Does Remove and Reinstall Tool keep the local vault?

I've seen a lot written about the R&R tool here, but haven't seen this question definitely answered. I don't have any immediate reason to use the R&R install tool, just want to understand this issue before I need it.

 

Normally, the procedure, if one wants to keep their local vault, is to:

 

  • Backup local vault using .csv format
  • Uninstall via the Norton Removal Tool
  • Reinstall NIS 2012 or earlier
  • Merge backed up vault
  • Do an over-the-top upgrade to current version

Since the R&R tool installs only the latest version, without the intermediate steps, I would think that using the tool would result in the loss of your local vault. Can anyone confirm this?