The goal of SystemWorks is to provide a comprehensive suite of maintenance and security tools, all wrapped up in one neat package. There are four main programs: Norton Antivirus, GoBack, Utilities and Cleanup.

As we've come to expect from Symantec products, SystemWorks is very user-friendly. After installation the suite will run through some diagnostics automatically, examining your system and flagging problems. If there are temporary files that can be cleaned up, for example, or Windows automatic updates aren't turned on, you'll be informed and given the option to remedy the situation with a single click. This is very handy for computing novices.

The centre-piece of the suite is Norton Antivirus. This is the latest version, complete with a pre-install virus "quickscan", built-in worm protection and support for virus scanning on common Instant Messenger programs. Norton AV will automatically keep itself updated with the latest virus definitions; and the Symantec definitions are very regularly updated and reliable.

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GoBack is a system recovery utility which has long been a facet of SystemWorks. However, since Windows XP now has a System Restore function built-in, it's not as much of a boon as it once was. Having said that, it does offer some extra options, such as retrieving old deleted versions of specific files, or setting your machine to "autoback", so it will return to the same state after every boot.

Norton Utilities provides surgical aid for your PC in the form of three doctors. System Doctor monitors Windows, letting you know when problems crop up with your Internet connection performance, disk fragmentation, memory usage and so on. WinDoctor performs a similar job, hunting for file and registry problems, whereas Disk Doctor can be used to detect and repair hard drive errors. There are also utilities provided to optimise hard disk performance and to delete files permanently with no trace.

Finally, Cleanup is a simple utility that tidies up all superfluous temporary and Internet files. On top of all that, some extra goodies are tacked on, such as an Internet connection monitor that will keep your dial-up connection alive.

Systemworks is a very full package and you can't argue with the pricing. After all, the Antivirus program on its own costs £40, so for the extra tenner you're getting a lot more. However, there's one pitfall to be aware of: installing every program and turning all the system monitoring options on will have an impact on your computer's performance. A little bit of caution and common sense needs to be exercised in this department, and that's the only area in which SystemWorks doesn't cater very well for the novice user.

This is an excellent value for money suite, which provides an impressive range of programs, including the very solid Norton Antivirus. Some of it is a little outdated now - GoBack, for example - but you can't really complain too much, considering what you're getting.