Solved Ready to shoot PC, or myself. :( Please help...

[Mike Connor]

That's a good point, but I have not recently had any problems when removing the Symantec stuff with the "standard" windows uninstall. I can't remember the last HP models we did, but we had no problems.

At one time this software caused massive registry bloat, and usually registry corruption, when removed. Often rendering a machine unusable, or preventing other software from running.

I have had no problems removing it on Windows 7. I don't like to get newbies involved with special tools if it can be avoided. Often causes more problems than it solves.

The OP does not seem to have had any problems.

One may run the tool after the software has been uninstalled by Windows; Here is the "original" from Symantec;

http://us.norton.com/support/kb/web_view.jsp?wv_type=public_web&docurl=20080710133834EN&ln=en_US

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[DocBrown]

How much are you paying per month to rent the cable modem ?

I just got a New Linksys in Oct from NewEgg $ 59.99 Currently

:ar: Newegg.com - LINKSYS CM100 Ethernet Port Cable Modem with USB and Ethernet Connections

I'm paying $5/month. $59 is doable! My only worry is I've been through 5 modems in the last year, and at least I can go trade it for free at Charter.

Would you guys recommend it (buying one)? Any benefit other than paying $60 up front rather than $60/year? Better performance than what I have?

I think you get a higher quality modem by buying your own. Cable co's get these as a bulk deal at a low price. So I think quality control is low, also. Therfore, I have seen nationwide a lot of users constantly exchanging them with there cable co. I think a lot of the returned modems just get recycled to another user over & over again. I prefer to own my own from a reputable mfg & computer parts seller.

 

[Imperfect1]

That's a good point, but I have not recently had any problems when removing the Symantec stuff with the "standard" windows uninstall. I can't remember the last HP models we did, but we had no problems.

At one time this software caused massive registry bloat, and usually registry corruption, when removed. Often rendering a machine unusable, or preventing other software from running.

I have had no problems removing it on Windows 7. I don't like to get newbies involved with special tools if it can be avoided. Often causes more problems than it solves.

The OP does not seem to have had any problems.

One may run the tool after the software has been uninstalled by Windows; Here is the "original" from Symantec;

Download and run the Norton Removal Tool to uninstall your Norton product | Norton Support

Regards....Mike Connor

Thanks for your comments Mike, and yes I know she hasn't had any problems with the Norton uninstall. . . yet. The problems (the conflict) wouldn't occur until after she installed her new antivirus software. Just trying to be very cautious and to avoid any further harm to her system. I mentioned the problems because IF they happen they can be overwhelming, and I didn't want her to have to deal with any more than she is already dealing with. Better to be safe than sorry, and I wish someone had warned me about this issue when I blithely uninstalled my Norton Antivirus software from my new HP system, and it turned into a huge nightmare!

 

[Mike Connor]

As you write, better to be safe than sorry, but in this case the OP is installing MSE, and I have never had any problems with that. The only other Anti-Virus I personally recommend to people is Avira;

Avira anti-virus for home and for business

and I know of no problems with that either, after removing the Norton stuff. ( Although it does require that Bit-Defender be disabled).

On a number of occasions I was obliged to do intensive registry searches in order to fix machines that had the Norton stuff on them, very carefully deleting every single entry I could find. But I have not had to do this on windows 7. Simply uninstalled it. I have also not had to run their "Removal tool" on windows 7 either. To be honest, I don't actually trust them much! If their software was sensible these problems would not arise, and I see no good reason to trust their "Removal Tool", any more than their other software..........

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[gregrocker]

If Symantec wasn't uninstalled using Revo in Advanced mode as originally suggested, then it needs to have the Removal Tool run to get out the leftover Registry keys and files which can number in the hundreds.

 

[Mike Connor]

Although this is probably a good idea, a few hundred obsolete registry entries wont normally cause any problems. This of course assumes that they ARE obsolete, and don't interfere with anything else.

As I wrote, I have not noticed any problems on Win 7 ( 32 and 64 BIT), using the "standard" uninstall, and although I like REVO and use it quite a lot on various machines, and have recommended it in the past, I no longer do so, because people are reluctant to pay the price for the full version. ( The free version does not support 64 BIT systems).

Also, complete newbies to REVO and similar programs can do a lot of damage by indiscriminately deleting the registry entries displayed. You still have to know what you can safely delete, and no newbies do. This is also extremely difficult to explain in detail. Knowledge of the system is required to do this safely.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[alienalias]

Thanks again for everyone's help!

So, just to be clear, the recommendation is to only have Security Essentials? No Super-anti Spyware removal, or anti-malware or anything like that?

Also, I downloaded Revo and based on the icons it shows there are no remnants of Symantec. So, Revo is in on my PC and available for use, but I am not going to mess with it unless I get very specific instructions on what I should do with it, and unless it is highly recommended to do so. At least I now know I can use it to remove other programs I don't want.

It is amazing to me that Norton rendered my PC almost useless and caused all these problems.

Thanks again!

 

[Mike Connor]

Thanks again for everyone's help!

So, just to be clear, the recommendation is to only have Security Essentials? No Super-anti Spyware removal, or anti-malware or anything like that?

Also, I downloaded Revo and based on the icons it shows there are no remnants of Symantec. So, Revo is in on my PC and available for use, but I am not going to mess with it unless I get very specific instructions on what I should do with it, and unless it is highly recommended to do so. At least I now know I can use it to remove other programs I don't want.

It is amazing to me that Norton rendered my PC almost useless and caused all these problems.

Thanks again!

Basically yes. You can use an "on demand" scanner like Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes ( The free version)

<http://www.malwarebytes.org/>

now and again if you wish, or if you think you have a problem, but it is contra-productive, and often extremely deleterious, to use more than one resident running anti-virus program.

The free REVO wont remove 64 BIT programs. Normally, and unless you have some sort of problem the built in windows uninstall is adequate.

If you want something more thorough, ( only really necessary if you install and uninstall a lot of stuff all the time), then you can use this;

Windows Software Uninstaller, Windows Registry Clean up, Restore Windows Applications - Comodo Programs Manager

<http://programs-manager.comodo.com/>

Glad to hear it is all sorted out for you now. One positive aspect of trying to solve such problems is that one learns a lot!

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[rvbfan]

I run this on any new computer my family or friends buy.
Welcome | The PC Decrapifier

 

[Mike Connor]

I run this on any new computer my family or friends buy.
Welcome | The PC Decrapifier

That is excellent for some things, but you need to know what it removes in order to see whether it will be of any use in a particular case;

Application List | The PC Decrapifier

<http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/removes>

In this case it would not have helped much.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[anta]

Woah! are people on here really agreeing that someone should really remove all AV and rely on MSE!!??

seriously.
people, you need at least one layer between you and the bad guys. MSE is an advance on previous 'offerings' from Microsoft but is no way an alternative to avira, etc. that is yet, maybe in a year or so...

maybe not nortons bloatware.
But seriously think about what you do on your pcs.
banking, buying stuff from ebay, sorting personal information/accounts, surfing websites, social networks, etc
do you really think your pc will be 'safe' with just MSE installed.

personally I use Kaspersky internet Suite, it isn't free. but it isn't too expensive (i think I picked up a 3 user licence for £18...not so long ago. what is that, £6 for a years virus/malware free pc?
check out ebay for the previous years editions....they just come with a reg key that can be applied to the latest version.
it's not too invasive, for me anyhow. I game online, work via VPN and Logmein.com and communicate via Skype amongst other VOIP vendors without a problem.

...and no before you ask, I don't work for Kaspersky. Just that I realise that I have a lot of important information on my pc that I don't really want mr Trojan or Mrs Malware looking into.

oh and I didn't mean to come across as flaming a thread, if it is taken this way I apologise, I am new here...as said elsewhere.

love and peace

Ant.

 

[Imperfect1]

Woah! are people on here really agreeing that someone should really remove all AV and rely on MSE!!??

seriously.
people, you need at least one layer between you and the bad guys. MSE is an advance on previous 'offerings' from Microsoft but is no way an alternative to avira, etc. that is yet, maybe in a year or so...

maybe not nortons bloatware.
But seriously think about what you do on your pcs.
banking, buying stuff from ebay, sorting personal information/accounts, surfing websites, social networks, etc
do you really think your pc will be 'safe' with just MSE installed.

personally I use Kaspersky internet Suite, it isn't free. but it isn't too expensive (i think I picked up a 3 user licence for £18...not so long ago. what is that, £6 for a years virus/malware free pc?
check out ebay for the previous years editions....they just come with a reg key that can be applied to the latest version.
it's not too invasive, for me anyhow. I game online, work via VPN and Logmein.com and communicate via Skype amongst other VOIP vendors without a problem.

...and no before you ask, I don't work for Kaspersky. Just that I realise that I have a lot of important information on my pc that I don't really want mr Trojan or Mrs Malware looking into.

oh and I didn't mean to come across as flaming a thread, if it is taken this way I apologise, I am new here...as said elsewhere.

love and peace
Ant.

Hi Ant, and welcome to the forum! Totally agree with you that we have to have more protection than just MSE, especially those of us who purchase on line, do our banking on line, and other financial transactions on line.

And I must tell you, that even with extra protection, I've had my bank account hijacked once (within PayPal no less!!!), my credit cards hijacked twice, and my email hijacked several times!

 

[James Colbert]

And I must tell you, that even with extra protection, I've had my bank account hijacked once (within PayPal no less!!!), my credit cards hijacked twice, and my email hijacked several times!

I hereby declare you the forum expert :shock:. My sympathies!

James

 

[soho1]

ALL HAIL MSE! I LOVE IT. SORRY FOR CAPS, BUT Microsoft Security Essentials IS THE BEST SW Microsoft SHIPS! imho. Of course, I run XoftSpy and Norton 360 just to be sure it's true.

 

[Imperfect1]

And I must tell you, that even with extra protection, I've had my bank account hijacked once (within PayPal no less!!!), my credit cards hijacked twice, and my email hijacked several times!

I hereby declare you the forum expert :shock:. My sympathies!

James

Thanks James :shock: I've always wanted to be the forum expert in something, but surely not to be the head of the 'most hijacked' committee!

 

[alienalias]

Anta- You'd probably have a little bit of credibility if you didn't have a big, flaming AD in the middle of your response.

Otherwise, as the original poster, and update.

Soon after my problem being supposedly "resolved" and my Internet speeds picking up, and download speeds becoming tolerable, for strange and unbeknownst reasons pages began to have extremely slow load times again, and downloads became prehistoric-level again as well.

I became so frustrated and feeling down to last resorts that I took the advice of the poster whom suggested a new Modem. I purchased the Motorola Surfboard Docsis 3.0 (& returned my rented modem to Charter Internet). Now, pages will finally complete loading, and I am back to normal. Sucks I had to buy a new modem, but NICE to FINALLY be where I need to be!

Thanks to who suggested that! (Doc, maybe?)

 

[James Colbert]

Anta- You'd probably have a little bit of credibility if you didn't have a big, flaming AD in the middle of your response.

The ads appear to non-members and those who aren't logged in. As soon as you logged in, the ad should have disappeared.

Otherwise, as the original poster, and update.

Soon after my problem being supposedly "resolved" and my Internet speeds picking up, and download speeds becoming tolerable, for strange and unbeknownst reasons pages began to have extremely slow load times again, and downloads became prehistoric-level again as well.

I became so frustrated and feeling down to last resorts that I took the advice of the poster whom suggested a new Modem. I purchased the Motorola Surfboard Docsis 3.0 (& returned my rented modem to Charter Internet). Now, pages will finally complete loading, and I am back to normal. Sucks I had to buy a new modem, but NICE to FINALLY be where I need to be!

Thanks to who suggested that! (Doc, maybe?)

Glad your problem is resolved. Doc's last post to the thread (and perhaps earlier) did suggest a new modem. Kudos Doc!

James

 

[paul1149]

Just an observation. I think getting a better modem is a good move, but it seems strange that the modem didn't work well with one machine and did with the other. Hopefully the problem is over, but if not, if the problem were mine I would consider going back to the eMachine (I've had a very good experience with one) and adding a dual-head video card if that is the hanging point.