7 Exit all the programs, and then restart your computer.
Let us know how it goes.
Vineeth--
This tip will not work unless, after exiting Registry Editor, Explorer.exe process is killed using End task in Task Manager, and then restarted.
Rebooting the computer WILL end Explorer.exe and restart the process. Step #7.
No, it won't do the trick. The tray icons stream will be saved in the registry again during shutdown, and you're back at square 1. Explorer has to be abruptly ended.
Needless to say, I have a headache I followed the suggestions but none worked so I decided to uninstall, use the remover and reinstall. However I did that before I saw dibrisendine's instruction to use the remover in safe mode. I just ran it in good old regular mode. It seemed to be okay,, said I have 233 days left, downloaded updates, the icon showed ... until I restarted. Now no icon and I have no idea if it is even running.
Vineeth, before I did all this, I tried to run the scan by typing navw32.exe /L in run box but it did not work either. It was then I figured that NAV was not even running.
Dbrisendine, I use CCleaner but never used the registry cleaner for fear it could screw things up and, not being too savvy, I would not have a clue what to do then.
I am typing this on my laptop which has free Avast running like a charm. But with 233 days left on NAV, I am going to get the darn thing working if it takes all 233 days!!!
I think the problems you are having with the icon disappearing and the program not working is due to the fact that you have some sort of malware on your computer that is blocking your Norton program from working correctly. I don't think it's just a matter of the icon disappearing, but malware that is blocking your Norton product from working correctly. I think the bad malware has to be found first and then cleaned up. Then your Norton product will probably work the way it should work.
Perhaps as a first step of finding this malware, you could post a log from HiJackThis to see what is on your computer and to see if there are any obvious signs of malware.
I have been intermittently monitoring this thread and can understand the way you are feeling.
Everybody has their own solution ideas (me included) and it is difficult to sort things out.
Malware already on your system is a possibility. Kindly visit www.malwarebytes.org and download their anti-malware tool and install with the default options. Update the product (via the update button) and run a full system scan to completion. Let's see if it finds anything. If so, then just follow the prompts to remove the offending items and reboot when complete.
Additionally, the post from floplot should be tried as well. We have good people to analyze the log files.
If that does resolve the issue, consider restoring your system from scratch, if your data is all backed up or can be backed up. In this way, you are starting with a clean system and NAV 2010 can be reinstalled, after all the Microsoft service packs and updates, etc.
You can find your NIS Product Key under the Symantec folder under "My Documents" or via the online Norton Account.
This is probably the best solution if you know how to do it. This problem basically existed when NAV 2009 was installed and it would have been better to address the NAV issue at that point. Your issue is *rare* and I am a bit surprised that it was not already resolved.
Kindly let us know of your intentions, if different from your above post.
Thanks to all for the tips and suggestions. I felt some things were beyond my expertise so I opted for Norton support live chat. Previous to that, I downloaded Malwarebytes (thank you Plankton) but my computer would not let me install it which was worrisome. System restore also did not work.
So I spent about 41/2 hours on the phone first with Kumar, then Vimal Raj, then Manoj who was supposed to be in the research department and could fix problems the others could not. Can't say I felt totally comfortable with letting others control my computer but felt there was no other choice.(Subsequently, in a fit of paranoia, I changed all passwords to bank and brokerage and email accounts.)The computer would not let them delete the Norton files they needed to delete even in safe mode. Manoj thought there was a problem with Spybot even though I have no real time components running. He uninstalled it. He said NAV had a built in firewall and was conflicting with Online Armor but I declined to let him uninstall OA since NAV is not a firewall. He thought the old AOL program which is rarely used had spyware and AV protection running but I told him it was never downloaded which he confirmed through add/remove programs. He found an IE add on I had once used - something like Panda Spyware Remover - and uninstalled that. Finally he went to msconfig and changed how the computer starts up. He, like the others before him, uninstalled NAV, ran the removal tool and reinstalled. I insisted he restart a time or two because I could get it reinstalled myself but it never lasted after a reboot. So today, after the computer was off all night, it is running and I have got my fingers crossed.
Last night I finally could install Malwarebytes. I did a quick scan of the C drive and it came up with 5 things. Several were most troublesome because they indicated the notification that firewall or AV were not running was turned off. I let Malwarebytes fix all 5 things. Today I ran a full scan on the 2 internal hard drives and the external and after a few hours nothing was found.
Last night I finally could install Malwarebytes. I did a quick scan of the C drive and it came up with 5 things. Several were most troublesome because they indicated the notification that firewall or AV were not running was turned off.
Windows security notifications are turned off by Norton to prevent duplicate alerts, since Norton will also pop up a notice from the system tray when antivirus protection or the firewall is disabled. So while it is true that some malware will turn off the Windows security notifications, this may simply be an action that Norton took upon installing.
Windows security notifications are turned off by Norton to prevent duplicate alerts, since Norton will also pop up a notice from the system tray when antivirus protection or the firewall is disabled. So while it is true that some malware will turn off the Windows security notifications, this may simply be an action that Norton took upon installing.
Since the system tray icon wasn't working, and it appears Norton wasn't even running, I was apparently surfing merrily along without any virus protection and no notification.
Plankton, NAV is still working today. Hurrah!!! As to me re installing the operating system ... well, I would have as much luck as building a nuclear reactor I don't even have an XP disc ... had to create some restore discs when we bought the Presario. Once I tried to re install Win98 on an old Dell for which I did have the 98 disc. Suffice it to say, it did not go well ... ended up taking out the hard drive, destroying it, and putting the thing out for the trash.
So will Malwarebytes take the place of Spybot which the NAV rep uninstalled?
The problem with Spybot is that often times people install the program with Tea Timer. The Tea Timer part of the program is a real time tracker of any changes that come up in the registry. Tea Timer may prevent some clean up of malware because it is seen as changing the registry even if the change is for a good reason. Malwarebytes will not have any possibility of interfering with NAV since it is totally a on demand scanner, I am talking about the free version of it. The paid version would interfere. Spybot also only updates it's definitions like once a week. Malwarebytes updates their definitions many times in a day so it will be also more up to date than Spybot will be.
I followed the suggestions but none worked so I decided to uninstall, use the remover and reinstall. However I did that before I saw dibrisendine's instruction to use the remover in safe mode. I just ran it in good old regular mode. It seemed to be okay,, said I have 233 days left, downloaded updates, the icon showed ... until I restarted. Now no icon and I have no idea if it is even running.
I don't even have an XP disc ... had to create some restore discs when we bought the Presario. Once I tried to re install Win98 on an old Dell for which I did have the 98 disc. Suffice it to say, it did not go well ... ended up taking out the hard drive, destroying it, and putting the thing out for the trash.