HONG KONG 12 December, 1997 - Symantec Corporation, the experts in utility software, has launched Norton CrashGuard Deluxe, a new crash and recovery product designed to prevent three times as many crashes and application freezes as competing software.

Ideal for consumers and office workers who demand a simple and automatic way to easily manage computer crashes and other problems, CrashGuard Deluxe solves problems in a completely automatic and non-intimidating way. In a recent test conducted by US-based National Software Testing Laboratories (NSTL), the leading testing firm in the computer industry, CrashGuard Deluxe was found to be three times more effective than competing products in intercepting and fixing crashes.

The tests found that in many scenarios, Norton CrashGuard Deluxe was the only product that allowed the test system to continue to function as if no fault occurred. The full text of the NSTL results is currently available on the Symantec website.

"Unfortunately, crashes are a fact of life for every computer user in Hong Kong, and they often result in hours of rebuilding lost work. Some are less damaging, which are annoying and impact short term performance capabilities, while others are more serious which can result in many hours of delay repairing and rebuilding," said Daniel Schneersohn, regional director, North Asia, for Symantec. "Norton CrashGuard Deluxe not only provides local users with peace of mind that they are protected from losing valuable data, but also provides value that reaches far beyond the best crash prevention capabilities in the industry.

According to the NSTL results, Norton CrashGuard Deluxe is, by far, more successful in intercepting and fixing application crashes than competing applications in three categories: 16 bit, 32 bit and new 32 bit applications.

"A typical office and many home computers in the SAR would be running software programs in all three categories. No other crash prevention product provides customers with such advanced capabilities to fix and prevent computer problems behind the scenes for such a wide variety of applications," Schneersohn added.

Nearly everyone in Hong Kong who owns a computer has experienced the frustration of an application crashing or hanging, resulting in the loss of valuable work. Most often, there is no indication of what the problem was, or what could have been done to prevent it.

Using core technology from industry-leading protection and recovery products like Norton Utilities and Norton AntiVirus, CrashGuard Deluxe automatically eliminates problems before they cause a system to crash and lose data.

CrashGuard's unique Auto Check feature operates in the background working to detect and fix problems on demand or automatically, solving most problems without user intervention. This helps users effortlessly keep their system free from problems like outdated files, orphaned shortcuts and drive fragmentation.

Enhanced Norton Utilities technologies like SpeedDisk and DiskDoctor work in the background to detect and effectively eliminate most system problems before they become significant.

Exclusively from Symantec, CrashGuard Deluxe includes a six-month subscription to Norton Web Services, featuring LiveUpdate Pro. All too often a computer problem can be traced back to out-of-date software. LiveUpdate Pro is a Web-based service that automates finding and installing updates, patches and new hardware drivers specific to all hardware and software the user has installed on their system.

CrashGuard Deluxe catches most application crashes and stabilises programs long enough for users to save their work. The unique AntiFreeze capability unfreezes locked-up applications that prevent users from continuing with their work. With an easy-to-use interface and automatic operations, customers can reap the crash recovery benefits of Norton CrashGuard without spending a lot of time configuring the product.

Norton CrashGuard Deluxe is available now from Symantec's network of authorised resellers. It has an estimated retail price of HK$470.

Norton CrashGuard Deluxe requires an IBM PC or 100 percent compatible with Windows 95. It requires an 80486 or higher with a minimum of 12 MB of RAM, 15 MB of hard disk space and a CD-ROM drive for installation.

Note to Editors: Symantec Corporation provides a broad line of application and system software products, including desktop utilities, anti-virus, communications and development tools. Platforms supported include Windows, Windows NT, DOS, and Apple Macintosh, as well as all major network operating systems. Founded in 1982 and ranked in the top ten international software vendors, Symantec maintains corporate headquarters in Cupertino, California with regional offices in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland.

News on this and other Symantec activities in Asia can be found at http://www.newell.com