Unsuccessful Norton removal...

[Valharus]

Well, huh, check this out... I know that I made a mistake SOMEWHERE, but wonder now how to fix it... The story goes as follows:
From both my PC's I removed Norton Internet security using add/remove, remove incl. all other Symantec products that appeared there...
After that, I installed Avast Home, latest version, and from the start, on 1st PC everything was just fine while on the other one  Avast refused to load p2p shield, standard shield and IM shield... Alright.. I ran RegCleaner and Registry Mechanic, manually removed all traces of symantec from Hard drive, browsed through Registry in a search after norton and symantec keys.... Rebooted.. Didn't work... Then I came to this forum, found some suggestions and followed them, ran NRT, rebooted... In vain, again... I uninstalled Avast then... ran Avast remove tool, ran NRT again, just to be sure, rebooted clean, installed Avast again, and what was there for me? The same message as before! Avast couldn't load resident system shield etc.  due to Norton anti virus being detected!!!!! Where!? How!? I'm even thinking of reinstalling Win(shit) XP SP2 altogether... but only as a last resort... someone mentioned before how ppl will be happy when they finally get Symantec products out of the their PC system... well, I know that I will be!

Help!!!!!


PS. I even found Symantec shared DLL's and removed them from registry and hard drive, those were left  after NRT... together with a key in which some norton file /non-existant on HD, btw/ is set to run on system boot...

[Spyros]

Which version of Norton Internet Security was installed?

[Valharus]

Which version of Norton Internet Security was installed?

It was Norton Internet Security 2004... it falls within what NRT should remove from PC completely... yet it doesn't... nor can I myself find anything else left to do any more...

[Spyros]

Hmmm, Norton (and Panda, may I add) is usually harder to remove than a virus 

Ok, you could try this:
-Uninstall avast.
-Reboot.
-Re-install NIS
-Reboot.
-Close all programs and completely shut down any part of NIS. If there are some parts updated from NIS (like a newer version of Live Update, for example) try to uninstall that first.
-Then use the Norton uninstall utility.

During NIS installation, you can also use a program that monitors whatever gets altered on your system, so that you manually remove whatever gets left behind.

Hope this helps.

[Valharus]

Treat the disease with another disease... sounds plausible.... I will try it and then let u know if it worked, by tomorrow... now I'm off to the party downtown
Thanks a lot, Spyros! 4 ur advice

[DavidR]

Which version of Norton Internet Security was installed?

It was Norton Internet Security 2004... it falls within what NRT should remove from PC completely... yet it doesn't... nor can I myself find anything else left to do any more...

I know the NIS falls under the symNRT tool, but I don't know if it can remove an element of the suite or only the whole suite ?

You could try an uninstall of NIS reboot and do  Custom install ensuring the anti-virus element isn't installed.

Have a good time at the party, welcome to the forums.

Nice avatar

[Lisandro]

I know the NIS falls under the symNRT tool

Are you sure?

1) Remove NAV and NIS and LiveUpdate through Add/Remove programs from Control Panel. Boot.
2) Use Symantec removal tool following the three steps defined in the SymNRT tool info or here.
3) Boot.

Full SymNRT info:
1. Download and save these three files to the Windows desktop:
   a) ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/linked_files/tsgen/MSIFIX.bat
   b) ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/linked_files/tsgen/SymNRT.exe
   c) ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/linked_files/tsgen/SYMMSICLEANUP.reg

2. Run the three files that you just downloaded
   a) On the Windows desktop, double-click the MSIFIX icon.
      Click Run.
      A black window may appear very briefly.
   b) On the Windows desktop, double-click the SymNRT icon.
      Click Run.
      Click Next.
      Click I accept the License Agreement, and click Next.
      Type the letters and numbers that you see in the white box, and then click Next.
      Click Yes or OK at each prompt.
      You may need to click more than once. Your computer may be restarted for you more than once.
      You may be asked to repeat some steps after the computer restarts.
   c) On the Windows desktop, double-click the SYMMSICLEANUP icon.
      Click Run, and then click Yes.
      Click OK.

3. Boot.

[DavidR]

I know the NIS falls under the symNRT tool

Are you sure?

As far as I'm aware yes, because it is a Norton product so it should fall/come under the symNRT (Symantec Norton Removal Tool), but I haven't seen much success in the forums at just removing the NAV element of it in NIS. Mostly it requires an uninstall of NIS and custom installation without NAV element.

[Lisandro]

I haven't seen much success in the forums at just removing the NAV element of it in NIS.

Well, at least NAV could be removed from Norton Systemworks... I never used NIS and I hope I never will even try