Removing Norton Backup Utility

[truthingtotruth]

Actually, the vocabulary "utility" is probably not correct, but I am going to stay with that before I lose the nerve to do this request. "Nerve" because I don't usually post such kinds of questions anywhere and I am rather sure this is a tad off the beaten path for this forum and for that please forgive me.

You see, I have done the research and nothing is doing me any good, so now I want to know if anyone has ever gone into the registry to clean out all the Norton stuff?

I simply could not get rid of this thing Norton has on a computer that recently came into my possession and has some sort of Norton software that apparently does some sort of back up of the files and folders and I don't know what else. The removal tool that was supposed to remove it did not. More than one try and no good.

Research showed me that this is not unusual.

I then started deep into the ProgramData files, Program files (Norton related, that is) and started deleting pieces that would allow me to delete, but it seems that even with some folders almost empty the folders just do not allow me to get rid of them. I tried something that unit has that is called a shredder and that still didn't work.

I read something about using CCleaner and I remember that software from some years back, so I suspect it is a safe enough software, but I am not sure if it will even do the job.

I figure the only way this can remain on that unit is it has its dirty paws in the registry and does not want to be kicked out in the normal way, so I have to go in there now and clean it myself. I suppose I can do a bit better than CCleaner, as long as I am very careful.

I've been into a registry at least once before and cleaned some stuff that I don't remember what now, but did it safely, so I know it is possible.

So now I am asking if anyone here has any experience with this sort of thing as it relates to this Norton animal. I'm sorry to Norton fans and Norton employees, but there is just something about this software that has irritated me way too much.

I come here because except for being reviled over at Google for my activism I am not much of a forum hanger-outer much anymore. And I haven't been here in a fair bit, but do look over the topics sent to my registered email account and am thinking I'll start this questioning on the Net right here.

If nobody here can help, I suppose I'll need to go elsewhere.

Certainly would appreciate any help anyone could offer and a thank you comes up front, with many more to follow, if you can help. I do admit, though, as many years as I have been playing around on the Net I still haven't figured out how to pour you a beer for your help. I think it has something to do with the liquid nature of beer and the electric nature of keyboards and such.

And sorry for such a long OP, but us old folks tend to be like that.

 

[southernlady]

Norton is one of the most impossible security software to remove. The only absolute sure way is to reformat the computer and not allowing it back on.

With that said, there is an excellent tech support forum out there. Not sure if I am allowed to link it but it helped me save my computer one time 19 years ago and then I became someone who helped others. But I gave up that work about 10 years ago and once out of it, it's hard to keep up with everything. I will share the link via conversation tho. I'm not sure you can start one, but I can if you indicate the desire to talk.

 

[zappaDPJ]

Not sure if I am allowed to link it

I don't see why not and if it does prove to be a problem we can always remove it

 

[mysiteguy]

I've never had any issues removing Norton products. I've seen it pre-installed on computers and simply going to Control Panel -> Programs and Features then clicking uninstall is all it's ever taken for me.

If you didn't use Windows normal uninstall in Control Panel and used some third party uninstall tool, then it would be no surprise if things are messed up. The way I'd resolve it is to download their trial and reinstall it in full, then uninstall it via Control Panel.

Also, before trying to uninstall it this way after reinstall, it could be something Windows itself, and I'd run their uninstall fix program first:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...lock-programs-from-being-installed-or-removed

 

[southernlady]

I don't see why not and if it does prove to be a problem we can always remove it

Thanks.

The security forum I'm talking about that has been a great help is: https://forums.techguy.org/

 

[truthingtotruth]

I sure appreciate the responses and let me now clarify a few points.

Firstly, I did go through the process outlined by mysiteguy, Control Panel -> Programs and Features then clicking uninstall, and that worked fine for the anti-virus stuff that was installed, but for the Norton Online Backup it would not. Then I tried the software from Norton to remove that backup program and that didn't work, either.

Secondly, I didn't use any uninstall software from anyone other than Microsoft and Symantec.

Due to frustration and certain degree of stupidity in the emptying of those sub-folders I was starting to see the message that something was missing and so the removal wouldn't work.

Oh yes, before that I was seeing a message that the program was being used elsewhere, so it could not be uninstalled and that makes sense as it is a backup utility and would be running all the time. (Sorry, I only just now remembered that.)

I just want to clean up the bits and pieces and then do a new mirror image of the OS, it's an Acer unit that requires I create the OS backup myself. My concern is the Norton stuff is in the emergency backup I created and once I get all those bits-and-pieces off the unit I will make another backup of the OS.

That techguy site has a familiar look to it, southernlady, so I suspect I have wandered into that site at least once in the past. The way my brain is working these days I might even be forgetting that I even created an account there at some point in the past. I'll check that, thank you.

Oh yes, I suspect that with the way I have broken files all over the place on that unit any try and installing a new unbroken set of files would fail. Anyway, I tried the proper techniques for uninstalling in the beginning and it would not uninstall and even if reinstalling a fresh set of files would prompt Norton to clean out all the old unbroken files for me, then I may be back to square one with that same software again not wanting to leave.

I'd actually be interested to know the mechanics of this business of a software such as a backup thingy not allowing itself to be uninstalled.

I mean, that must be some pretty fancy code writing to cause a software program not to be removed in a manner that should be allowed. It smells like the kind of code writing you'd expect from a good hacker.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a hacker, but it seems an interesting line of investigation of when a commercially successful software package crosses over the line into something that folks might view as illegal. Weird subject, isn't it? That is exactly the kind of thinking that gets me in trouble over at Google.

And here I go again with a long rambling post. Sorry about that, folks. But let me thank you for your responses.

 

[southernlady]

That techguy site has a familiar look to it, southernlady, so I suspect I have wandered into that site at least once in the past. The way my brain is working these days I might even be forgetting that I even created an account there at some point in the past. I'll check that, thank you.

I became a member there a year before I joined here. I found it when I got a virus deep in my computer and every time I rebooted the computer, it replicated. I had to isolate that computer, saved a boatload of files on CD's (before DVD's) and lost many that were simply too big to put on a CD/ I couldn't network and transfer cause anything I would have moved, would have moved the virus as well. Once my computer was fixed (and they walked me thru it), I took each and every CD and ran it thru a virus software before reinstalling the files. I swore then and there, no damned viri was gonna get the better of me.

IF you have a clue what email address you used, try it and see if it will just let you reset your password. It did me and I hadn't signed in there in ages.

 

[mysiteguy]

I wonder if what was left over actually wasn't their backup software, but rather parts of the install software reminder they put on many systems that come with their software? Basically, Norton installs software that reminds you to set up their other pre-installed software when it's not yet been set up or has been removed. I don't think it was an intentionally nefarious act on their part to leave behind traces, at worst a bug or something that changed at some point causing a conflict.

This is a shot in the dark, but maybe worth trying. There could be some file or folder permission issues causing it to not be able to remove files even logged in as admin. There are permissions which cause resistance to deletion (for instance, so the administrator doesn't inadvertently wipe out critical files in the c:\windows folder) unless they are manually changed.

First, install Revo Uninstaller freeware: https://www.revouninstaller.com/

Then, reinstall Norton Backup.

Next, boot into safe mode. Run Revo Uninstaller and select Norton Backup. It will launch the Norton uninstaller that's in Control Panel -> Programs and Features, and will then watch the uninstall process. Once the regular uninstaller is complete, Revo will then give you the option of doing a scan or a deep scan for anything leftover. It will scan the file system, registry, and even old-style Windows INI files. Usually, it will do a great job at finding things, and in safe mode, its often able to overcome difficult permissions.

CCleaner is good for find garbage in the file system and registry but really isn't geared towards removing bits leftover from uninstalls.

 

[southernlady]

I remember one time back on Windows XP when getting into the admin mode was MUCH easier. I could go there and delete ALL Norton files in the registry but that was a decade ago when I knew what I was doing. I also did a lot of work in safe mode but you need to know what you are doing there as well.

I suspect the computer I am using may have had Norton installed as part of it's initial package from Toshiba but since I hate Norton, we never activated it. I stick to the good FREE stuff.

 

[truthingtotruth]

Okey-dokey, I sense there is seriously good information being provided here, but I better get back to this one after I have allowed a lot of other stuff to get into my brain OS, that seems a tad maxed out from that other thread.

In addition, that Acer unit has not yet been placed into a hardcore working situation, so I have the luxury of being able to take my time cleaning that mess up.

I like that vocabulary "nefarious" because it summarizes a lot - - - AND I am sure you are smack on the approach pattern with that thought. It's just that a non-pro in this business - - - me - - - can get frustrated and start doing stupid things like I did - - - shredding files and sub-folders and such like that and probably making the problem worse.

Still, it does seem like this sort of style of trouble getting some of their software to go bye-bye is not so unusual and that makes me wonder at who has done a good study as to why that happens. If I didn't have myself so clogged up with other projects and now facing a new kind of deadline I might want to study cases of what happened to me and see if any interesting aspects of this world of fancy new technology were to surface.

Of course, with somebody who still has two of the older TRS-80 units stored away with a whole mess of them big (real) floppies that go with the Trash-80, I can marvel at these new machines and their fancy code written into the OS we can put on the new machines. And now people have true Star Trek machines. So little. Them TRS-80s are very, very heavy.

Okay, I'm rambling, again; let me get back to this and thank you to the lady and the guy for the input.

 

[southernlady]

In addition, that Acer unit has not yet been placed into a hardcore working situation, so I have the luxury of being able to take my time cleaning that mess up.

If this one can be put on the back burner while you get your forum fixed, do it. Don't try getting all of it done at the same time. Being kind to yourself is priority.