How to uninstall Norton Antivirus 2006 Beta (buggy & jams MS Office)?

Hi everybody
I fell for the Norton website puff, and installed the Norton Antivirus 2006 Beta -- or at least tried to. It crashed 3x during installation, creating Symantec error logs in zip format, and never fully loaded. Using XP Home SP2 with latest updates.

But I can't uninstall it either - stuck in limbo. There is no Antivirus 2006 uninstall program, and it doesn't show up in Control Panel's Add or Remove Programs.

Now can't reinstall my former functioning NAV 2004 which still had over a year time paid for, because says there is a more recent version of Norton Antivirus installed on the system.

When I try to open a document in MS Office which worked fine yesterday, now Symantec Antivirus 2006 blocks MS Office 2000, saying "NAV was unable to scan your computer for infections because some NAV components are missing. 3019,6" (this leads to a useless Symantec website). I can't open any of my MS Office documents at all.

Symantec hasn't responded to email or fax, and no info on Symantec's website. ... "you are forewarned ..."

Any suggestions on how to uninstall Norton Antivirus 2006?

Thanks much

Try this article:
Error: "Norton AntiVirus 2004 installation has failed. Do you want to try to install again?"
Document ID: 2003091115080306

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nav...sm=no&tpre=

Run the 2006 installer again as it includes an uninstall option.

Hi PeterH and American Zombie

I tried your suggestions and no success:

1. At the Symantec web page - followed all the steps:
* renamed Common Files\Symantec Shared to "Backup"
* backed up NT Home Registry
* ran CCremove.reg program from Symantec web page
* Downloaded Windows Installer Cleanup Utility
and ran it, but none of the listed Symantec or
Norton programs appear in the list of programs that
can be removed.
* downloaded and ran SymNRT. Says that Norton
AntiVirus 2006 is on system and can only be removed
thru Control Panel's Add-Remove Programs.
* Tried Add-Remove Programs, NAV 2006 does not appear.
* Saw LiveUpdate 3 in Add-Remove Programs, and removed
it successfully.
* rebooted again (have rebooted regularly during this
process)
* SymNRT still shows NAV 2006 on system
* Norton installation program for NAV 2004 still says
"We have detected a newer version of NAV and it needs
to be removed in order to install this version. To do
so, click the Add-Remove ..." which leads to the
Control Panel Add-Remove Programs again - and there is
nothing Norton or Symantic related in there.
... endless loop, back where I started.

* Also, I used the NAV_2006b.exe program from Symantic
when I installed NAV 2006. I checked again, and there
is no "remove" or "uninstall" option available.
So once NAV 2006 is on your system, there appear to
be no official or simple or standard way to remove it.

* No meaningful response from Symantic, who did, however
email a day ago asking for logfiles, which I promptly
sent them. No response back yet.

Any other ideas? Suggestions on how to remove Symantec Norton Antivirus 2006 greatly appreciated.

Thanks much

[Edited by Dave99999 on 2005-08-24 23:10:14]

You could try Brute Force Uninstaller.

If that does not work then just delete all the symantec registry keys then reboot. You should also do a search/delete for files and folders named Norton and Symantec.

Start>run>regedit

In the registry editor highlight "my Computer" then select edit>find and type symantec in the box.

Delete all keys it finds except these two below which are part of Windows security center.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Security Center\Monitoring\SymantecAntiVirus

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Security Center\Monitoring\SymantecFirewall

All others get rid of and you should be able to install 2004 again.


[Edited by american zombie on 2005-08-25 00:05:47]

Here's how to uninstall Norton Antivirus 2006:

http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039?Open&src=con_ols_nam

Solution:
SymNRT is a program that can remove some Norton software from your computer. SymNRT runs on Windows XP/2000/Me/98. Begin with Section 1.


Section 1: Can I use SymNRT?
Use SymNRT only if one or both of these situations applies to you:

You have tried to uninstall the Norton program using Windows Add/Remove Programs and that did not work.
You were instructed to use it by another Symantec document or a Symantec Technical Support technician.

Programs that SymNRT can remove
SymNRT removes these--and only these--Norton programs:
Norton AntiVirus 2004/2005/2006
Norton AntiVirus Professional 2004
Norton AntiVirus 3, 5 and 10 User Pack 2004/2005/2006
Norton GoBack 3.1/3.5/3.6/4.0/4.1
Norton SystemWorks 2004 Professional Edition
Norton SystemWorks 2005/2006 Premier
Norton SystemWorks 2004/2005/2006
Norton SystemWorks 2006 Basic Edition
Norton Password Manager 2004
Norton Internet Security 2004/2005/2006
Norton Internet Security 5 and 10 User Pack 2004/2005/2006
Norton Internet Security 2005 AntiSpyware Edition 8.2
Norton Personal Firewall 2004/2005/2006
Norton AntiSpam 2004/2005
Norton Ghost 2003/9.0/10.0

Go to this site to download the removal program SymNRT:

http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039?Open&src=con_ols_nam



Solution:
SymNRT is a program that can remove some Norton software from your computer. SymNRT runs on Windows XP/2000/Me/98. Begin with Section 1.


Section 1: Can I use SymNRT?
Use SymNRT only if one or both of these situations applies to you:

You have tried to uninstall the Norton program using Windows Add/Remove Programs and that did not work.
You were instructed to use it by another Symantec document or a Symantec Technical Support technician.

Programs that SymNRT can remove
SymNRT removes these--and only these--Norton programs:
Norton AntiVirus 2004/2005/2006
Norton AntiVirus Professional 2004
Norton AntiVirus 3, 5 and 10 User Pack 2004/2005/2006
Norton GoBack 3.1/3.5/3.6/4.0/4.1
Norton SystemWorks 2004 Professional Edition
Norton SystemWorks 2005/2006 Premier
Norton SystemWorks 2004/2005/2006
Norton SystemWorks 2006 Basic Edition
Norton Password Manager 2004
Norton Internet Security 2004/2005/2006
Norton Internet Security 5 and 10 User Pack 2004/2005/2006
Norton Internet Security 2005 AntiSpyware Edition 8.2
Norton Personal Firewall 2004/2005/2006
Norton AntiSpam 2004/2005
Norton Ghost 2003/9.0/10.0

Do you have any idea why the installation failed 3 times? Just wondering. Perhaps if you can somehoe get the installation to work, you could install it, so that you can easily un-install it using Add/Remove.

That being said: Shame on Symantec. Ever since their 2004 versions of their software, things have just been getting worse and worse and worse. It seems like their installs have become more crash prone, their activation schemes prone to randomly expiring requiring activation all over again, their un-installers almost useless (leaving behind all sorts of Symantec junk), and the usability and functionality of their software increasingly dropping (see for example Ghost 9 [which wasn't even made by Symantec] vs ghost 2003).

I know I am not offering much in terms of a solution, but perhaps your solution might be to bite the bullet, format, and never touch Norton again (unless its ghost 2003). I have done that and I have found that my machine runs much happier, lighter, safer, and with no cluttered Symantec Junk.

Also consider ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite as a future replacement to NIS/NAV

I do believe that sharing experiences about software is not only helpful, but often times consoling. It is good to know that when something goes on the blink, there is someone out there that can help or can let you know that you are not alone. That being said, wholesale trashing of products is not something I believe we should do. Clearly, we all get frustrated and pop our corks, but that doesn't mean that a product is necessarily bad.

Clearly, both Symantec and McAfee have produced software that is far too controlling for some people's tastes. However, they were early out of the chute in producing Anti-viruses, and yes, they were "experimental." But, I believe that Microsoft did not make their jobs any easier for them, and it seems that Microsoft's own interest in producing its firewalls, spyware, and anti-virus applications forced them to create work arounds that were not the best of all solutions as strategies to get their product to work in a Microsoft environment. Just look at all the keys in the registry that are now used by these two applications just to pass what seems to be OS road blocks.

The anti-virus application spells big bucks today. While there are really good freeware applications, these are usually funded by for-pay applications by the same company. Applications seem to live by Darwinian rules - the best will survive; the worst (and sometimes it is just a lack of funding and not the product) will fall away. Only time will tell.

I think we ought not to make pontifical pronouncements about software as if what we have to say is an objective, absolute truth. Lots of computers are running Norton's and McAfee flawlessly and have been for a long time. There is no point in insulting people's choices for running that software just because it left a bad taste in our mouth. I run neither of them on my machines, but I do respect their software. When asked I will present the pro's and con's and their shortcomings and their strengths, but I do not see how anyone is helped by simply writing off products wholesale.

Dear Sampson, I stand corrected. I would edit my post but its not allowing me.
I still beleive that Symantec (I am not picking on McAffee here at all) can do a better job with their software.

That being said, I wish there was a way to edit my post to give it a lighter tone.

I am also having major problems with NAV 2006.

While i was installing NAV 2006 i repeatedly got 3 error messages, i clicked ok on all 3 times. i then restart my computer to finish the install. i log onto my accont and it takes me 2 minutes to load up on my account. when i finaly do log onto my account it says error " Pconfig. " which i have no clue what it means. A little while after that i get a get another error coming from norton antivirus this time, it tells me " Fatal System Error Please Uninstall and Reinstall Norton Antivirus 2006" I then go into add and remove programs and uninstall NAV 2006. i get 5 or 6 Fatal errors in the uninstall process. IT DID NOT COMPLETELY UNINSTALL. i still have the little norton icon on my task bar which is useless and isnt working. i can click on the icon but all i get is "page cannot be found". another problem i have is i cannot access my emails. since i have installed NAV 2006 i have not been able to access my emails, it keeps telling me POP3 error, the server has been terminated. i do not know if that is linked to my NAV problems or not but since NAV 2006 has been on my system , no emails.

Before i partialy removed NAV 2006 i did my full system scan it wanted me to do, the scan would run every time to the same file and then stop. the scan was not done.

I have basicly tryed everything possible i know of to try and get rid of Norton Internet Security 2006.

I have even tryed the norton Uninstall tool repeated times. i keep getting the same error saying "Error Initializing Product Removal Engine: 0x80070005"

If anyone can help it would be much appreciated. thank you.

Typically, when a Symantec product fails to install it is because there are scraps of a previous Symantec program getting in the way. The SYMNRT tool will remove a lot of the scraps, but not all of them. Symantec also has a .reg import file to finish the job. It is also important to restart your computer 2 times after running the SYMNRT tool. I don't know why, but it takes 2 boots to get rid of everything.

Once you have all of these old leftovers out of the way, the installation of your new Symantec product should go a lot more smoothly.

You can read step by step instructions on how to do it here (including links to the needed files). You can also search the symantec website for the SYMNRT tool. It is a free download.

It will not let me run the norton uninstall tool.

I cannot run any programs. when i try to install something and click the "RUN" button it will not run. Maybe i have deleted something that runs the programs. what possibly could i have deleted that would make it so i can run a program. how could i download it back?

Reinstall windows?

That's not good at all. If you can not run ANY programs, your problem goes deeper than Norton Antivirus. I would suggest you do a repair installation of your Windows XP. Note, I said repair and not reinstall. If you reinstall XP over the top of its self it will erase everything on your hard drive.

To run a repair install, boot from your XP CD. Then press enter at the first menu. Press F8 to agree to the terms and then press R when the setup program detects your previous installation. XP will then repair its self. Try this and let us know how it goes.

How do I boot from my XP CD?

OK, i have repair installed windows XP, the same error messages appear when i start up my user. Althought i can use some of my programs. the problem is still not fixed but i will try to fix it in the morning. i might be able to since i can use my programs.

Why not? Does it give error message? Are you using administrator level account (not poweruser or limited)?

Have you tried to create a new account and see if the same errors appear in it? If not, then you should be able to import your email settings and emails from old account to new account.

Try rerunning the SymNRT.exe, either following these Symantec orginal instructions or tschrock's instructions.

I have ran the norton uninstall tool on a test user, norton is out of my system and never coming back in, THANK GOD. im still having some log in errors at the start with Pconfig. and a windows installl keeps coming up for PhotoGallery.

thanks for you help

how can i turn off a windows install for "PhotoGallery" at my startup?

also, on this user that im on right now, McAfee which i recently got will not work. it works on every other user except this one. Windows installer appears on all users.McAfee works on every user but this one

Ryck, is photogallery a needed program, if not then remove it using add/remove program in control panel. If you need to keep it then do this instead.
Go to start and to run and type in services.msc and then use the the extended look and look for photogallery. Right click on it and then click on properties and change the startup type to manual and click on apply.
That should prevent it from starting up on it's own until you actually to run it.

the thing is, photogallery is not installed or i would remove it from add and remove programs list.

i disabled windows installer, that fixed it