Once upon a time, when I did not have better sense than to install Symantec or Norton software on my pc, I too had to get one of Symantec's products "uninstalled."  Even using the uninstall utilities from Symantec (what a crock!), I STILL had to go through the registry and remove stuff from all over the place.  It took several HOURS and I still probably didn't get all of it.  Symantec splatters stuff ALL OVER the registry.  Now, when I hear "Symantec" I throw up my index fingers in a "ward-off-evil" cross.   I'm very picky and like a CLEAN machine.  

With my current (self-built-with-help) machine, I use Acronis True Image to keep image files of my C partition  and I image C before installing anything, so I can restore the C partition back to EXACTLY as it was before the install if need be.  My Documents, application data, etc. are on a different, separate partition so they aren't affected by restoring an old image.  For these,  I use SecondCopy and ExpressAssist8 to maintain backups of my data and email and a few cherrypicked items from C (such as profiles and configurations - normal.dot & such (that I can't move/relocate to my data partition), which may need to be re-restored to C with current data if I restore an older C image) .   My email store folder is actually on my data partition now, so my email is not messed with either, when I restore an older C-image.  It also keep the C-image files small when they only contain the OS (registry), drivers, Programs.

If you don't have Express Assist 8 for your email backups, consider it.  EA8 can include signatures, message rules, address book, IE Favorites, & other selected windows folders/files also, such as QuickLaunch & Taskbar.  I consider this one of my best software investments - you can view/print/save-as-text old emails withOUT restoring them back to OE (of course, you can restore them also).   EA8 can set up your internet & email on a new or reformatted PC FOR YOU in a jiffy - its a real godsend  here!  They also have GREAT responsive free email technical support.  I don't have the latest version, so I can only speak for EA8.  

Likewise, I consider SecondCopy indispensible.  I use this to maintain (daily) an exact uncompressed duplicate of My Documents on a separate drive,  along with some files that SecondCopy cherry-picks from partition C in case they are written over by restoring an older C image and I want to put my current files back again.  It's quick, since it only has to make changes to MAINTAIN my exact copy.  Second Copy will also make true compressed backups, if you prefer.  

My Acronis images go into a second partition on that second hard drive - I can restore my pc back to its original state or other key points.  My second, larger hard drive - E (data backups) and F (C-image files) contains a copy of everything on my primary hard drive - C (OS & pgms), and D (data).  I keep a little diary from my QuickLaunch where I record anything important (hardware/software installations, configurations, etc.) that I do between images, so I can quickly get these things back to current status after a C-image restore.  I can do a C-restore/EA8 & 2ndCopy re-restores/fix changes/installs & reimage (incorporating chgs) once a week in about ten minutes and my pc thinks it has never been on the internet (almost - I had to connect initially to set up my email (which EA8 did FOR me) - can't get around that).

A good plan and a few good tools can make you as safe as possible.  (I still use hardware/software firewalls, Avast Anti-Virus (which can scan web pages as you download), a PopupBlocker (very old, but it works like a charm), and Spywareblaster (which keeps pretty much everything in the way of adware/spyware off of my PC so I don't even have to search & remove it anymore).  I use software that tells me when something tries to add something to my startup.  I empty browser & cookie files when the browser closes.  Plus, I have a lot of unnecessary "services" disabled at the source.  If I get a virus, I can restore C back to a prior incarnation.  I can scan all my other files before copying them back to my main drive.  Although, I haven't yet  gotten any malware with this system (and I use XP SP2 (with all the crappy MS "security" stuff disabled) and with only 2 selected update items - I do NOT trust Microsoft's sneaky "updates").  So far (1+ yr), so good - knock on wood.

There is a tiny program that will make a copy of your registry before you install something, so you can restore it.  I used this before I had AcronisTrueImage because I had heard from various sources that System Restore did not always perform as expected.  I have had "System Restore" enabled on my PCs ONLY until Acronis was installed (one of the first pgms I install).  The registry backup pgm is called ERUNT (it also has a registry space optimizer NTREGOPT pgm)  and both are free (you can donate, which I do because its fair and I want to encourage good programmers - even $1 matters over a lot of users).  You can have it make an automatic copy on bootup and/or on demand.  You need to read the instructions to be sure the backups are in a place where you can restore them if you can't boot to windows (NT, 2000, 2003, XP, VISTA).   http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/  (you can read user reviews there too - a good idea before installing ANYTHING).   Good luck with removing Symantec - I feel 4u - been there.       --AnnaSummers


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Peter Ekkerman 
To: [log in to unmask] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 11:29 AM
Subject: Re: [PCSOFT] Software Installation Causing Shutdown Problem


Hi Walter,
Happy New Year to you as well.

When you say you uninstalled Norton System Works did you also use the 
Norton Removal utility
or just the Add/Remove Panel?
Norton,as well as many other AV programs or security suites,leave a lot 
of residue.

For Systemworks 2002 use:
Norton SystemWorks cleanup utility (SYMClean)
http://service4.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nsw.nsf/docid/2001101612274407

For Norton 2003 and later:
Norton Removal Tool
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039?Open&docid=2001101612274407&nsf=nsw.nsf&view=docid
or 
<http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039?Open&docid=2001101612274407&nsf=nsw.nsf&view=docid,or%20http://tinyurl.com/yca3h5>*http://tinyurl.com/yca3h5* 
<http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039?Open&docid=2001101612274407&nsf=nsw.nsf&view=docid,or%20http://tinyurl.com/yca3h5>

In addition use a good registry cleaner to rid the PC from everything 
Norton.

My advice:Uninstall AVG and make sure everything is gone.
Then run the Norton tool and make sure everything is gone.
Then reinstall AVG free.

You can also try a system restore to before you uninstalled Norton
 and then proceed as above using the above procedure,
finishing off with the install of AVG.
BTW,set a restore point before you do that install .

      "Hold No Punches.." Rode brings you great shareware/freeware
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