I wanted to upgrade Norton Anti-Virus to 2009 version, but got an installation error. I decided to remove all Norton software on my computer and downloaded Norton Uninstall tool. It uninstalled all Norton software and prompted to restart computer. After computer is restarted, I cannot get to any files. I get an error message "Windows cannot open this file". All icons on my desktop look the same.
I tried to restore the system to the previous date using WIndows Restore, but the it does not fix the problem. Tried to reinstall Windows XK with the "R" option, but ti does not do anything.
Doe it mean my files are corrupted and I need to re-install XP? Or there is another way out?
Try to boot up in Safe mode (by the boot press F8), and see what happens there. If it’s working, run the installer in the safe mode, and then boot up in normal mode.
Thank you for your advice, but it did not help. It seems that Norton Removal tool cleared up most of the file associations. What NRT has to do with the file association? I googled for last 12 hours, and seems I'm not the first who have this problem and don't see solutions to this other than to re-install XP.
Thanks for the link, but I tried this already and did not help a bit. I even tried to restore the system from the previous MS automatic backup, and it does not work either because it cannot open this or that file. I feel like I have to re-install the XP. What upsets me the most, that this destruction was done by Norton tool that supposedly should protect your system. There is no free online support, if you don't have Norton software on your machine. I'm seriously thinking to replace all my Norton software with another brand and would never recommend anyone their products.
Sorry to hear that you are having problems. I have not heard of this problem happening after running the removal tool. However, I have seen it happen when a computer has been infected.
Before you tried to upgrade to 2009, did you have a previous Norton product version installed on your computer? If you did, were you able to run a full system scan with the latest protection updates?
It is important to know this info. It will allow me to know how I can best help you.
Yes, I had Norton Anti-Virus 2008 running. The subscription was to expire 2/10/09 and I was getting the warning messages about it. Then I got the message from Symantec "Free download of Norton Anti-Virus 2009". The installation was complete with the error (I can't remember the error, but it was something about "the error occured during installation"), and the Anti-Virus icon was showing the "x" next to it. I could not enable it, so I decided to reinstall Norton Anti-Virus 2008. I used Norton Removal Tool to uninstall the corrupted Norton Anti-Virus 2009 or ?. The removal worked fine and ask at the end to restart the computer. When I restarted I did not get any icons on the desktop because file association was gone. The only thing I can do is to surf on Internet.
I am having the exact same problem after using the Norton Removal Tool and had a similar problem years ago, but took a risk a second time with Norton. Fool me once......
Anyway, I am wondering if you were able to fix anything in the end or were able to do a system restore? I am even having difficulty restoring the system although I have not tried to do it in safe mode.
I tried everything: System Restore in a safe mode, in a safe mode using command line, the steps I found on Symantec side, Windows XP repair, etc. Nothing worked. I even asked a Certified Microsoft engineer to look at, and after checking the Registry he said the file association is corrupted really badly. He suggested to re-install the OS. I did not do it hoping that someone from Symantec will step in and tell me how to fix what their software destroyed.
I had a very similar experience. In my case, I was running NAV 2008 but had never upgraded the other components of the original package I bought, which was SystomWorks 2003. I got the upgrade notice and chose to do the upgrade. I no longer remember if there was an error, but I do remember a reboot, another install, then a completely useless computer after the second reboot. All of the original Norton programs were gone, and I had only NAV 2009. I could not acccess the web to dig around for any instructions, and I doubt they would have worked. My computer didn’t even know how to run executable programs from the command prompt. I had to boot from the Win XP CD and reinstall. My computer has never been the same since. Programs crash and it’s much slower. I still run into programs that have to be reinstalled because their registry entries were so badly damaged. Now one of my wife’s computers is prompting for an upgrade of Internet Security. I was prepared to chock my problems up to versions of Norton products being so out of sync, but after reading here that people are seeing the same problem just with an upgrade from NAV 2008, I think it may be time to discard Norton products on all of our machines. Not having seen a satisfactory response here that would assure me of it not happening again, I’m definitely not going to accept that upgrade.
Problems with the removal tool? Oh no! I’ve got Vista Home Premium SP1, and I want to upgrade from NIS 2007 to 2009; I’ve already opened up a thread on that issue and received very promising removal instructions, and they include running…the removal tool! Well, I hope it will behave on Vista…? faints
Message Edited by Moby_Duck on 03-22-2009 07:29 PM
I tried everything before I finally decided to reinstall the whole OS. It was painful. What bothers me that I did not hear from Norton admitting that their product has a bug or offering a solution to resolve the issue. My NAV subscription has expired on my other computer, but I hesitate to buy Norton product again.
I’ve got Vista Home Premium SP1, and I want to upgrade from NIS 2007 to 2009; I’ve already opened up a thread on that issue and received very promising removal instructions, and they include running…the removal tool! Well, I hope it will behave on Vista…? faints