Will the security products released by Symantec with support for Windows Vista actually work with the latest operating system from Microsoft? This may seem a strange question but - in fact - it has an easy answer. Just bear with me and we will get there.

Cupertino based security company Symantec has released an array of products delivering support for Windows Vista since the start of this month. Symantec AntiVirus 10.2 and Ghost Solution Suite 2.0 were released at the beginning of November while public betas for Norton Internet Security 2007 and Norton AntiVirus 2007 were made available for download yesterday.

But the actual Vista support issue is a question of nuances. A question of nuances because the operating system comes both in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. And while Symantec's products may be fully compatible with 32-bit editions of Vista, functionality involving the 64-bit versions of the operating system is problematic to say the least.

This because Symantec deploys behavior-based technology into its security products. Behavior-based solutions involve hacking and patching the operating system's kernel to ensure process monitoring. But the kernel patch protection technology in 64-bit Vista prevents kernel interactions with no exceptions.

So the answer is no. Symantec's security FOR Vista will not work With Vista. "Elements of the security software will still work, but Patchguard will prevent all of them from functioning," revealed a Symantec representative.