NIS 2012 Disappears from Desktop and Taskbar During Full System Scan

MFaklis · ‎12-12-2011

I run a full system scan monthly. It normally takes about 3 days. This time NIS disappears after a few minutes into the scan.

Atomic_Blast · ‎09-05-2011

Hi MFaklis:

Welcome to the Norton Community Forum!

A Full System Scan shouldn't take long, unless you have a few terabytes of storage, to say the least.

Could you please tell us your Operating System/Revision and the size of the Drive(s) being scanned?

Exactly what do you mean that NIS disappears after a few minutes? Did you minimize the window?

Thanks,

Atomic_Blast :)

"Every day is just another increment on the bell curve of life."

MFaklis · ‎12-12-2011

The machine in question has 5 terabytes of disk.

By "disappear", it is no longer executing. No scan window, no NIS main menu, no NIS in the notification area, no NIS listed as a running task. There are no error messages.

This scan should literally take days to finish.

Atomic_Blast · ‎09-05-2011

Hi MFaklis:

A couple of questions and a procedure.

What Operating System are you using and revision? - you forgot that.

How is your storage set up exactly? For example SSD on the boot volume, HDD's in RAID configuration.

Please be as detailed as possible in your response. Need to know about SSD's and GPT enabled HDD's.

Next, please try this... exactly as shown, no deviation...

Procedure for reinstalling NIS 2012 on your boot drive - all to be completed with Administrator- level privileges

Download the Norton Removal Tool located here and save it to your Desktop.

Next, download NIS 2012 from here and save that onto your Desktop as well.

Export all Identity Safe Data (if any) and make a note of your Product Key - you will need it for the reinstall.

Next, open the Control Panel and click on Add/Remove Programs (XP) or Programs and Features (Vista/7)

Uninstall NIS 2012 from the list. You will be prompted to remove All User Data - click on that. Then reboot.

Run the NRT and reboot. Afterwards, run the NIS 2012 Installer Package.

Run Live Update until all updates are exhausted. A reboot or two might be required.

Please verify that you have NIS 19.5 at that point (check under Support -> About) If not, please run Live Update again.

Turn slider to off under Settings -> General -> Idle Time Optimizer and apply changes.

Check all functionality. Let us know if the above procedure corrects your issue.

Many thanks,

Atomic_Blast :)

"Every day is just another increment on the bell curve of life."

MFaklis · ‎12-12-2011

This machine is a HP e9280t with a i7 processor and 12gb of memory. The boot disk is MBR 1tb. The 2nd disk is GPT 1tb. The backup disks are bot GPT 2tb. I run Windows 7 Ultimate x64, as a member of a SBS 2011-based domain.

I just finioshed running McAfee Stinger and now started Norton Power Eraser.

My deep system full scan is done monthy. I suspected a bad LiveUpdate download. I am downloading the files you cited and I have used them before. I am hesitent of removing NIS, because doing so has a tendency of hosing my system. I'll defer that procedure until aI have I verified a couple bare metal backups and have a full day avaialable to recover.

I entered my new serial# to extend my subscription for another year, just last Saturday. Other than that there has been no unscheduled maintenance. MS Update Tuesday updates were applied last Wednesday evening. Live update runs every few hours. I verified I had the lastest version of NIS on Saturday.

Atomic_Blast · ‎09-05-2011

Hi MFaklis:

Hmm... do you suspect Malware? Always a possibility.

Do you have any other (or ever had) any realtime AV/FW software running with NIS 2012?

If yes, cleanly uninstall them ASAP, as NIS is very sensitive to other realtime security softwares.

You might also wish to try Malwarebyes Anti-Malware (free version, on demand only) for another opinion and run a Full Scan.

I do agree with creating a bare metal backup image if you had encountered problems with NIS uninstallation before.

If the scans come back squeaky clean, I would go with the above procedure.

Please let us know how you do!

Best,

Atomic_Blast :)

"Every day is just another increment on the bell curve of life."

MFaklis · ‎12-12-2011

I'm, no novice. I don't run multiple anti-malware products on the same machine. I do run different products/vendors on different layers of my network.

Every problem I've had with anti-malware software, other than removing the product, has been related to a defective definition download.

MFaklis · ‎12-12-2011

I completed the cited procedure for reinstalling NIS 2011, and it made no difference. This time I wrote down the screen contents. When NIS fails, the windows that listed the file being scanned is written over many times, There is and additional pop-up windows as follows;

Security Request

The scan is not complete.

There may be undetected risk on your computer.

Are you sure you want to cancel the scan?

Yes No

It doesn't matter what you click, but once I click on the "No" button, NIS 2012 disappears from the screen, from the task bar, and the notification area. NIS is no longer listed as an active task.

MFaklis · ‎12-12-2011

I still cannot do a full computer scan without NIS being blown out of the water. The active full scan window and the nis icon in the try both dissappear and NIS is not show as an active task. I have followed all suggestions mentioned earlier in this thread.