Learn more about Download Intelligence

Norton provides the Download Intelligence option to let you configure the Download Insight feature. Download Insight provides information about the reputation of any executable file that you download from supported applications. The reputation details indicate whether the downloaded file is safe to install. You can use these details to decide the action that you want to take on the file.

Supported applications

Browsers

  • AOL

  • Browser 7

  • Chrome

  • Edge

  • Firefox

  • Flock

  • MSN Explorer

  • Navigator

  • Opera

  • Safari

  • Yandex

  • Yahoo

Instant messengers

  • AOL

  • ICQ

  • MSN Messenger

  • MSN Explorer

  • QQ

  • Skype

  • Yahoo Messenger

Email programs

  • MSN Explorer

  • Outlook

  • Outlook Express

  • Thunderbird

  • Windows Live Mail

P2P applications

  • Ares

  • BearShare

  • BitComet

  • BitLord

  • BitTorrent

  • eMule

  • FrostWire

  • iMesh

  • LimeWire

  • Thunder

  • uTorrent

  • Vuze

Download managers

  • DAP

  • FDM

  • FlashGet

  • IDM

  • UseNeXT

  • Wget

File managers

  • CMD

  • FileZilla

  • Window Explorer

File archiving

  • 7-Zip

  • UnRAR

  • WinRAR

  • WinZip

Productivity

  • Adobe Acrobat Reader

  • Microsoft Excel

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

  • Microsoft Word

Others

  • TeamViewer (remote access)

  • Windows Media Player (media player)

Based on the type of application you use to download your file, Norton does one of the following:

  • Analyzes the file based on its reputation details when the download is complete.

  • Analyzes the file based on its reputation details when the file is executed.

Download Insight uses the file analysis results to provide you the reputation details of the file. The reputation levels of the file are good, bad, unproven, and poor. Safe files have good reputation levels. While the unknown files have unproven or poor reputation, the unsafe files have bad reputation levels. Unsafe files and poor files are the threats that Norton detects and removes from your computer.

By default, you can install safe files. Norton removes the unsafe files. In the case of unknown files, Download Insight prompts you to take a suitable action on the file. For example, you can run the installation of the file, cancel the installation, or remove the file from your computer.

Security History logs details of all events that Download Insight processes and notifies. It contains information about the Download Insight activities on the file. You can view these details in the Download Insight category in Security History.

You can use the Download Intelligence option and the options that are available under it in the Settings window to configure Download Insight.

By default, the Download Intelligence option is turned on.

The Download Intelligence options are:

Download Insight Notifications

Lets you specify when you want Download Insight to display notifications.

These notifications let you view the details of the file that you download. When you set the Download Insight Notifications option to On, based on the type of application you use to download your file, Norton does one of the following:

  • Notifies you each time when you download an executable file.

  • Notifies you only when you download a file that is infected or suspicious.

When the Download Insight Notifications option is set to Risks Only, Norton notifies you when you download an infected or a suspicious executable file. We recommend that you do not set the Download Insight Notifications to Risks Only.

Show Report on Launch of Files

Lets you specify when and what type of file you want Download Insight to prompt you to select a suitable action.

Use the following options to configure the Show Report on Launch of Files settings:

  • Always

    When you set the Show Report on Launch of Files option to Always, Download Insight prompts you for a suitable action in case of safe and unknown files. The Download Insight window appears whenever you try to open any downloaded file that has a safe or an unknown reputation score. You can view the details about the file and the options that let you select a suitable action for the file.

  • Unproven Only

    By default, the Show Report on Launch of Files option is set to Unproven Only. Download Insight prompts you to select a suitable action for unknown files only. The Download Insight window appears whenever you try to open any downloaded file that has an unknown reputation score. You can view the details about the file and the options that let you select a suitable action for the file.

  • Never

    Use the Never option if you do not want Download Insight to prompt you for any type of file. The Download Insight window does not appear when you try to open any downloaded file.

If you do not want Download Insight to process any file that you download for reputation analysis, you can turn it off. When Download Insight is turned off, your computer is not adequately protected from Internet threats and security risks.

When you turn off Auto-Protect, Download Insight is also turned off. When Silent Mode is turned on, Norton suppresses the Download Insight notifications.

Download an unsafe file

When you download files from the Internet, Norton removes the unsafe files and the files with poor reputation. In some cases, you might want to download an unsafe file. To download an unsafe file, you must turn off the Download Intelligence option.
After you turn off the Download Intelligence option, Norton lets you download the file and does not remove it from your computer. When you turn off the Download Intelligence option, you can choose to turn it off permanently or for a specific period of time. We recommend you to turn off the Download Intelligence option only for the time it takes to download the unsafe file. After the time period that you specified is over, Norton automatically turns on Download Intelligence.
When you turn off the Download Intelligence option, you reduce the level of protection of your computer against any malicious program that you download from the Internet. To ensure that your computer is protected, after you download the file, you can manually turn on the Download Intelligence option, even if the specified time is not over.

Turn on or off Download Intelligence

  1. Open your Norton device security product.

    If you see the My Norton window, next to Device Security, click Open.

  2. In the Norton product main window, click Settings.

  3. In the Settings window, click Firewall or Network.

  4. Click the Intrusion and Browser Protection tab.

  5. In the Download Intelligence row, move the On/Off switch to On or Off.

  6. In the Settings window, click Apply, and then click Close.

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