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Kudos0

Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 01-Apr-2020 | 6:42PM · Edited: 02-Apr-2020 | 5:37AM · 83 Replies ·

Norton Security Scan is awol.

When Norton subscription product is reviewed or reloaded it indicates "laptop device security is not protected."

Yet, Norton Safe Web appears to be working.

When Norton Security Scan is reloaded, indicates it has already be loaded.

How do I load Norton Security Scan so I can see and use it? (No, not in hidden icons.)

How do I know if Norton is really working?

Two indicators do not match.

[Edit: Clarified subject]

Replies

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Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 07-Apr-2020 | 1:41PM · Permalink

cali grl,

Sorry to hear about your family member getting ill.  You take care of yourself and family and hope they're feeling better soon. 

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 09-Apr-2020 | 11:20AM · Permalink

All Norton folders and files successfully deleted with exception of one, empty folder that Properties says has 0 bytes.

Ran Uninstalled / Advance/ Run only.

Restarted.

Ran Windows Defender Advanced yet again; ok.

Am I ready to reinstall Norton again? Do I get a version choice? Will 360 give me more issues? Plain old Norton Security ran pretty fine for about two years. When automatically upgraded to 360, had several crashes which was the start of my now month-long Norton hell.

Thoughts?

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 09-Apr-2020 | 11:59AM · Edited: 09-Apr-2020 | 12:00PM · Permalink

All Norton folders and files successfully deleted with exception of one, empty folder that Properties says has 0 bytes.

Which folder was left in place (C:\?\name?).  Also, take a peek inside this folder and verify there are no sub-folders and or files within.

Do I get a version choice?

Unfortunately no.  If you were in fact upgraded to N-360 prior to this issue, you will only have that option available through your current subscription to re-download.  

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 09-Apr-2020 | 1:27PM · Permalink

This is just truly a living hell.

Cannot show you a screen shot as "Adobe does not support" message is all I get. Yet, Adobe appears to be loaded.

&^%$#* Norton Security folder will not delete. Thought I had deleted contents but when I went to Restart just now the files came back with "Administrator....not allowed." 

Checked earlier. I am logged in as Admin. unless there is something I don't understand about that. My name is there, correct Admin. password, says Administrator under that. Only option given is to change that. Am I supposed to do something more to log myself in?

Norton folder reads:   Norton Security

File inside reads:  22.11.0.4    4/29/2018

Files inside that read: CLT    4/29/2018   file folder          When I check it's properties: 0 bytes

                                    Flavor  4/29/2019   file folder        When I click on this, message pops up "this folder is empty"

Thought I had them right-clicked deleted earlier, but on second Restart, a message pops up saying "Administration, blah, blah blah",  I'm not allowed to delete.

Kudos1 Stats

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 09-Apr-2020 | 3:45PM · Permalink

Lets try this:

Right-click the Windows taskbar and select “Task Manager.”

Then in the lower left corner click "More Details"

A new view of Task Manager will show.  In that window, click the "Details Tab"

Click on Name to sort in Alphabetical Order. If it starts with Z click it again and it will start with A.  Look for a process called NortonSecurity.exe

If you see NortonSecurity.exe in this list, you can left click it once to highlight it, then right click it.  A menu will pop up. 

From this menu select "Open File Location".  Windows Explorer will pop up and show you where the file is located.  Make note of the File path at the top of windows explorer.  Stop and post back and let me know.  If you don't see it NortonSecurity in the above list, Click the "Services Tab" next to Details Tab at the top

In this view, look on the right hand side list and scroll through looking for a Service called "NortonSecurity"  Please be very careful in here and do not click on anything other than the scroll bar on the right hand side.

If you find NortonSecurity listed, make note and post back and let me know.  Otherwise, you can click the Fewer Details on the lower Left Corner and then close the Task Manager. 

Kudos1 Stats

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 09-Apr-2020 | 4:52PM · Edited: 09-Apr-2020 | 4:58PM · Permalink

cali grl:

All Norton folders and files successfully deleted with exception of one, empty folder that Properties says has 0 bytes.

Ran Uninstalled / Advance/ Run only....

Hi cali girl:

This post is likely a bit late since you've already uninstalled Norton, but the next time you perform a clean re-install try the following steps.  If you follow these instructions, including Step # 3 to choose "Please remove all user data" during the Control Panel uninstall, there will still be a few orphaned files and registry entries (this is by design) but in most cases it should not be necessary to manually delete the remnants of your previous installation from your system before reinstalling Norton in Step # 4.

  1. Download the Norton Remove and Reinstall tool (NRnR.exe) from https://www.norton.com/nrnr and save to your desktop.
  2. Uninstall Norton from Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features and choose the option to "Please remove all user data" as shown below. [This option will remove additional static data files (e.g., .txt, .dat, .log, etc.) like your security history logs and personalized configuration settings].  If you see a check box stating "Get layered protection by allowing Norton Security Scan to be activated and periodically scan your computer for viruses, spyware, malware and other threats..." (see bjm_'s image <here>) ensure this option is disabled to prevent installation of this utility.
  3. Run the Norton Remove and Reinstall tool in advanced "Remove Only" mode (Advanced Options | Remove Only | Remove) as instructed at https://www.norton.com/nrnr in the section titled "I Need Help Removing Norton" to wipe additional orphaned files and registry entries left behind during the Control Panel uninstall.  [Warning: The advanced "Remove Only" mode of the NRnR tool will also remove other Norton products like Norton Utilities, Norton Family, Norton Ghost,etc.].
  4.  After your system is restarted you should see a pop-up with instructions on how to reinstall Norton. If you prefer, you can close this pop-up, log in to your Norton Account at https://my.norton.com/account/subscriptions and use the yellow Download button to download the online installer for your product.
  5. Once Norton is reinstalled run mutiple LiveUpdates until no further updates are available and you are patched to the latest Norton version (currently v22.20.2.57 - check your version number at Help | General Information | About).  It might take a few cycles of re-boots and manual LiveUpdates until you are fully patched.
  6.  Re-boot one final time to complete the installation.

If you have any further problems post back and let us know the make and model of your computer and the exact version and build of your Win 10 OS (see the TechSmith article How to Check Windows 10 Build).  My Win 10 machine (which does not have Norton installed) is currently Win 10 Pro v1909 build 18363.720.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Norton Security Deluxe v22.15.2.22
HP Pavilion dv6835ca, Intel Core2Duo T5550 @ 1.83 GHz, 3 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS

Kudos2 Stats

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 09-Apr-2020 | 4:59PM · Edited: 09-Apr-2020 | 5:01PM · Permalink

2. Uninstall Norton from Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features and choose the option to "Please remove all user data" as shown below. [This option will remove additional static data files (e.g., .txt, .dat, .log, etc.) like your security history logs and personalized configuration settings].  If you see a check box stating "Get layered protection by allowing Norton Security Scan to be activated and periodically scan your computer for viruses, spyware, malware and other threats..." (see bjm_'s image <here>) ensure this option is disabled to prevent installation of this utility.

FWIW ~ current pic - reference to Norton Security Scan removed -

 

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 10-Apr-2020 | 6:35AM · Edited: 10-Apr-2020 | 6:54AM · Permalink

cali grl:

"Norton Security for 1" was automatically upgraded to Norton 360. My computer immediately started crashing a couple of times a day. Called Norton support (when you still could), said they would move me back to original Norton Security I had. Received an email from Norton confirming change....Everything worked fine for a bit--perhaps a week, then green "You are Protected" window disappeared and has been gone for two weeks....

Hi cali girl:

I'm not sure what "Norton Security for 1" is, but if you meant Norton Security Standard (for one user) there is still a full offline installer available at https://www.norton.com/latestns (e.g., NS-EDS-Def-22.20.1.69-EN.exe) that you can download to your desktop and use in Step # 4 of my clean reinstall instructions <here> to reinstall Norton Security.  Unfortunately, I have no idea if you'll automatically receive a forced upgrade to the "new" Norton 360 - in theory you shouldn't if a Norton customer support rep changed your subscription at https://my.norton.com/account/subscriptions back to Norton Security, but the forced upgrade for legacy versions of Norton (v22.14.x and earlier) described in the 08-Mar-2020 announcement Active Customers in Legacy Versions Are Being Upgraded has been botched so badly I don't know what's going on with forced upgrades at the moment.

... In Programs, Norton Security is there with a drop down which only contains one item which is the Norton logo with white checkmark that also says Norton Security (none of the other dropdowns in your example.) When I click on the dropdown, up pops the message as noted earlier: "Bad image: ...Norton is either not designated to run on Windows or contains and error...contact vendor software for support..." 

Just one other thing to consider.  Further to my 27-Sep-2019 post in your thread basic q's, has your computer ever had any other security program installed that loads at Windows startup and runs in real-time protection mode [e.g., McAfee, Kaspersky, Avast, Malwarebytes Premium (not Malwarebytes Free, which doesn't have real-time protection), etc.] aside from the Windows Defender antivirus built in to your Win 10 OS? Before you install Norton it's always recommended that you uninstall any third-party antivirus from the Control Panel and then wipe the last remnants with the manufacturer's removal tool before Norton is installed so those remnants don't interfere with Norton.  For example, my Dell Insipron / Win 10 Pro computer came with a 1-year trial version of McAfee LiveSafe and after uninstalling all the McAfee-related prorams from Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features I wiped the last remnants off my computer with the McAfee Consumer Product Removal (MCPR) tool.  If you've ever had another third-party security program installed other than Norton installed let us know and we'll provide a link to the manufacturer's removal tool.  Note that this advice applies for any new antivirus program you install - always uninstall your old antivirus and then wipe with with the manufacturer's removal tool before installing your new antivirus.

Win 10 Fast Startup/Hibernate off: check
Norton product name: Norton Security (no version listed)
Expiry date: 11/14/2020

Just a side comment, but as I noted in your older thread, the Fast Startup feature will sometimes re-enable itself after a major Windows update.  If your Win 10 OS receives a feature update at some time in the future (e.g., a version change from v1903 to v1909) and Norton starts behaving oddly again go to Control Panel | Hardware and Sound | Power Options | Choose What The Power Buttons Do (see the link on the left side of the window) and make sure Fast Startup is still disabled.

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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Norton Security Deluxe v22.15.2.22

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 10-Apr-2020 | 6:46AM · Permalink

bjm_:

...FWIW ~ current pic - reference to Norton Security Scan removed...

Hi bjm_:

Thanks for the screenshot. I use Norton Security v22.15.2.22 (the current legacy version for Win XP/Vista) so the interface for my Norton uninstall wizard looks a bit different than what Win 10 / Norton v22.20.2.57 users will see, but hopefully cali girl will be able to follow the basic steps I've outlined for a clean reinstall if they're ever needed.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Norton Security Deluxe v22.15.2.22

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 10-Apr-2020 | 7:11AM · Edited: 10-Apr-2020 | 7:12AM · Permalink

Imacri: I use Norton Security v22.15.2.22 (the current legacy version for Win XP/Vista) so the interface for my Norton uninstall wizard looks a bit different than what Win 10 / Norton v22.20.2.57 users will see [..]

Hi Imacri,

Oh Okay.  So, Norton Security v22.15.2.22 (the current legacy version for Win XP/Vista) > Control Panel - Uninstall still has Norton Security Scan dialog? 

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 10-Apr-2020 | 8:19AM · Edited: 10-Apr-2020 | 8:22AM · Permalink

bjm_:

... So, Norton Security v22.15.2.22 (the current legacy version for Win XP/Vista) > Control Panel - Uninstall still has Norton Security Scan dialog? 

Hi bjm_:

I can't speak for other Win XP / Vista users with legacy versions of Norton v22.15.2.22, but I've been using Norton for over 10 years and I've never seen an option in the uninstall wizard to install the Norton Security Scan utility.  I only thought it was prudent to mention that check box in Step # 2 of my clean reinstall instructions because you and other users (e.g., see Krusty's 2017 post <here>) have said in the past that they have seen this option in their uninstall wizard - and because the title of this thread has caused some confusion about the Norton program(s) cali girl has installed on their system.

Entrepreneer's 22-Mar-2020 post in Norton Killing Firefox implies that some Norton users still see the Norton Security Scan utility installed on their system when they uninstall their main Norton antivirus program.   I dislike this standalone utility (see my 2017 comments <here>) and I'd be happy to see Norton LifeLock remove the download link from their website and abandon this useless tool altogether.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Norton Security Deluxe v22.15.2.22 * MB Free v3.5.1

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 10-Apr-2020 | 8:25AM · Permalink

lmacri: Hi bjm_:

I can't speak for other Win XP / Vista users with legacy versions of Norton v22.15.2.22, but I've been using Norton for over 10 years and I've never seen an option in the uninstall wizard to install the Norton Security Scan utility. 

Yeah, I can only speak for my W10 Home + v22.20.2.57.  
I've seen Norton Security Scan option before n' do not see, at this time. 
Thanks

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 10-Apr-2020 | 9:46AM · Permalink

Ok, lots to sort through here. All, please know I'm going to pursue this until it's resolved. But, if you don't hear back from me right away, I have other pressing issues going on sometimes. Like current snowstorm and 75 mile an hour winds that are sporadically blowing out our power up here in the mountains. Conserving our use of gas for backup generator as we don't know how long this storm is going to hang around is giving me limited computer time. 

On an even more frustrating note, was actually able to get online with Chat and get a case number. Invested about 3 hours of wait time in that fiasco before Chat told me they couldn't get into my system, could only advise. Telling me up front would have been very useful. 

Question: If I can reload Norton, is there any problem in doing so before I can get rid of the one old Norton data file? Not liking not having Norton running as I've done online banking in the past.

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 11-Apr-2020 | 7:03AM · Edited: 11-Apr-2020 | 7:40AM · Permalink

cali grl:

...On an even more frustrating note, was actually able to get online with Chat and get a case number. Invested about 3 hours of wait time in that fiasco before Chat told me they couldn't get into my system, could only advise....

Question: If I can reload Norton, is there any problem in doing so before I can get rid of the one old Norton data file? Not liking not having Norton running as I've done online banking in the past.

Hi cali grl:

What did Norton customer support advise?

I don't know what "one old Norton data file" you are trying to manually delete so JJ_will have to provide guidance. I've used Norton for over a decade and always perform a clean reinstall of Norton as described <here> if Norton is not functioning correctly so I don't normally worry about remnants of previous installations on my system.  I did a complete manual clean up of the last remnants of my Norton files and registry entries back in 2017 before I switched from Norton Internet Security to Norton Security Deluxe [Norton customer support provided a list of folders and registry entries I could safely delete on my 32-bit Vista OS after Norton had been wiped from my system (Steps 1 to 3 of my clean reinstall instructions <here>)], and according to my notes I found some orphaned files in C:\ProgramData\Norton and C:\ProgramData\NortonInstaller but most were from an old 2009 installation.  I was able to manual delete both those folders as well as a few stray registry entries without any warnings about needing Administrator rights (perhaps because the Windows user account I used to log into Windows already had Administrator rights), but I've never tried to manually clean any remnants of the "new" Norton 360 from a Win 10 machine.

In ProgramData there are 9 FSDUI files that show up on Notebook. Text such as below. Should I delete these files?

2020-04-02-16-32-20-666 : 0x20F0 : Information : wWinMain(205) : Starting FSD...
...
2020-04-02-16-32-20-682 : 0x20F0 : Information : fsd::FSDEngineBase::Start(187) : canRun() succeeded, creating FSDJobEngine object
2020-04-02-16-32-20-698 : 0x20F0 : Information : fsd::FSDJobEngine::Bootstrap(281) : installedBinaryPath - C:\Users\Public\Downloads\Norton\{NS22110041-SHPD-FSD510053}\NortonNSDownloader.exe, CurrentPath - C:\Users\Public\Downloads\Norton\{NS22110041-SHPD-

When you reinstall Norton are you always using a fresh download of the latest available installer that supports your current version of Windows 10?

You've been asked a few times how you are reinstalling Norton and I'm still not clear on that answer. I'm not qualified to interpret installation logs, but the text of the FSDUI log you pasted <here> looks like it was created on 04-Apr-2020 while the Norton Download Manager was trying to reinstall your Norton product (see RobertBu's comments about these FSD logs in Log File). I don't know if C:\Users\Public\Downloads\Norton\{NS22110041-SHPD-FSD510053}\NortonNSDownloader.exe in that log is actually referencing an outdated v22.11.0.41 installer (released 04-Oct-2017 - see the product update announcement <here>) or what the rest of that log says, but if I recall correctly v22.11.0.41 was the first Norton version to support the Win 10 Creators Fall Update (Redstone 3 / v1709) and was known to cause BSODs and other serious issues, and v22.11.0.41 was eventually pulled and replace by v22.11.2.7 (released 10-Nov-2017 - see the product update announcement <here>).

JJ_:

...Next, download the Norton NRnR removal tool from this link and place the file NRnR.exe on your desktop and then run it to ensure Norton been fully removed.  After wards, you can simply delete the NRnR.exe.

After running the NRnR tool look back through windows explorer for the folders I listed in my previous post above and post back your progress....

When you run the Norton Remove and Reinstall (NRnR) tool to uninstall Norton are you always running the tool in advanced "Remove Only" mode (Advanced Options | Remove Only | Remove | Restart Now), which does a deep clean of your Norton files and registry entries but does not automatically reinstall Norton after your system is restarted?

Did you close your browser (and other open programs) before running the NRnR so it could clean the last remnants of any out-of-date Norton browser toolbars it found? If you incorrectly ran the NRnR tool in normal mode (Remove and Reinstall | Continue | Restart Now) and began manually deleting files before you restarted your computer, the NRnR tool would try to perform a reinstall the next time your system was restarted and would likely fail with an error because it could not find the necessary files.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Norton Security Deluxe v22.15.2.22

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 11-Apr-2020 | 11:41AM · Permalink

Hi, Norton support said they could not remote access my computer; sending it along to a supervisor to contact me, although I expect the same response. Didn't seem to want to get involved at all if not a basic question.

Latest installer for Win 10: to the best of my knowledge, yes. Links provided here.

Remove only: yes

Close browser. Think I would have; will do again to make sure. 

Only Norton files I have left after deleting lots of them that were not removed are:

 ProgramData folder:: Norton Security,

ProgramData folder: Norton Installer file.

Both are dated 04.2018.

Have not tried reinstalling lately (which was one of the initial problems), so again, asking the question. Can I try to reinstall again now that majority of Norton files gone? Any problem in leaving the 2018 files if I just can't make them go away? Have literally hundreds of hours invested in this now and wearing out. (*greatly compounded by the fact this is not second nature to me.)

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 12-Apr-2020 | 7:47AM · Edited: 12-Apr-2020 | 7:52AM · Permalink

cali grl:
Norton support said they could not remote access my computer; sending it along to a supervisor to contact me, although I expect the same response...

Latest installer for Win 10: to the best of my knowledge, yes. Links provided here.

Hi cali grl:

What does "here" mean? Have you been using a download link someone provided in this thread or are you logging in to your Norton Account and clicking Download (see the support article Install Norton Device Security) to start the installation?

What is the full name of your Norton product when you log in to your Norton Account at https://my.norton.com/account/subscriptions?  Does it say Norton Security Standard (or Deluxe or Premium) or something else like Norton Antivirus Plus or Norton 360 Standard? If you have a license for Norton Security, would you like to try reinstalling this product, and then hope you aren't forced to automatically upgrade to Norton 360 (with Norton Secure VPN) at some point in the future?  For my Norton Security Deluxe (1-Year, 5 Devices):

Have not tried reinstalling lately (which was one of the initial problems), so again, asking the question. Can I try to reinstall again now that majority of Norton files gone? Any problem in leaving the 2018 files if I just can't make them go away?

If you don't want to wait for Norton 2nd tier support to contact you by phone, have you followed JJ_'s 09-Apr-2020 instructions <here> and checked for any running Norton processes or services?

I've never tried a manual deletion of stray disk files and registry keys on a 64-bit Win 10 machine that was upgraded to the "new" Norton 360 so I can't advise if it's critical to fix your "no Administrator rights" problem first and remove those empty folders before trying a reinstall.  If anyone is curious, a list of possible locations for orphaned folders and registry entries for 32-bit Vista SP2 OS / Norton v21.x (i.e., after a wipe with the Norton Remove and Reinstall tool in advanced "Remove Only" mode) that Norton customer support gave me a few years ago is posted in Forced Norton Product (N360) Upgrade Causing Application Errors in XP!, but that list will be of no use to you since you have a different operating system and Norton product version. Per JJ_'s advice <here>, always make sure that you unhide any hidden folders before looking for uninstall remnants and then hide them again after your manual deletions are completed - see View Hidden Files and Folders in Windows 10.

If JJ_ gives you the go-ahead to try another reinstall and your Norton Account shows you have a license for Norton Security my only suggestion would be that you use a slightly modified version of my clean reinstall instructions <here> and use the latest available full offline installer in Step # 4 for the reinstall.  Before starting, download the offline installer for Norton Security Standard or Deluxe from https://www.norton.com/latestns (e.g., NS-ESD-Def-22.20.1.69-EN.exe) - for Norton Security Premium with online backup use the download link https://www.norton.com/latestnsbu (e.g., NSBU-ESD-Def-22.20.1.69-EN.exe) - and save it to your desktop. Skip Step # 2 (assuming there are no Norton products currently listed at Control Panel | Programs | Programs and Features) and when you reach Step # 4 just right-click on the offline installer and choose "Run as Administrator" instead of using the online (stub) installer downloaded from your Norton Account.  With any luck you won't be forced to upgrade to the "new" Norton 360 after Norton Security is installed and fully patched.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Norton Security Deluxe v22.15.2.22

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 12-Apr-2020 | 9:18AM · Permalink

Thank you for the very clear instructions; much appreciated.

After a careful search, no Norton listings in Task Manager Details or Services. In Details, the only "N" listing is a Microsoft product. Under Services, the only "N" listings are for network files. 

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 12-Apr-2020 | 9:43AM · Permalink

As best as I can recall this far in, have used both link to reinstall as provided in this thread, and also by signing into Norton and indicating Win 10.

Have not tried to reinstall in the last week or so; followed instructions how to uninstall.

Just getting back to JJ on his 4/09/2020 Norton folder and file hunting instructions. No Norton found. (See my posting back to him.)

Awaiting word when JJ has a moment to let me know if safe to try to reinstall with 2018 data still on my pc.

Full name of my first and last product is Norton Security Standard (1 user).

Interim Norton 360 automatically upgraded, then wiped by Norton Support in early March as my system was crashing. They reinstalled Norton Security Standard until it just disappeared about a week later.

No product currently installed; however subscription still in place.

Subscription started 2017; currently noted as "Active" in billing section. Auto renews 11/2020.

Version of data and installer unsuccessfully trying to get rid of is Norton Security Standard v 22.11.0.41

Would love to not have 360 auto upgrade again, although support said on Chat the other day that was not an option.

If necessary, can wait for Norton Support phone call, but my previous experiences have been almost always been the quickest possible fix, whether it helped or not. And if they couldn't help, there is always the mysterious "lost connection" that happens when they give up--either on the phone or on Chat.

Does anyone have a feel for when remote connection Support will be back?

Thank you for help; believe I have answered all your questions. 

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 12-Apr-2020 | 10:09PM · Edited: 12-Apr-2020 | 10:13PM · Permalink

cal grl,

Based on the history concerning this ongoing issue:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From your post Re: Norton scans /report popup window suddenly missing of 28-Mar-2020

For the record, paranoid about being able to see Norton working for me. Two or three years ago, through the fog of a seasonal flu and learning that morning my best friend had died, I mistakenly (read stupidly) clicked on a warning popup from "Microsoft."

Suddenly my computer was being controlled from somewhere else and I received a call from (India, Pakistan?) from someone with a foreign accent and many others in the background with the same accent. Shut down my computer and switched all my credit cards, bank accounts as fast as I could just in case, had an expert clean out my computer. I started from ground zero and installed Norton, which has worked pretty well but has gotten clunkier over time.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From your post Re: Norton Security Scan is awol of 01-Apr-2020

Have reinstalled Norton again today, says successfully installed in one place, not in another.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From your post Re: Norton Security Scan is awol of 02-Apr-2020

In Programs, Norton Security is there with a drop down which only contains one item which is the Norton logo with white checkmark that also says Norton Security (none of the other dropdowns in your example.) When I click on the dropdown, up pops the message as noted earlier: "Bad image: ...Norton is either not designated to run on Windows or contains and error...contact vendor software for support..."

This after I have received a "successful reloading" message several times after reloading.

Would show you a snip of message box but it won't let me.

I had "Norton Security for 1". Was automatically upgraded to Norton 360 Standard some time around March 5.2020, which consistently locked up my system. Spoke with tech support, she took it back down to what I had before. Everything fine for about two weeks, then Norton interface disappeared. Know this timing for a fact because I have been checking and running my own, additional scans and checking status every single evening before shutting down for about a year.

Did print out the text sent to me after she downgraded me. Shows 360 cancelled. Does not show a version # of what I reverted back to. Does show my revised annual subscription as Active and renewing on 11/14/2020. Also contains new Key and Serial Number. To clarify, everything worked fine for about two weeks after this adjustment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From your post Re: Norton Security Scan is awol of 09-Apr-2020

Checked earlier. I am logged in as Admin. unless there is something I don't understand about that. My name is there, correct Admin. password, says Administrator under that.

a message pops up saying "Administration, blah, blah blah",  I'm not allowed to delete.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From your post Re: Norton Security Scan is awol of 10-Apr-2020

Chat told me they couldn't get into my system, could only advise.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From your post Re: Norton Security Scan is awol of 11-Apr-2020

Norton support said they could not remote access my computer; sending it along to a supervisor to contact me.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From your post Re: Norton Security Scan is awol of 12-Apr-2020

After a careful search, no Norton listings in Task Manager Details or Services. In Details, the only "N" listing is a Microsoft product. Under Services, the only "N" listings are for network files.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Summery:

1. It appears the Norton installer located in C:\Users\Public\Downloads\Norton (file date 02-Apr-2020) cannot be deleted.  Nor can an older version folder (dated 29-Apr-2018) referenced as Ver. 22.11.04.

2. You indicate Task Manager does not reflect "NortonSecurity.exe" process running nor does Windows Services reflect a listing for "NortonSecurity.exe".

3. You indicated Windows Defender and Windows Firewall are currently active in the Windows Security Center and that you've run a full Windows Defender Scan.

If Windows Defender is currently set as your default protection, this would indicate Norton has either been uninstalled or has been turned off as your default protection.

4. As to why you cant delete the remaining folders is another question in its self.  Only reason I can think of right off, the files within these folders are in use by the OS or another program and is not letting you delete them, Norton is somehow still active and its file protection is stopping you or you are not logged in as an Administrator under your current Windows User Account.

5. Norton Support states, they cannot remote into your PC and would have to have someone call you back to further evaluate the issue.      


Conclusion:

Moving forward, I think we've gone as far as we can given the limitations. Without being able to actually see whats taking place on your system and trying to ensure we don't create more issues than you're already experiencing, I think it best to have a Norton Support Tech try sorting this out.  They should be able to remote into your PC and will hopefully be able to determine whats going on.

As for trying to reinstall Norton at this point, I personally would wait for Norton Support to provide additional guidance.  

If you don't receive a call back from Norton, say by Thursday of this coming week, I would definitely try calling them back.  

If you get a chance, let us know what Norton Support determines was causing the issue.    

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 13-Apr-2020 | 9:22AM · Permalink

A question before I go away, please. 

"If Windows Defender is currently set as your default protection, this would indicate Norton has either been uninstalled or has been turned off as your default protection."

Is there someplace I can indicate Norton should be the default and Defender the secondary. Is that the issue???

"...you are not logged in as an Administrator under your current Windows User Account..."

I've checked that numerous times; yes, I am logged in as Administrator.

Is Norton Support actually doing remote connection now?

Thank you.

 
Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 13-Apr-2020 | 2:15PM · Edited: 13-Apr-2020 | 2:18PM · Permalink

cali grl,

Is there someplace I can indicate Norton should be the default and Defender the secondary. Is that the issue???

Windows normally manages this function for you based on what security software you install. For instance, when you install Norton, it registers itself in the Windows Action Center and becomes your default primary Antivirus/Firewall Protection rather than Windows Defender/Firewall.  Normally, if you uninstall Norton, Windows will then automatically reset Windows Defender/Firewall back as your default Protection.

I've checked that numerous times; yes, I am logged in as Administrator.

Without being able to actually see whats going on in your system, I cant confirm what rights your current user account has. Once a Norton Tech can remote into your system, they will be able to determine this.

Is Norton Support actually doing remote connection now?

If you're referring in general, Yes.  If you're referring to the current state of this pandemic, I'm not sure what their current procedures are.  I'd suspect that's why the person you spoke with said they would have to have someone call you back.  But yes, Norton Support will normally request your permission to remote into systems so they can see whats going on as well as make necessary adjustments and or reinstall software as needed.  

This is pretty much industry standard these days with big Tech Support.  Just ensure you are getting this information from their "Official Web Site" and then only using their listed contact procedures and not a telephone number found off the internet.  For instance, only use trusted links such as those found on these forums to contact Norton Support or those shown in the installed software.  Never trust a Google search link to be official these days without triple Verifying First! 

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 14-Apr-2020 | 7:11AM · Edited: 14-Apr-2020 | 7:14AM · Permalink

JJ_:

cali grl,
      Is there someplace I can indicate Norton should be the default and Defender the secondary. Is that the issue???

Windows normally manages this function for you based on what security software you install. For instance, when you install Norton, it registers itself in the Windows Action Center and becomes your default primary Antivirus/Firewall Protection rather than Windows Defender/Firewall.  Normally, if you uninstall Norton, Windows will then automatically reset Windows Defender/Firewall back as your default Protection....

Hi cali grl:

Just further to JJ_'s comment, my Win 10 Pro v1909 laptop does not have Norton installed and I use the built-in Windows Defender for my real-time protection.  I uninstalled the trial version of McAfee Live that was pre-installed at the factory and wiped the last remnants off my system with the McAfee Consumer Product Removal (MCPR) tool, and when I go to Control Panel | System and Security | Security and Maintenance, expand the Security section, and then click the "View in Windows Security" links I can see green check marks for the status of different components, dates of the last quick scan and virus definition updates, etc.  Someone with Norton installed on their Win 10 system would have to tell you if they see something similar to PhoneMan's 2018 image for a Win 10 v1803 machine <here> that showed that Norton was installed and active.

If you right-click on the Windows Security icon in your system tray and select View Security Dashboard that will show you a quick overview of the status of your Windows Defender and Windows Firewall status, and you can access the same detailed information about your antivirus and firewall from that dashboard.  See the MS support article Stay Protected with Windows Security for basic instructions on using Windows Defender until Norton is reinstalled.

---------------
HP Pavilion dv6835ca * 32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * FF ESR v52.9.0 * Norton Security Deluxe v22.15.2.22
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Dell Inspiron 5584 * 64-bit Win 10 Pro v1909 build 18363.720 * FF ESR v68.7.0 * Windows Defender v4.18.2003.8

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 16-Apr-2020 | 4:00PM · Permalink

imacri: frustrating because my Win 10 is so different so things do not come up the same, however, best I can tell Norton not actively working. Defender still coming up clean so guess I'm just waiting for Norton on call me. We'll see how that goes. thank you

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 16-Apr-2020 | 4:02PM · Permalink

"For instance, only use trusted links such as those found on these forums to contact Norton Support or those shown in the installed software.  Never trust a Google search link to be official these days without triple Verifying First!"

Even if I am logging in not safe?

Kudos1 Stats

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 16-Apr-2020 | 5:39PM · Permalink

Hi cali grl,

Hope all is well on your side.

cali grl:

"For instance, only use trusted links such as those found on these forums to contact Norton Support or those shown in the installed software.  Never trust a Google search link to be official these days without triple Verifying First!"

Even if I am logging in not safe?

What I meant by the above was to ensure you're getting an official telephone number to contact Norton Support.  You'd be surprised how many people just do a quick google search for Norton's contact info and end up calling a bogus 800 number that popup in search only to find they were duped by online cons.  For instance, there have been two posts in recent days of users receiving what they thought were official emails solicitations from Norton offering renewals. but both were attempted scams.  Luckily they checked here first!

Just trying to look out for your online safety....

https://community.norton.com/en/forums/renewal-scam-1

https://community.norton.com/en/forums/fake-email-0

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 16-Apr-2020 | 5:56PM · Permalink

All is well on my side...hope the same on yours. Now if I could just get the Norton issue resolved! Norton Support will call me--I can't contact them, so says Chat. I only make contact with Norton after I've logged in. Figure pretending to be Norton site is easy pickings. 

In reading pc "expert" articles, wondering if I'm even using (or trying to use) the right Norton product. My main security concerns are, obviously malware, viruses, but online banking and credit card use. Norton Security Standard enough?

Kudos1 Stats

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 16-Apr-2020 | 7:46PM · Edited: 16-Apr-2020 | 7:48PM · Permalink

You'll need to login to your My Norton Account and verify whether they still have your subscription set as Norton Security or if its now Norton 360.  Either will provide adequate online security unless you need the additional layers of a secure VPN. 

However, once you get this issue worked out and Norton back in place, I would also recommend installing Malwarebytes Free version as an added layer of protection to your system.  You can read Imarci's comments about using Malwarebytes in this Link  and another discussion at this link Link

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 16-Apr-2020 | 8:13PM · Permalink

UPDATE. Ok, Norton is FINALLY successfully Reinstalled and working again. An FYI to anyone else trying to get support from Norton Support during covid:

Did finally receive a call a week after getting through to Chat (3 hour wait) and being upgraded to a "supervisor" because I insisted. He could not remote access, so I'm guessing working from home in India. He had no issues with leaving my old 2018 Install Norton folder that has stubbornly refused to be deleted. Walking through Uninstall with him did not delete this folder either. Reinstall took a long time. Norton server slow. Support blamed Norton disappearing and then not Reinstalling on my very "old" computer. In previous conversations on previous issues, I was told my 1 year old laptop was old and thus the problem...ditto at 2 years, ditto at 3 years. I guess Norton expects you to upgrade your computer every 6 months??? Support tried several times to sign off saying he could email me the process of Reinstalling. Because this had been a further issue, I insisted he stay on the line, which he did. It took us three tries. Most interestingly (and I hope this actually happens), he said I get to keep Norton Security Standard--that it would not automatically upgrade to Norton 360, which is how this fiasco all started when it crashed my system several times. I'm hoping he was being honest about this and not just avoiding my irritation already expressed in this unwanted auto upgrade. My initial Quick Scan was clean, will do a deeper dive next. Thanks to all for your help--and most of all your patience.

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 16-Apr-2020 | 8:18PM · Permalink

Thanks.

You've been wonderfully supportive, as have others, and I appreciate it very much.

Kudos1 Stats

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 16-Apr-2020 | 8:59PM · Permalink

That's Great News!!!  Glad Support was able to get things sorted out.   And you're very welcome!

Kudos1 Stats

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 17-Apr-2020 | 6:06AM · Edited: 17-Apr-2020 | 6:07AM · Permalink

cali grl:

UPDATE. Ok, Norton is FINALLY successfully Reinstalled and working again. An FYI to anyone else trying to get support from Norton Support during covid:...

Hi cali grl:

Glad to hear Norton customer support was able to get Norton Security Standard up and running again.

One final hint.  The 25-digit product key for my Norton Security Deluxe (1-Year, 5 Devices) starts with JBQTK-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx and I believe the first 5 characters of your product key tell Norton Lifelock what specific product you own.  I have automatic renewal disabled in my Norton account and each year when Norton is on sale at a local retailer like Staples or Best Buy I purchase a box of Norton 360 Deluxe or Premium (which ever is cheaper, as long as it supports at least 5 devices) and keep it on hand.  A day or two before my subscription expires I contact Norton customer support at https://www.norton.com/chat and ask them to add 365 days to my current subscription and void the new Norton 360 product key so that I can retain the same Norton Security Deluxe product key. That way I am able to avoid entering the new product key in the user interface at Help | Enter Product Key and risk having my subscription switched to the "new" Norton 360, which can't be installed on my Vista SP2 machine.

Going forward, if you ever run into another problem like this try the clean reinstall instructions I posted <here>. As an added precaution, download the latest available full offline installer for Norton Security Standard for Win 7 SP1 and higher from https://www.norton.com/latestns (currently NS-ESD-Def-22.20.1.69-EN.exe) and use it to reinstall Norton on your Win 10 machine when you reach Step # 4 of those instructions.  That way you know you have the correct installer and don't have to worry that the online (stub) installer might incorrectly upgrade you to the "new" Norton 360.***

[*** This offline installer will also work for Norton Security Deluxe if you have a Win 7 SP1 or higher OS. Norton Security Premium users with online backup included (also known as Norton Security with Backup or NSBU) must go to https://www.norton.com/latestnsbu to download the correct NSBU offline installer for Win 7 SP1 or higher].
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Norton Security Deluxe v22.15.2.22

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 17-Apr-2020 | 8:51AM · Permalink

Thanks for the info.

Product key switcharoo: And they are fully aware of what you are doing? Of course, if that timing were right now, you probably wouldn't be able to pull that off. I didn't really go into detail how hard and how many hours it took to make a human connection with Chat, let alone Phone, at Norton Support. With all that is going on with covid in US, India and worldwide, seemed petty to whine about it. Let's just say Chat wait time started at 5 hours, then idled down to 3 where it did a dance back and forth of more and less time until it got serious 1 hour out. I really dialed it up once they gave me a case #. Then I leapt out of bed at 10 pm last night when the call came in from India on the 8th day of waiting, because I was afraid that might have been my only chance to solve this. And, most importantly, I wouldn't let him go until he solved the Reinstall issues to the very end. Don't think he liked it, but we were both happy campers an hour later.

I hear you on keeping a Norton product your computer can use. But, do you not run the risk the older version is not being updated or supported? For instance, Norton doesn't even list Norton Security in their product line up anymore, which is a bit concerning to me. How would you even know if they stopped updates support?

Also, should I run into another same problem and worldwide covid rears its ugly head again, decimating Norton Support features (oh, please, please, no, never again--on both counts), are these threads here forever? As in, can I come back and retrace steps to follow your tips if need be? Can I find under my own name? Or, should I be saving these bread trails out of hell other places?

Key and serial number--apologize if it has already been said 10 times, but where do I find my latest Norton info for this "key" information now that I'm reinstalled? 

"latestns" -- Yes, that is where Support verbally sent me last night to Reinstall. So, maybe I do get to not be auto upgraded until my subscription runs out. But, a huge question. Wouldn't this be the first place to be hacked? If it is not something I can find on Norton site after I've logged in, how can I count on its safety in the future???

Thanks, again.

Kudos0

Re: Norton Security Scan is awol

Posted: 17-Apr-2020 | 2:53PM · Edited: 17-Apr-2020 | 3:11PM · Permalink

cali grl:

...Product key switcharoo: And they are fully aware of what you are doing?

Hi cali grl:

Yes, I've been renewing my annual subscription that way for a few years now and never had a problem.

I hear you on keeping a Norton product your computer can use. But, do you not run the risk the older version is not being updated or supported? For instance, Norton doesn't even list Norton Security in their product line up anymore, which is a bit concerning to me. How would you even know if they stopped updates support?

My Norton Security v22.15.x is the Win XP/Vista legacy version described in the support article <here> and the latest v22.15.3.20 for Win XP/Vista was just released on 15-Apr-2020. "Maintenance Mode" means that users with these older operating systems will only get a product update (e.g., v22.15.2 to v22.15.3) if there are critical security vulnerabilities or known bugs, but they won't get new features like Secure VPN, SafeCam, Data Protector, etc. as these features are rolled out.  I still get daily updates for any available protection updates like SDS (virus) definitions, Intrusion Protection (IPS) engines, etc. - just no new "bells and whistles".

I would hope that Norton LifeLock would post some announcement in this forum if they ever decided to discontinue Norton Security products and force Win 7 SP1 and higher users to upgrade to the "new" Norton 360, but even if you don't visit this forum regularly you would still know there was a problem.  If your Norton Security stops receiving updates for the SDS (virus) definitions via Automatic LiveUpdates for more than a week the Norton icon in your system tray will change from a green check mark to a red "x".  See my Dec 2016 post in CanadianSteve's NIS Downloading All Updates But SDS Definitions.

...are these threads here forever? As in, can I come back and retrace steps to follow your tips if need be? Can I find under my own name? Or, should I be saving these bread trails out of hell other places?

Yes, older threads are not removed from this forum. If you log in to this Norton forum and click the Account link at the top right of each page to view your user profile the Activity tab has links to all your posts in the forum. If you visit my profile page at https://community.norton.com/en/users/lmacri you have permission to see basic (non-personal) information on the View tab and links to all my posts on the Activity tab.  A search of this forum for the phrase "Norton Security Scan" (with quote marks around that phrase) would likely find your thread as well.  If you wish you can also create a bookmark in your Chrome browser while viewing this thread so you always have a quick shortcut that will take you directly to the correct web page.

There's an FAQ with a few other tips on how to use the Norton forum software that you can access from the Help dropdown menu at the top right of each forum page.

... Key and serial number--apologize if it has already been said 10 times, but where do I find my latest Norton info for this "key" information now that I'm reinstalled?

Log in to your Norton Account at https://my.norton.com/account/subscriptions and click the Subscriptions tab to see the 25-digit product key for your Active (current) product.  If you click the History link you can even find keys for older products you've used in the past like this expired NIS product key I purchased in 2008:

"latestns" -- Yes, that is where Support verbally sent me last night to Reinstall. So, maybe I do get to not be auto upgraded until my subscription runs out. But, a huge question. Wouldn't this be the first place to be hacked? If it is not something I can find on Norton site after I've logged in, how can I count on its safety in the future???.

 All those offline installers reside on a secure Norton server and have digital security certificates signed by Symantec or Norton LifeLock.  If you download any .exe installer while Norton is installed then Norton's Download Insight will also check the SHA-256 hash (a digital "fingerprint" that is unique to the file) and compares it to Norton's list of the SHA-256 hashes that Norton has whitelisted (i.e., certified as "Norton Trusted"). If you downloaded a Norton offline installer that a hacker has tampered with illegally or bundled with malware the SHA-256 hash would change and Download Insight should prevent the download. I always download a fresh copy of the latest available full offline installer for my own legacy Norton product and then use it to perform a clean reinstall whenever I need to reinstall Norton on my own computer.

If you'd like to check the safety of the NS-ESD-Def-22.20.1.69-EN.exe offline installer you downloaded from https://www.norton.com/latestns, right-click on that file and choose Properties from the pop-up menu; the Digital Signatures tab should show the certificate is signed by Symantec as shown below.  As an extra check, you can upload any .exe file to the VirusTotal site at https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/upload for analysis; VirusTotal will calculate the SHA-256 hash of the uploaded file and submit it to ~ 60 popular antivirus scan engines (e.g., Bitdefender, McAfee, Symantec, etc.).  A score of 0/68, for example, would indicate that 0 of 68 scan engines found the file was suspicious/ malicious and you could be confident the file was safe.  In theory, the maximum file size for a VirusTotal analysis is 550 MB but if you have a slow internet connection like I do the upload of that 218 MB file could take a while.  I tried submitting that Norton installer to VirusTotal today but my upload speed was so slow I got fed up and aborted the analysis.

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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Norton Security Deluxe v22.15.2.22

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