Other Norton Products

[rbailin]

Since the release of Norton Antivirus 15.5.0.23 a couple of weeks ago, I've been upgrading co-workers, friends and family from version 15.0.0.58 using NAV081550.exe mostly without issues. The only significant problem I had run into was on Win XP, where 15.5 would "see" the prior, expired product key instead of the current key I had installed 2 months ago. Using the Activation link on the Help & Support page within NAV with the current product key solved that problem..

But this past weekend when I attempted to upgrade my brother's laptop running NAV 15.0 on Win XP, I got an error during the pre-installation scan that occurs after the required reboot after the installation program uninstalls the 15.0 version and before 15.5 begins its installation. The pre-scan complained that 3 registry keys were not accessible. I believe they were MACHINE/Software/Symantec/NortonAntivirus and two others in .../Software/Symantec/. I tried using the latest Norton Removal Tool to clean things up (it still leaves a lot behind!) and tried to reinstall, but got the same result. I even tried to manually remove all references to Symantec and Norton in the registry after running the NRT, but still got the same result.

Because I was then under time pressure and couldn't leave his laptop unprotected, I ended up reinstalling 15.0.0.58, and it reinstalled without any problems whatsoever. Unfortunately, I didn't write down the exact text of the pre-scan error message, and I couldn't find a log file with the error (it was not in the usual installation log files in the local TEMP directory).

Has anyone run into this issue and found a solution? I can't see how the pre-scan can complain about a registry key not being accessible when all of the Symantec products are wiped from the system. (I notice that when a Symantec product is installed and Norton protection is enabled, key deletion is prohibited in the Symantec key branch.)

Because part of my attempts to fix the problem involved using NRT and thus removing the Product Key storage, I know I will use up the allowed number of activations on his Product Key if I attempt this too many times.

Message Edited by rbailin on 04-08-2008 02:56 PM

[rickster0728]

You can carry on using the same key as the activation process uses your "Mac address" to id your computer, as long as you just keep trying on the same pc, you won't won't oput of activation tries. As well another possible solution is to adjust your system date and time back 1 week, try activiting then, that should work, once it does activiate, you can reset your ststem date and time

[Stu]

Never heard of this problem. Did you contact support?

[Bryan]

the key that you are using should be in your MyDocs\Symantec folder

If you want to save that text file and use the NRT tool to completely uninstall the previous version.

[Stu]

It is always the best thing to save your key in a safe place

[rickster0728]

Even better is signiingin to your Norton account, ther eis arecord of your products and keys there in case you ever lose it.

[Stu]

That's corect. Good one, thanx

[rbailin]

Actually I do use Norton Account to keep track of my Product Keys. Hopefully someday Symantec will add a text field so we can keep track of where each key is used (but that's a topic for another thread).

[rbailin]

Thanks, I wasn't aware that the MAC address was the unique identifier. I thought like windows it was only dependent on the presence of various LiveUpdate registration files.

[rbailin]

Beginning with NAV 15.0, the product key is no longer stored in My Documents\Symantec. A quick check of all the PC's here at my job show that the Symantec folder only contains NAV keys in txt files dated 2007 and earlier, nothing from the reinstall of 15.0 I did in 02/2008 or the update to 15.5 I did a couple of weeks ago.

I'll give it another try this weekend and this time copy down the exact error message. Please note that the latest NRT did not solve the problem last time I tried, and the problem only exists in the 30-day trialware version of NAV 15.5.0.23 I'm using to update, and not in the older 15-day trialware version of NAV 15.0.58 I had been using.

Message Edited by rbailin on 04-09-2008 10:47 AM