Hi all!
After spending several days trying (with the aid of Symantec Support) to get LiveUpdate to start working again, installing the unstoppable Symantec eSupport app and jumping backwards through several hoops, I finaly tired and followed the course of action described by another forum user - I entered the registry and removed every single reference to Symantec. Or tried to. I then installed AVG Free and Sygate's firewall, so I could draw a sigh of relief that I was once again protected.

However:
1) I couldn't get rid of the LEGACY registry entries referring to Symantec. What are they, anyone?
2) MS Word won't let me access my files anymore - Norton's still managing to annoy me. Is it enough to reinstall the Word templates, or can I hack the existing ones somehow?
3) I still can't remove the software directories. Please, anyone?

Regards

/Carl

Not meaning to sound like a smart ass Cy but did you reboot after ripping Symantec from the registry? Also did you do a search for Norton in the registry files, Symantec likes to use both names in the registry.

Uh, yeah... :-) Searched for Norton and Symantec AND 'NAV', rebooted and it's almost, almost gone... :-) In fact I only hear the faintest of muffled screams in the background...

One manifests itself in a message box that pops up when I start Word - you know the ole' familiar 'Norton yada yada yada doesn't support the Repair and Install feature'... :-)

The only answers I've found on that one involves installing LiveUpdate... <ROFL> I think Joseph Heller must've written the Symantec Customer Support routines... Now The MS site explains that it's because the Norton Antivirus DLL is loaded. Well, I could fix that, if I just knew what it was named.

Now I've ripped out the guts of NIS - All of its folders are gone and erased, all visible traces are eradicated from the Registry, all Norton toolbar options and ctlpanel entries. And whaddya know - the machine performs like a dream. Starts up much faster, shuts down much faster, generally seems to breathe easier... APC, AVG & Sygate are protecting me, the sun's shining and life's lookin' good...

NAV and NIS both dig deep into your system's registry and hidden system files when they are installed.

To see what I mean, click on start and then type regedit and press enter. click on My Computer and then click on edit and search. Search for syman and look at the HUNDREDS of keys that come up. (If you decide to try to delete them, be sure you back up your registry first)

Rather than just ripping the guts out, Symantec provides a few tools that can completely remove Symantec Norton Antivirus and Symantec Norton Personal Firewall (NIS). You can search the Symantec website for the SYMNRT tool, or you can read our free online tutorial.

Either way, I like Symantec products, but I have to disagree with their "award winning support". Its kind of like Iran giving you a human rights award.