovery, Crash Assistant stays open and gives you crash status information and options in case more problems occur. After the crash, Crash Assistant helps you restart the crashed program so you can quickly get back to work.
Introducing Crash Advisor

Crash Advisor recommends a recovery option based on your program and system status. If you are still unsure, you can access information in online help that tells you how to evaluate the impact of the crash on the program and your system. When you experience a crash, Crash Advisor tells you the best option for recovering from the crash. Note: When 16-bit crashes occur, they sometimes block functionality in other programs. Because of this, online help might not be available during 16-bit crashes. Many programs that were originally designed to run under MS-DOS or Windows 3.x were 16-bit programs.
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Redesigned user interface

After extensive usability testing, the engineers at Symantec developed a user interface that is easier to use and gives you access to the options you need when you need them. CrashGuards main window gives you easy access to important features.
Enhanced options for the Close Program window

Sometimes the only way to get out of a frozen application is to press Ctrl+Alt+Del. Without CrashGuard your only option is to close the program, or shut down your system.
The Close Program window without Norton CrashGuard
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Chapter 1:
Previous versions of CrashGuard gave you the opportunity to apply AntiFreeze to frozen programs, but this version goes one step further: the Close Program window now gives you access to FreezeCheck so you can take advantage of other recovery options like VitalSave and QuickReload.
CrashGuard adds AntiFreeze and FreezeCheck buttons to the Close Program window
Enhanced crash recovery options

Norton CrashGuard 4.0 offers you enhancements to the existing recovery options, as well as two new recovery options. The following sections give you important information about each of these recovery options.
Introducing VitalSave
When your program crashes, usually the most important thing to you is saving your data. When you use VitalSave, Crash Assistant tells the crashed program to save your le. To safely save your le, Crash Assistant usually has to close the program as well. VitalSave behaves similarly to closing a program before you saved an open le. The program prompts you to save the le by displaying a message like the one below. When you answer yes, your le is saved and the program closes.
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If you see a message like this one after using VitalSave, you should respond to it as you would if you had closed the program normally.
Introducing QuickReload
Web browsers crash for many different reasons. Sometimes these programs crash internallyother times the pages you visit cause the browser to crash. If you visit some of the more complicated web sites on the internet, you might spend a lot of time searching for that one page you need. If your browser crashes, all that time and effort is lost. Crash Assistants QuickReload feature lets you safely close your browser, and restart it with the page you last visited. This allows you keep your system stable and saves you time by returning to the last URL. If the browser crashes again because of the page you were visiting, QuickReload tries to return you to a previously-visited URL or your home page.
Introducing Revive
Sometimes when a program crashes, all you care about is getting back to the le you were working on. If you are in a hurry and do not want to restart the program or Windows, you can use Revive to return to the program. Revive returns control of the program to you so you try to nish the task you were doing. You should always try to save your le immediately. If you choose Revive, be aware that the programs controls and functionality might be impaired or might not work at all. Revive is a good option only when you absolutely need to return to your work and VitalSave is not presented as an option.
AntiFreeze
When a program stops responding to keyboard or mouse input, but its window still appears on your screen, the program is frozen. The easiest way to spot a frozen application is that the program appears to be functioning normally, but it does not let you interact with it. Before AntiFreeze, your only option was to press Ctrl+Alt+Del and close the frozen program, losing your work and possibly corrupting your le. AntiFreeze tries to unfreeze the program, giving control back to you.
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Chapter 1:
Terminate
Terminate is the same as the Close option Windows gives you when a program crashes. If you have ever seen a message like the one below, you know exactly how terminate works. If you have a le open in the crashed program, the information you entered since your last save is lost.
Terminate is often the best option when the data you have open in the crashed program is not important or urgent. Terminate is also a good option when the crashed program does not save data, like a calculator program or solitaire game.
Introducing SafeOriginal
In our extensive usability tests, many users expressed fear when trying to save documents after a program crashthey worried that the program might overwrite the le on their disk with a defective one. SafeOriginal monitors the crashed program, and when the program tries to write to your le, SafeOriginal creates a copy of the original le and stores it in the SafeOriginal folder. That way, if the program corrupts your le or overwrites it with garbled data, you can revert to the undamaged duplicate SafeOriginal le.
Introducing Blue-screen crash protection

If you are not familiar with Blue-screen crashes, you are lucky. Blue-screen crashes sometimes seem to happen for no reason. You could be playing a game or working on a document, and BOOMyour screen turns blue, displaying messages you do not understand. Some users turn off their computers, others try to return to their programs, usually impairing their system even further.
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Getting help in CrashGuard
Blue-screen crashes are especially discomforting because of their ominous appearance. Blue-screen crashes are not unlike other program crashes. The reason they look so different is because the crash happens at a much deeper level than a program crash. For example, if a program crashes, there is a good chance it affects only that program. However, when a lowlevel system component like a VxD crashes, it could affect many different programs on your computer, even how Windows operates. When a Blue-screen crash occurs, your system might be very unstable, so it can only display a blue screen with system text on itit cannot handle fancy graphics or different fonts. Norton CrashGuard cannot prevent Blue-screen crashes, but it gives you the chance to recover the current program.Without blue-screen protection, your only option is to restart the program or your computer.
Getting help in CrashGuard

Refer to online help for procedures, and use Whats This help for information about dialog box controls.
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Whats This help In any dialog box, click the right mouse button on a control, such as a listbox or button, and select Whats This in the menu that appears to see a description of the control and how to use it. You can also click the ? in the title bar and then click a control to see Whats This help.
Procedure help Use the Help button on each window to access the help le, which contains procedures, tips, and other information. Dialog boxes contain Help buttons for general and related information about the dialog box functions.
Product demo Our tests also told us you wanted to know more about Norton CrashGuard before you install it, so we included a product demo in this version. If you would like to view the product demo before you install CrashGuard, click View CrashGuard Demo when you insert the product CD in your CD-ROM drive.
README.TXT le This le contains late-breaking information about CrashGuard.
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Chapter 1:
Giving us your feedback

This guide and the online help were written to provide you with the information you need to use CrashGuard. If you have suggestions that would improve the users guide or online help, give us your feedback. Address your message to pubs_bv@symantec.com. If you do not have access to e-mail, send a fax to the attention of Technical Publications at (503) 614-7993. Finally, if you do not have access to either e-mail or a fax machine, address a letter to: Technical Publications for Norton CrashGuard Symantec Corporation 15220 NW Greenbrier Parkway, Suite 200 Beaverton, OR 97006
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What happens when you install Norton CrashGuard
2
Crash Monitor icon
When you install Norton CrashGuard on your computer, you will notice a few changes to your Windows desktop and to your computer:
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Norton CrashGuards Crash Monitor icon appears in the system area of your taskbar. When you see this icon in the taskbar, you know Crash Monitor is ready to catch crashes.
A Norton CrashGuard program group appears in the Start menu.
A splash screen appears when you start your computer to let you know CrashGuard is monitoring your system for crashes. Note: To prevent the splash screen from appearing when you start your computer, see Changing CrashGuard settings on page 28.
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Chapter 2:
Installing Norton CrashGuard

System requirements
The minimum system requirements to use Norton CrashGuard are:
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IBM PC or 100% compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT installed. 486-66 Mhz or higher processor. CD-ROM drive for installation. 5 MB of available space on your hard disk. 8 MB RAM (16 MB recommended for Windows 95 and Windows 98. Windows NT requires 16 MB). 256-color or better SVGA display that supports 640 by 480 resolution (600 by 800 resolution recommended).
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Viewing the CrashGuard demo

The Norton CrashGuard demo walks you through CrashGuards new features, a crash experience, and gives you general information about crashes and freezes. It is a good idea to watch the demo before you install CrashGuard so you can become familiar with its features. To view the CrashGuard demo: 1 2 Insert the CrashGuard installation CD in your CD-ROM drive. Click View CrashGuard Demo. Note: If a window does not appear when you insert the CD, use Explorer to navigate to your CD-ROM drive and double-click DEMO.DBD in the Demo folder. 3 Press Esc at any time to exit the demo.
After installation, the CrashGuard demo is also available from the CrashGuard program folder in the Start menu.
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Installing Norton CrashGuard
Installation procedure
When you insert the product CD in your CD-ROM drive, it automatically displays a window giving you the option to install CrashGuard. To install Norton CrashGuard: 1 2 Insert the CrashGuard product CD in your CD-ROM drive. Click Install CrashGuard. Note: If a window does not appear when you insert the CD, click the Start button and select Run in the menu that appears. Type D:\DISK1\SETUP.EXE, where D is your CD-ROM drive letter. 3 4 Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to nish the installation. When prompted, click Yes to read the Release Notes for CrashGuard. These notes contain important information about CrashGuard.
Removing Norton CrashGuard

The following procedure details how to remove Norton CrashGuard program les from your computer. To remove Norton CrashGuard from your computer: 1 2 3 4 Click the Start button, then select Settings > Control Panel. Double-click Add/Remove Programs. In the list of installed programs, select Norton CrashGuard. Then click Add/Remove. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
Note: You can also select Uninstall Norton CrashGuard in CrashGuards program folder in the Start menu. To do this, click the Start button. Then select Programs > Norton CrashGuard > Uninstall Norton CrashGuard.
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Chapter 2:
Getting started after installation

When your computer restarts after installation, CrashGuard starts automatically, protecting you while you work. Without Norton CrashGuard, Windows lets you do one thing when a crash occurs: close the crashed program, losing any data you entered since your last save. What Norton CrashGuard does is offer you choices. When CrashGuard intercepts a crash, its crash alarm appears on the screen. CrashGuard gives you options for dealing with the crash. If you are familiar with the options before you experience a real crash, you will know how to make appropriate choices.
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Getting started after installation
Crash Assistants crash alarm:

# Name 1 Crash Information Description Displays the name of the program that crashed, and in some cases, the le that is open in the crashed program.
2 Program and System Tells you information about how impaired the crashed program and your system are. See Program status on page 35 and System status on page 36 for information about these indicators. 3 Crash Advisor 4 SafeOriginal Displays the recommended recovery option based on your program and system status. Shows you whether SafeOriginal is enabled or disabled. See SafeOriginal status on page 36 for information about this indicator. 5 Recovery Options Displays your options for recovering from the crash or freeze. See Understanding your recovery options on page 37 for more information. 6 Details Gives you access to the technical crash details. See Reading a technical crash report on page 30 for more information. 7 Help Lets you access online help if you need help choosing an appropriate crash recovery option.
See Using CrashGuard to recover from crashes on page 35 for detailed information about how to recover from a crash or freeze.
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Chapter 2:
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When you experience a crash, what you frequently care about most is saving your data and getting back to work. While Crash Assistant helps you do this, there are other CrashGuard features that can educate you about crashes and possibly help if you experience repeated crashes.
Preparing yourself for crashes

While designing CrashGuard, the engineers at Symantec studied hundreds of actual program crashes. We had the opportunity to repeat the same crash dozens of times to determine the best way to x themif they could be xedand to discover how to save important les after each crash. Sometimes we had no trouble saving les, while other times it required clever tricks and perseverance. Sometimes nothing worked. We had an unfair advantage: we had as many chances as we wanted. If we could not save the le one way, we merely restarted the computer, repeated the crash, and tried it again. But when your program crashes, you might have only one chance to save your le. The best defense for computer crashes is to understand what is happening during the crash and to understand your alternatives before you need them. Since it is impossible to stop computer crashes, learning how to deal with them effectively will increase your productive computer time. How you react to a crash can be as important as what CrashGuard does.
Knowing the difference between a crash and a freeze

A crash is what happens when a computer program tries to do something that it should not do, and causes itself or another program to stop functioning properly. All programs contain lists of instructions that tell the computer how to perform tasks and how to respond to the user. Imagine for comparison a
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Chapter 3:
taxi driver who calls his dispatcher for orders. The dispatcher tells the driver where to go, who to pick up, and what procedure to follow. When the driver is ready for his next job, he calls the dispatcher to nd out what to do next. A Windows program behaves much the same way, contacting its dispatcher to nd out what orders are waiting, and then following a list of instructions for carrying out those orders. If the instruction chain breaks down, the program might not run correctly. See Walking through the crash experience on page 40 for information about recovering from crashes. A program freeze is a little different. Sometimes a program stops working properly, but its window still appears on your screen. When this happens, the program is frozen; it does not respond to input from you or from Windows. Programs freeze for different reasons. Sometimes the program waits for an event that will never occur. Other times, the program is busy with a task that it can never complete. The most important difference between a crash and a freeze is that CrashGuard catches crashes automatically and gives you options to recover from them. Because freezes are so similar to regular system activity, CrashGuard cannot detect them. You have to notice when your program is frozen and ask CrashGuard for help so you can access appropriate recovery options. See Diagnosing problems when an alarm does not appear on page 46 for information about recovering from freezes.
Prioritizing what to save rst

When CrashGuard tells you your program has crashed, look rst to see which program actually crashedit might not be the one you were working in at the time. If, for example, your calculator program crashed while you were entering data into your spreadsheet, your spreadsheet might not be affected. You can easily close the calculator program and not cause any harm to the program you are concerned aboutthe data in the spreadsheet program. Use Revive only if you really need to save work in the program that crashed. If you were just reading a le, but not editing it, it is far safer to Terminate the program and let CrashGuard shut the program down cleanly. When you Revive a program that just crashed, all CrashGuard can x is the crash itselfthe program might become more unstable the longer you continue to use it.
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Preparing yourself for crashes
If you have important unsaved work open in a program other than the one that crashed, you should consider Terminating the crashed program. The recovery options might return the crashed program to a stable state, but if your unsaved data is more important than the crashed program, Terminate will keep the crashed program from affecting your open le. If you decide to Revive the crashed program, try to save the open le immediately.
Learning alternate ways to save your work

Many times when you start using a new program you learn one or two ways to complete your tasks, then habitually use them the same way from then on. Consequently, you might not discover alternate ways to save your lesways that could prevent you grief if your favorite method stops working unexpectedly. Most programs have keystrokes for popular functions. These functions are usually accessible using your mouse as well. Generally there are at least three different ways to save a le in a program, using key combinations (shortcuts), toolbars, and menus. For example, you can usually press Ctrl+S on your keyboard. You can also use your mouse to click a Save icon in the programs toolbar. If these popular options do not work, use the programs menu system or try pressing Alt+F, S. In a crash situation, try using these helpful tips:
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Press Ctrl+S to save (if the program supports this command). This works with many programs, and because it requires less processing than using the mouse or opening the menus, the program is less likely to experience more problems. Programs frequently stop processing shortcut commands after a crash, so this method works only about half of the time.
When possible, use Save instead of the Save As. Because it requires additional processing work, the Save As command might cause another program crash. If you must use Save As, it is safest to save the le in whatever location the program suggests, rather than searching for the correct folder. You can come back later and move the le to a more convenient location. If you are concerned about the crashed program corrupting your le, dont be. When the crashed program tries to write to your le, SafeOriginal creates a copy of it in case the Save does not work correctly.
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Copy the contents of the le to the clipboard. Still cant save? Try to get back to the main program window and copy the le to the clipboard. If the program has one, it is best to use the Select All command (Ctrl+A in many programs). If you try to scroll through the le, the added resources it takes to update the screen might cause the program to crash again. Press Ctrl+C to copy, then paste (Ctrl+V) the le into another program, such as WordPad or Notepad, and save it there. If this succeeds, you can come back later and copy the le back into your original program.
Use the PrintScreen button. If the information you need to save is still on your screen, press the PrintScreen button on your keyboard. Then open Microsoft Paint and press Ctrl+V. This takes a screen shot of what is currently on your screen and pastes it into Paint. You might have to retype the information, but you do not have to recreate it.
Exploiting the safety features of your favorite software

The programs you use might include safety features to save your le automatically at regular intervals, or to help recover them after a crash. Microsoft Word 97, for example, has AutoRecover. This feature increases your chance of recovering your data in case of a crash by automatically saving information about your le. Many programs save backup les automatically. Read your manuals or search online help in the programs you use frequently to learn more about their safety features. Most computer programs automatically offer to save your unsaved data when you close them. If you are using such a program, press Alt+F4 before trying anything elsethis will give you the best chance of success. In order, the best ways to close the program are:
s s s s
Press Alt+F4. Click the Close button in the top-right corner. Double-click the icon in the top-left corner. Right-click the program's taskbar button, then select Close from the menu that appears. From the programss File menu, select Exit.
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Evaluating a crash
Be prepared for additional crashes

Many programs crash repeatedly when trying to save les. If you really need to save your work, keep trying different recovery options. For example, if you click Revive repeatedly, the program might still save your le even after several crashes. You should also try a different recovery option if the one you selected does not work for that particular crash.
Evaluating a crash
As you can see, CrashGuard gives you a lot of information about a crash. The one thing it cannot judge is the importance of your data and time at the point of the crash. Only you know that information. Crashes happen for many different reasons and because of that, they differ greatly in severity. Sometimes reviving a crash will get you back to the program with no problems. Other times that same action might cripple your entire system, requiring you to turn off the computer and restart it, losing the data in all of your programs. Because of this, you need to answer the following questions based on the circumstances of the crash:
s
Does the crashed program save a le? One thing you should consider when a program crashes is whether it has a le you need to save. Many programs like word processors and spreadsheet programs store your data in individual les. Some programs, like calculators and some games, do not store any data when you close them. For example, if your calculator program crashes, you do not lose anything if you close the calculator and restart it. CrashGuard recognizes many programs that save les. When VitalSave appears as a recovery option, it is often the safest way to save your le.
How valuable or urgent is your data? If you have to give a presentation to the President of your company in thirty minutes and have just a few moments to print it, the urgency to save your data and time are far greater than if you just started an email to a friend. You would take more chances to revive that program so you can print it given the time urgency and the importance of the data.
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No one likes to lose work, but sometimes it is not worth the risk to your system or other programs. Other times when the work is extremely valuable, so it is worth more risk to other programs you have open. Since only you know when you absolutely must return to your program, CrashGuard gives you the Revive option.
s
Do you have important les open in other programs? Sometimes losing the information in a crashed program is not as important as a le you have open in another program. For example, if the game you are playing crashes and you just nished a level you do not want to repeat, you might use CrashGuard to try to revive. However, if that same game crashes and you have an important le open in your word processor, you might sacrice the game so you do not make the rest of your system unstable. Since the crashed program is not always the one you are working in, CrashGuard gives you the Terminate option so you can decide which program is more important.
Changing CrashGuard settings

CrashGuards default settings should suit almost every user, but you can customize the following settings:
s
General Settings The General settings control how Crash Assistant and other general features function. These include:
s
Whether CrashGuard displays its Status and Summary windows during a crash event. The addition of AntiFreeze and FreezeCheck to the Close Program window. This window appears when you press Ctrl+Alt+Del (except in Windows NT). Whether CrashGuard displays its splash screen when you start your computer.
SafeOriginal Settings These settings control the following:

s s
Whether SafeOriginal is enabled. Whether SafeOriginal creates shortcuts to its les.
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Viewing CrashGuard statistics
When SafeOriginal copies your original le, it places a shortcut to the SafeOriginal le in the folder where the old le exists. This helps you quickly access SafeOriginal les.
s s
The folder where SafeOriginal copies its les. How longs SafeOriginal keeps its les before it deletes them.
CrashGuard enables SafeOriginal by default, and copies its les to C:\Program Files\Norton CrashGuard\SafeOrig.
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Advanced Settings The Advanced settings include the following:

s
The types of crashes CrashGuard intercepts. By default, CrashGuard intercepts 16-bit, 32-bit, and blue-screen crashes. The ability to test crashes.
To change CrashGuard settings: 1 2 3 Click the Start button, then select Programs > Norton CrashGuard > Norton CrashGuard. Click Settings. Find the settings you would like to change on the General, SafeOriginal, or Advanced tab, then click OK to save the changes. Note: Consult online help for more information about the available settings and how they affect CrashGuard.
Viewing CrashGuard statistics

CrashGuard keeps track of how many crashes it intercepts, the number of freezes you have experienced, and the programs and modules that caused the crashes and freezes. If you would like to see what programs are crashing and freezing on your computer, use CrashGuard statistics. To open statistics: 1 Open CrashGuards main window. To do this, click the Start button and select Programs > Norton CrashGuard > Norton CrashGuard.
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Click Statistics.
If you would like to view a log of the crashes that Crash Monitor has intercepted, click View Log. See Reading a technical crash report on page 30 if you need help deciphering the technical information in the crash log. Note: If you suspect a program is crashing more than it should, you can use statistics to analyze that program. Click Clear Statistics to remove all of the data so you know where you started. When you refer back to Statistics at a later time, you will know how often it crashed since the time you last cleared Statistics.
Reading a technical crash report

When a crash occurs, CrashGuard records important information about the crashed program. Since the crash details Windows provides were designed to benet the programmer who wrote the program that crashed, and not the user who experienced the crash, the information is very technical and not easy to understand. Nevertheless, you can learn a few things from the technical crash details.
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Reading a technical crash report
For this crash example:
1 2 3 4 5
CrashGuard gives you the following information: 1 2 The version number of the operating system you have installed on your computer. The name of the program that crashed (TEST32), the module where the crash occurred (TEST32.EXE), as well as the error that caused the crash (invalid page fault). If you do not recognize the lename, search your computer to nd where it is located. Its folder might tell you which program it belongs to. The crash address (024f:0040139a in this example) tells you where in memory the crash occurred. 3 The Registers show the values in each of your processor's registers at the time the crash occurred. This information might be useful to Technical Support personnel if you experience repeated crashes in a particular program. CS:EIP is the name for the current instruction. In this example, the program crashed trying to execute the instruction whose raw value is 33 c0. This information is displayed in raw format, which is very technical. However, it might be useful to someone trying to help you troubleshoot problems on your computer. The Stack Dump traces the route that caused the program to crash.
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Keeping CrashGuard and other programs up to date

Many software and hardware manufacturers periodically release updates to x known issues. Some of these issues might result in repeated crashes. When you download and install current software patches and driver updates, the crashes you experienced with these programs and drivers frequently lessen or even disappear.
Updating Norton CrashGuard

LiveUpdate connects you to a Symantec server so you can update CrashGuard program les. This provides you with the most up-to-date crash protection. To update CrashGuard: 1 2 Open CrashGuard. Click LiveUpdate. LiveUpdate connects you to a Symantec server to see if product or document updates are available for CrashGuard. Select the updates you would like to download. Follow the instructions on the screen to nish updating CrashGuard.
3 4
Updating other programs on your computer

When you experience repeated crashes in a particular program, an update from the products manufacturer might solve the problem. You can use your web browser and internet connection to visit the manufacturers web site and hunt for updates, or you can let Norton Web Services do the work for you. When you purchase CrashGuard, you receive a coupon for a discounted subscription to Norton Web Services. Norton Web Services includes LiveUpdate Pro, which can nd and install new software updates and hardware drivers on your computer.
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Keeping CrashGuard and other programs up to date
LiveUpdate Pro runs partly on your computer, and partly over the Internet. It scans your computer to see which programs you installed on your computer. It also scans your computer hardware to see what drivers you use. Then it connects to the Norton Update Library to match your software and hardware to the updates it contains. If an update is available, LiveUpdate Pro lets you know. To subscribe to Norton Web Services: 1 2 3 4 Locate your Norton Web Services coupon in your CrashGuard box. Open your Internet connection and browse to http://www.nortonweb.com. Click Subscribe in the navigation bar on the left. Read the information on the pages and on your subscription coupon to help you nish the subscription process.
Note: Symantec does not charge for updates for CrashGuard, or the updates that are part of your free subscription to Norton Web Services. However, your normal Internet access fees still apply.
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Chapter 3:
34

Interpreting the status indicators
Before you see a crash in an actual program, you should read the following sections to familiarize yourself with CrashGuards status indicators and crash recovery options.
Program status
When CrashGuard intercepts a crash, it evaluates several of the programs vital signs and translates them into status indicators. These indicators reect the likelihood that the program will be able to continue functioning if you choose to return to the program. It does not indicate whether the program will work correctly, however, because there is no way to nd out until the program resumes. Although CrashGuard cannot ensure its recovery options are risk free, it will warn you of any threats it detects. If CrashGuard detects a threat, the indicators display more serious warnings. When you receive these warnings, you should immediately try to save your work in any other programs you are using. Indicator Description
A minor crash occurred. The program has been damaged, but Crash Assistant does not detect any threathening conditions. The crashed program suffered a detectable level of impairment. The program might continue to function if you return to it, but it will be impaired in some way.
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Indicator
Description
A component of the crashed program is malfunctioning. Although the program might continue functioning without the impaired component, you should consider using Revive only in emergency situations. Crash Assistant has determined Windows might crash if you continue using the crashed program. When you see this indicator, you should not use Revive unless it is an absolute emergency.
System status
Because a program crash can affect your system stability, Crash Assistant also displays a system status indicator when it determines your system is unstable. Indicator Description
Your system stability is normal, or Crash Assistant cannot detect that there are any issues threatening your system stability. Crash Assistant has determined that your system could become unstable if you continue using the crashed program.
When Crash Assistant tells you your system is unstable, you should terminate the crashed program and restart Windows. You should try Revive only if the information in your unsaved le is extremely important. If you do successfully save your le, you should close the program and restart Windows.
SafeOriginal status
When Crash Monitor intercepts a crash, it also displays a SafeOriginal status indicator. If the program or your system are very unstable, or the option you choose to save your le does not work, SafeOriginal might save you from recreating the entire le. During a crash, SafeOriginal monitors the crashed program to see what les it changes. Before the crashed program
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Understanding your recovery options
changes your les, SafeOriginal creates a read-only copy of the original le and places it in the SafeOriginal folder. Indicator Description
When enabled, SafeOriginal protects your open les from becoming corrupted. When a crashed program tries to write to an open le, SafeOriginal creates a read-only copy of the original lethe state it was in when you opened itand places the copy in the SafeOriginal folder. SafeOriginal does not protect your les when it is disabled. To enable SafeOriginal, see Changing CrashGuard settings on page 28.

Each crash can occur for a different reason, leaving different conditions afterward. Sometimes a program does not respond to the keyboard, so you have to use the mouse to save your work. After another crash, the mouse stops working but the keyboard still responds, so you can save using the keys. Because of this, no one recovery method works best for every crash. Depending on the crash or freeze, Crash Assistant gives you access to VitalSave, QuickReload, Revive, AntiFreeze, or Terminate. Your best defense is to be familiar with all of the recovery options and understand the impact of the crash on your le, your program, and the rest of your system.
VitalSave
When your program crashes, usually the most important thing on your mind is saving your data. When you use VitalSave, CrashGuard tells the crashed program to save your le and closes the program as well. When you use VitalSave, you will see it behaves similarly to a program that you closed without rst having saved your le. When you accidentally close a program without rst saving the le you have open in it, the program prompts you to save the le and displays a message like the one
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Chapter 4:
below. VitalSave helps your program save your le. If your program prompts you to save your le, respond to it as you normally would.
After you use VitalSave, Crash Assistant asks if you would like to restart the program that crashed so you can easily return to your work. Note: This option is not available for all programs. In the event of a browser crash, CrashGuards QuickReload option replaces VitalSave.
QuickReload
Web browsers crash for many different reasons. Sometimes the programs crash internally. Other times the pages you visit cause the crashes. If you visit some of the more complicated web sites on the Internet, you might spend a lot of time searching for that one page you need. If your browser crashes, all that time and effort is lost. CrashGuards QuickReload feature lets you safely close down your browser, and restart it with the page you last visited. This saves you time by returning to the last URL. Note: If the browser crashes again because of the page you were visiting, CrashGuard tries to return you to a previously-visited URL or your home page.
Revive
Sometimes when a program crashes, all you care about is getting back to the le. If you are printing a document for an important meeting and you do not have time to redo any work, restart Windows, or even restart the program, Revive will return you to the program so you can try to nish the task you were doing. If you choose Revive, be aware that although this might return you to the program, the programs controls and functionality might be impaired or might not work at all. Even if the program appears to function normally after you Revive it, you should save your work immediately. Revive is a
38
good option when you absolutely need to return to the le and VitalSave is not available as an option.
AntiFreeze
When a program stops working properly, but its window still appears on your screen, the program is frozen. It does not seem to respond to input from you or from Windows. The easiest way to spot a frozen application is that the program appears to be functioning normally, but it does not let you interact with it. Before AntiFreeze, your only option was to press Ctrl+Alt+Del and close the frozen program, losing your work and possibly corrupting your le. AntiFreeze tries to unfreeze the program, giving control back to you.
FreezeCheck
Sometimes a program crashes because another program is frozen, or a crash in one program induces a freeze in another. If you suspect one or more of your programs are not working correctly, use FreezeCheck to get access to your recovery options, like VitalSave, AntiFreeze, and Terminate. FreezeCheck is available through CrashGuards main window, by doubleclicking the CrashGuard in the system tray, and in Crash Assistant when it is an appropriate choice. FreezeCheck is also available after a crash, in case you experience more problems.
Terminate
Terminate is the same as the Close option Windows gives you when a program crashes. If you have a le open in the crashed program, the information you entered since your last save will be lost. Even though Terminate does not sound like much of an option to you, there are times when it is best to terminate a crashed program, than to deal with the consequences of further crashes. When you experience a crash in one program, that same crash can eventually cause your entire system to become unstable. This is something you want to avoid if you have an important document open in another program. Terminate is often the best option when the data you have open in the crashed program is not important or urgent, or if you have not yet made any changes to the open le.
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After you use Terminate, Crash Assistant asks if you would like to restart the program that crashed so you can easily return to your work.
Walking through the crash experience

Saving a le in a crashed program
Many popular programs save individual les that store your data. These programs range from word processors and spreadsheet programs, to graphics programs and some games. An example of a le Microsoft Word might create is PROPOSAL.DOC. The following example shows you one scenario of how to recover from a crash in a program that saves a le. Goal: To save the open Microsoft Word document. Imagine yourself busily working on a document le in Microsoft Word when Crash Assistant appears on the screen to help you recover from the crash.
Identify the program that crashed. Crash Assistant displays the name of the program that crashed in the Crash Information section. In this scenario, the program is Microsoft
40
Word. Therefore, any les you have open in Word might be affected by this crash.
See Prioritizing what to save rst on page 24 if the program is not the one you are currently using. 2 Check the status indicators. These indicators display how impaired the program and your system are. They also tell you whether SafeOriginal is enabled or disabled. In this crash, your system stability is not in danger and SafeOriginal is enabled.
See Program status on page 35 and System status on page 36 for more information about these status indicators. 3 Select a recovery option. Depending on the crash, Crash Assistant gives you two or three recovery options. Crash Advisor recommends a recovery option based on your program and system status.
s
VitalSave saves your le and, in most cases, closes your program. If VitalSave is listed, it is generally the safest option to save your le. Revive tries to x the crash, then returns you to your program. If you choose Revive, be aware that the programs controls and functionality might be impaired or might not work at all. Even if the program appears to function normally, you should save your work immediately. Terminate, which is the same as the Close option Windows gives you, is always one of the options. It closes the program without saving your data.
Recommendation: Since your goal is to save the le, click VitalSave. Respond to the program if it prompts you to save your le. 4 Restart the program or Windows.
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Crash Assistant gives you the option to restart the program or Windows. Since crashes can impair other parts of your system, it is a good idea to restart Windows if you experience other problems. 5 Reopen the le. It is always a good idea to reopen the le that crashed and make sure your changes were saved. Many programs place the last-accessed les in the File menu. To save time looking for the le you were working on, open your le as shown below.
Check the SafeOriginal le. If the le was damaged during the crash, open the SafeOriginal le to see if the changes are there. CrashGuard places a link to the SafeOriginal le in the same location as the original le.
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Save the SafeOriginal le. If the SafeOriginal le contains information you need, you should save it to another location since SafeOriginal deletes its les based on the number of days specied in settings. If the original is corrupted, save the SafeOriginal le over the original le. See Using SafeOriginal to recover your data on page 48 for more information about how to use SafeOriginal.
Recovering from a crash in your web browser

Web browsers behave slightly differently than programs that save les. When your browser crashes, returning to the web page you were visiting is what is important to you, not saving a le. Goal: To return to the same page in Netscape Navigator. Imagine looking for the perfect home using your real estate agents online database. You nally found the house of your dreams and your web browser crashes.
Identify the program that crashed. Again, you should verify the program that crashed. In this example, the program is Netscape Navigator. Because it is a web browser, you 43
Chapter 4:
are not as concerned with saving a le, but you do not want to retrace the steps you took to nd this page.
Check the program and system status indicators. Like you did in the last example, the next thing you should do is read the status indicators to see how impaired the program and your system are. In this scenario, your system stability is not in danger.
See Program status on page 35 and System status on page 36 for more information about these status indicators. 3 Select a recovery option. Your recovery options are similar to the last crash, but QuickReload replaces VitalSave.
s
QuickReload closes your browser and reloads it with the last page you visited. Revive tries to x the crash, then returns you to your program. If you choose Revive, be aware that the programs controls and functionality might be impaired or might not work at all. Terminate closes the program. If you have important data unsaved in another open program, getting back to your browser might be less important than the unsaved data in the other program, so Terminate is a good option.
Recommendation: Since your goal is to return to the same page in your browser, click QuickReload. 4 Expect more problems. If Crash Assistant experiences more problems when it tries to reload the web page, it displays a window requesting that you select another page. Since pages themselves can cause your browser to
44
crash, selecting another page or viewing that page in another browser could solve the problem.
Since crashes can impair other parts of your system, it is a good idea to restart Windows if you experience other problems. If you choose to restart Windows, Crash Assistant helps you restart the program that crashed.
Handling a crash when you want to keep working

When your highest priority is to return to the crashed program and continue working, you might treat the crash differently. For example, if you must nish a document for a meeting that starts in ve minutes and you have only one more paragraph to type, you do not have time to restart the program or Windows, you just want to get back to the program. A Revived program might appear to be functioning normally, but it could still be experiencing problems. So even though returning to a crashed program is not always a safe thing to do, CrashGuard gives you the option so you can make the decision yourself. Goal: To return to the program and continue working. 1 Follow the same steps as the previous examples, nding out what program crashed and making sure your system is stable. If your system indicator indicates your system is unstable, you need to weigh that information with how necessary it is for you to continue working.
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Select a recovery option.

s
VitalSave saves your le and, in most cases, closes your program. If VitalSave is listed, it is generally the safest option to save your le. Revive tries to x the crash, then returns you to your program. If you choose Revive, be aware that the programs controls and functionality might be impaired or might not work at all. Even if the program appears to function normally, you should save your work immediately. Terminate closes the program without saving your data.
Recommendation: Since your goal is to return to the program and continue working, click Revive. Return to the program and save your work immediately. See Learning alternate ways to save your work on page 25 if you have trouble saving your le. 3 Expect more problems. If Crash Assistant encounters more problems with the program, it continues to x them unless the problems get worse or your system stability changes. When this happens, Crash Assistant reappears to help you through the crash. 4 Save your le immediately. The program might let you continue working, or it might crash again. Since the likelihood of another crash increases after the rst crash, you should restart the program that crashed at your earliest convenience.
Diagnosing problems when an alarm does not appear

If you notice your computer is not functioning properly, like a program appears on the screen, but it does not react to input from you, use FreezeCheck to help solve the problem. Goal: To unfreeze a frozen program. When you suspect a program on your computer is frozen or not functioning properly, follow the steps outlined below to nd the problem. 1 Open FreezeCheck.
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Diagnosing problems when an alarm does not appear
FreezeCheck is easily accessible from three different places. The easiest way to access it is to double-click the Crash Monitor icon in your taskbar.
Crash Monitor icon
You can also press Ctrl+Alt+Del on your keyboard or select FreezeCheck in CrashGuards main window. 2 Select the frozen program in the list and click FreezeCheck.
Read the FreezeCheck information. This tells you CrashGuards diagnosis of the problem. The program might be frozen, or it might be busy completing a task.
Select a recovery option.

s
Your recovery options are similar to crash recovery options, but AntiFreeze replaces Revive. Depending on the program that is frozen, VitalSave or QuickReload might appear as well. AntiFreeze tries to unfreeze the frozen program and return control of the program to you. If you choose AntiFreeze, be aware that the programs controls and functionality might be impaired or might not work at all. Even if the program appears to function normally, you should save your work immediately. 47
Chapter 4:
Terminate closes the program without saving your data.
Recommendation: Since your goal is to unfreeze the frozen program, click AntiFreeze. Return to the program and save your work immediately. 5 Expect more problems. Once you have saved your le or completed the task you needed to nish, close the program and restart it to stop related problems before they start. If you do experience more problems with the program, try another recovery option, or even try the same recovery option again. If you continue to experience severe problems, consider Terminating the program and restarting Windows.
Using SafeOriginal to recover your data

During a crash, if the offending program tries to write to your le, SafeOriginal creates a read-only copy of the le and places it in the SafeOriginal folder. This le might not contain all of your changes, but it does save you from recreating the entire le. If you open your le and discover your data is corrupted like shown below, use the SafeOriginal copy to see how much work you lost.
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Using SafeOriginal to recover your data
To open your SafeOriginal le: 1 Use Explorer to navigate to the folder when the original le was saved. For example, the le DIRECTIONS.DOC might be saved in your C:\My Documents folder.
Original file has 0 bytes
Shortcut to SafeOriginal file
When SafeOriginal creates a copy of a le, it places a shortcut to the new le in the original location. In this example, SafeOriginal places a shortcut to: C:\Program Files\Norton CrashGuard\SafeOrig\DIRECTIONS.DOC in the C:\My Documents folder. 2 3 Double-click the shortcut to open the SafeOriginal file. Save the le to another location. If the SafeOriginal le contains information you need, you should save it to another location since SafeOriginal deletes its les based on the number of days specied in settings. If the original is corrupted, it is a good idea to save the SafeOriginal le over the original le.
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Symantec Service and Support Solutions
Symantec is committed to excellent service worldwide. Our goal is to provide you with professional assistance in the use of our software and services, wherever you are located. Technical Support and Customer Service solutions vary by country. If you have questions about the services described below, please refer to the section Worldwide Service and Support at the end of this chapter.
Registering your Symantec product

To register your Symantec product, please complete the registration card included with your package and drop the card in the mail. You can also register via modem during the installation process (if your software offers this feature) or via fax to (800) 800-1438 or (541) 984-8020.
Technical support
Symantec offers an array of technical support options designed for your individual needs to help you get the most out of your software investment.
World Wide Web

The Symantec World Wide Web site (http://service.symantec.com) is the doorway to a set of online technical support solutions where you will nd the following services:
Interactive problem solver

Symantecs online interactive problem solver (known as the Support Genie) helps you solve problems and answer questions about many Symantec products.
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Product knowledgebases
Product knowledgebases enable you to search thousands of documents used by Symantec Support Technicians to answer customer questions.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions documents, also known as FAQs, list commonly asked questions and clear answers for specic products.
Discussion groups
Discussion groups provide a forum where you can ask questions and receive answers from Symantec online support technicians.
FTP
Point your web browser to http://service.symantec.com to search for and download technical notes and software updates. You can also click the LiveUpdate button in programs enabled with this feature to automatically download and install software updates and virus denitions. Other Symantec support options include the following:
America Online CompuServe Symantec BBS Automated fax retrieval system Type Keyword: SYMANTEC to access the Symantec forum. Type GO SYMANTEC to access the Symantec forum. Set your modem to 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity and dial (541) 484-6669. To receive general product information, fact sheets and product upgrade order forms directly to your fax machine, please call our Customer Service fax retrieval system at (800) 554-4403 or (541) 984-2490. For technical application notes, please call our Technical Support fax retrieval system at (541) 984-2490 and select option 2. StandardCare Support If you cant access the Internet, take advantage of your 90 days of free telephone technical support (from the date of your rst call) at no charge to all registered users of Symantec software. The StandardCare Support telephone number is 541-465-8660.
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PriorityCare and PlatinumCare Support
Expanded telephone support services are available to all registered customers. The PriorityCare and PlatinumCare Support telephone numbers are 800-927-3995 and 900-646-0033.
Support for old and discontinued versions

When a new version of this software is released, registered users will receive upgrade information in the mail. Telephone support will be provided for the previous version for 6 months after the release of the new version. Technical information may still be available through online support. When Symantec announces that a product will no longer be marketed or sold, telephone support will be discontinued 60 days later. Support will only be available for discontinued products through online services. See the section Technical support for online service options.
Customer Service
Symantecs Customer Service department can assist you with non-technical questions. Call Customer Service to:
s s s s s s
Order an upgrade. Subscribe to the Symantec Support Solution of your choice. Fulll your request for product literature or demonstration disks. Find out about dealers and consultants in your area. Replace missing or defective CDs, disks, manuals, etc. Update your product registration with address or name changes.
You can also visit Customer Service online at www.symantec.com/custserv for the latest Customer Service FAQs, to nd out the status of your order or return, or to post a query to a Customer Service discussion group.
Worldwide Service and Support

Symantec provides Technical Support and Customer Service worldwide. Services vary by country and include International Partners who represent Symantec in regions without a Symantec ofce. For general information, please contact the Symantec Service and Support Ofce for your region.
53
Service and Support ofces

NORTH AMERICA Symantec Corporation 175 W. Broadway Eugene, OR 97401 Automated Fax Retrieval BRAZIL Symantec Brazil Av. Juruce, 302 - cj 11 So Paulo - SP 04080 011 Brazil EUROPE Symantec Ltd. Schipholweg 103 2316 XC Leiden The Netherlands Automated Fax Retrieval ASIA/PACIFIC RIM Symantec Australia Pty. Ltd. 408 Victoria Road Gladesville, NSW 2111 Australia Automated Fax Retrieval +61 (2) 9850 1000 Fax: +61 (2) 9850 1001 +31 (71) 408 3111 Fax: +31 (71) 408 3150 +55 (11) 5561 0284 Fax: +55 (11) 5530 8869 (800) 441-7234 (USA & Canada) (541) 334-6054 (all other locations) Fax: (541) 984-8020 (800) 554-4403 (541) 984-2490
+31 (71) 408 3782
+61 (2) 9817 4550
Most International Partners provide Customer Service and Technical Support for Symantec products in your local language. For more information on other Symantec and International Partner locations, please call our Technical Support automated fax retrieval service, in the United States at +1 (541) 984-2490, choose Option 2, and request document 1400. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information. However, the information contained herein is subject to change without notice. Symantec Corporation reserves the right for such change without prior notice.
8/98
54

Disk Replacement Price Sales Tax (See Table) Shipping & Handling TOTAL DUE
Norton CrashGuard Disk Exchange and/or Replacement Form

DISK REPLACEMENT: After your 60-Day Limited Warranty, if your disk or CD-ROM becomes unusable, ll out Sections A & B and return 1) this form, 2) your damaged disk, 3) your payment (see pricing below, add sales tax if applicable), to the address below to receive replacement disks. DURING THE 60-DAY LIMITED WARRANTY PERIOD, THIS SERVICE IS FREE. You must be a registered customer in order to receive disk replacements.
DISK EXCHANGE: Norton CrashGuard is available on 3.5" high-density disks. If you purchased a product that does not contain the correct disk size for your computer, you may exchange the disk. Fill out Section A and return 1) this form, 2) your original disk, 3) a shipping and handling payment of $9.95, to the address below.
SECTION A - FOR DISK EXCHANGE AND REPLACEMENT

Please send me: ___ 3.5" high-density disk (exchange/replacement) ___ CD-ROM (replacement) Name_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Company Name ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Street Address (No P.O. Boxes, Please) _______________________________________________________________________________________ City ________________________________________________________________________State _______ Zip/Postal Code _________________ Country* __________________________________________________________Daytime Phone _______________________________________ Software Purchase Date___________________________________________________________________________________________________ *This offer limited to U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Outside North America, contact your local Symantec ofce or distributer.
SECTION B - FOR DISK REPLACEMENT ONLY

Briey describe the problem:_______________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ $ 10.00 ______ $ 9.95 ______
SALES TAX TABLE: AZ (5%), CA (7.25%), CO (3%), CT (6%), DC (5.75%), FL (6%), GA (4%), IA (5%), IL (6.25%), IN (5%), KS (4.9%), LA (4%), MA (5%), MD (5%), ME (6%), MI (6%), MN (6.5%), MO (4.225%), NC (6%), NJ (6%), NY (4%), OH (5%), OK (4.5%), PA (6%), SC (5%), TN (6%), TX (6.25%), VA (4.5%), WA (6.5%), WI (5%). Please add local sales tax (as well as state sales tax) in AZ, CA, FL, GA, MO, NY, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, WA, WI.
FORM OF PAYMENT ** (Check One):

___ Check (Payable to Symantec) Amount Enclosed $ _________ __ Visa __ Mastercard __ American Express Credit Card Number ____________________________________________________________________________________ Expires __________ Name on Card (please print) ____________________________________________________Signature ___________________________________ **U.S. Dollars. Payment must be made in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank.
MAIL YOUR DISK EXCHANGE AND/OR DISK REPLACEMENT ORDER TO:

Symantec Corporation Attention: Order Processing 175 West Broadway Eugene, OR 97401-3003 Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery within the U.S.
Symantec and Norton CrashGuard are trademarks of Symantec Corporation. Other brands and products are trademarks of their respective holder/s. 1998 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Disk Exchange and/or Replacement Form
56
X
crash protection (continued) Blue-screen crashes, 14, 29 crash recovery options, 1214 crash report, reading a, 30 Ctrl+Alt+Del, 1112
Numerics
16-bit crash protection, 29 32-bit crash protection, 29
A
adding AntiFreeze to Close Program window, 28 FreezeCheck to Close Program window, 28 Advanced settings, 29 AntiFreeze, 13, 39 using in a freeze, 4648 AutoRecover, 26 autosave, 26
D
definition AntiFreeze, 39 crash, 23 freeze, 23 FreezeCheck, 39 QuickReload, 38 Revive, 38 Terminate, 39 VitalSave, 37 demo, 15 viewing, 18 drivers, updating, 32
B
Blue-screen crash protection, 14, 29
C
changing Norton CrashGuard settings, 2829 SafeOriginal settings, 28 clipboard, 26 Close Program window, 1112 commands, Save and Save As, 25 crash definition, 23 evaluating a, 27 testing a, 29 Crash Advisor, 10, 41 Crash Assistant, 10 overview, 2021 using, 4046 Crash Monitor, 10, 17 crash protection 16-bit crashes, 29 32-bit crashes, 29
E
evaluating crashes, 27
F
freeze definition, 23 recovering from a, 4648 FreezeCheck, 39 using in a freeze, 4648
G
General settings, 28 getting prepared for crashes, 23
H
help, 15
57
Index
I
installing Norton CrashGuard, 1719 system requirements, 18 integrated crash protection, 910 introducing AntiFreeze, 13 Blue-screen crash protection, 14 Crash Advisor, 10 Crash Assistant, 10 Crash Monitor, 10 Norton CrashGuard, 9 QuickReload, 13 Revive, 13 SafeOriginal, 14 Terminate, 14 VitalSave, 12
overview (continued) Terminate, 14 VitalSave, 12
P
preparing for crashes, 23 PrintScreen button, 26 prioritize what to save, 24 product demo, 15 program status, 35, 41, 44 programs, updating, 32
Q
QuickReload, 13, 38 using in a crash, 4345
L
learning ways to save, 25 LiveUpdate Pro, 33 LiveUpdate, using, 32
R
reading a crash report, 30 README.TXT file, 15 recovering data using SafeOriginal, 4849 recovery options, 1214 AntiFreeze, 13, 39, 4648 FreezeCheck, 39, 4648 QuickReload, 13, 38, 4345 Revive, 13, 38, 4546 Terminate, 14, 39 VitalSave, 12, 37, 4043 removing Norton CrashGuard, 19 Restart Options window in Crash Assistant, 28 Revive, 13, 38 using in a crash, 4546
N
Norton CrashGuard demo, 15 installing, 1719 introducing, 9 program group, 17 removing, 19 updating, 32 viewing demo, 18 viewing statistics, 29 Norton Web Services, 33
O
online help, 15 overview AntiFreeze, 13 QuickReload, 13 Revive, 13 SafeOriginal, 14 58
S
Safe As command, 25 SafeOriginal, 14, 42 enabling, 28 settings, 28 shortcut to file, 49 shortcuts, 28
Index
SafeOriginal (continued) status, 36 using, 4849 safety features, 26 Save command, 25 saving files, 24, 25 settings Advanced, 29 changing, 2829 General, 28 SafeOriginal, 28 shortcuts to SafeOriginal file, 49 to SafeOriginal files, 28 to save files, 25 splash screen, 17, 28 statistics, viewing, 29 status indicators interpreting, 3537 program, 35 SafeOriginal, 36 system, 36 status window in Crash Assistant, 28 system requirements, 18 system status, 36, 41, 44
using (continued) VitalSave, 4043
V
viewing Norton CrashGuard demo, 18 VitalSave, 12, 37 using in a crash, 4043
W
Whats This help, 15
T
Terminate, 14, 39 testing crashes, 29
U
updating Norton CrashGuard, 32 programs and drivers, 32 user interface improvements, 11 using LiveUpdate, 32 QuickReload, 4345 Revive, 4546 SafeOriginal, 4849 the clipboard, 26 the PrintScreen button, 26 59

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Norton CrashGuard Users Guide

Norton CrashGuard Users Guide

SYMANTEC LICENSE AND WARRANTY

Introducing Norton CrashGuard

Getting started with Norton CrashGuard

Getting the most out of CrashGuard

Using CrashGuard to recover from crashes

Introducing Norton CrashGuard

Whats new in this version

Integrated crash protection

Introducing Norton CrashGuard

Introducing Crash Monitor

Introducing Crash Assistant

Introducing Crash Advisor

Whats new in this version

Redesigned user interface

Enhanced options for the Close Program window

The Close Program window without Norton CrashGuard

Introducing Norton CrashGuard

Enhanced crash recovery options

Whats new in this version

Introducing Norton CrashGuard

Introducing Blue-screen crash protection

Getting help in CrashGuard

Getting help in CrashGuard

README.TXT le This le contains late-breaking information about CrashGuard.

Introducing Norton CrashGuard

Giving us your feedback

Getting started with Norton CrashGuard

A Norton CrashGuard program group appears in the Start menu.

Getting started with Norton CrashGuard

Installing Norton CrashGuard

Viewing the CrashGuard demo

Installing Norton CrashGuard

Removing Norton CrashGuard

Getting started with Norton CrashGuard

Getting started after installation

Getting started after installation

Crash Assistants crash alarm:

Getting started with Norton CrashGuard

Getting the most out of CrashGuard

Preparing yourself for crashes

Knowing the difference between a crash and a freeze

Getting the most out of CrashGuard

Prioritizing what to save rst

Preparing yourself for crashes

Learning alternate ways to save your work

Getting the most out of CrashGuard

Exploiting the safety features of your favorite software

Be prepared for additional crashes

Getting the most out of CrashGuard

Changing CrashGuard settings

SafeOriginal Settings These settings control the following:

Whether SafeOriginal is enabled. Whether SafeOriginal creates shortcuts to its les.

Viewing CrashGuard statistics

Advanced Settings The Advanced settings include the following:

Viewing CrashGuard statistics

Getting the most out of CrashGuard

Reading a technical crash report

Reading a technical crash report