NIS 2009 "parameter is incorrect" error starting the 1st reboot after a successful install

I have a problem that seems similar to the one in this thread, yet sadly for me a few reboots didn't solve the problem as it did for that person.

 

Namely, I installed NIS 2009 with no problem a few days ago and it ran just fine. However, the 1st time I needed to reboot my laptop, when the machine came back up, there was no trace of NIS in the systray and attempting to run it results in the error:  "c:\program files\norton internet security\engine\16.2.0.7\uistub.exe, the parameter is incorrect." 

 

Trying to uninstall using the menu option pops up a similar error (different program filename reported, but with the same "parameter is incorrect" message).

 

Trying to uninstall using a newly downloaded Norton Removal Tool results in a popup box titled WinZip Self Extractor (since the Norton Removal Tool is a self-extracting exe) and the same error again, "the paramater is incorrect."

 

Getting crafty and using WinZip to unpack the Norton Removal Tool self-extracting zip into a directory results in two files, SymNRT.exe and SymNRT.loc.  Running SymNRT.exe from that spot results in... you guessed it... "the parameter is incorrect."

 

Norton Ghost, which has run just fine for a long time, is now ALSO returning this same error as well.

 

I would appreciate any advice about getting NIS (and Norton Ghost since the problems are obviously related) back up and running again.

 

Thanks!

 

Evan

 

P.S. Other symptoms in the Event Log from startup:

 

Event Type:    Error
Event Source:    Service Control Manager
Event Category:    None
Event ID:    7000
Date:        1/13/2009
Time:        7:23:09 PM
User:        N/A
Computer:    EVANR51
Description:
The vsdatant service failed to start due to the following error:
The system cannot find the file specified.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
 

Event Type:    Error
Event Source:    Service Control Manager
Event Category:    None
Event ID:    7000
Date:        1/13/2009
Time:        7:23:09 PM
User:        N/A
Computer:    EVANR51
Description:
The Process Monitor service failed to start due to the following error:
The system cannot find the file specified.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event Type:    Error
Event Source:    Service Control Manager
Event Category:    None
Event ID:    7000
Date:        1/13/2009
Time:        7:23:10 PM
User:        N/A
Computer:    EVANR51
Description:
The Norton Ghost service failed to start due to the following error:
The parameter is incorrect.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event Type:    Error
Event Source:    Service Control Manager
Event Category:    None
Event ID:    7000
Date:        1/13/2009
Time:        7:23:10 PM
User:        N/A
Computer:    EVANR51
Description:
The Norton Internet Security service failed to start due to the following error:
The parameter is incorrect.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event Type:    Error
Event Source:    Service Control Manager
Event Category:    None
Event ID:    7000
Date:        1/13/2009
Time:        7:23:10 PM
User:        N/A
Computer:    EVANR51
Description:
The Upload Manager service failed to start due to the following error:
The account specified for this service is different from the account specified for other services running in the same process.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Event Type:    Error
Event Source:    Service Control Manager
Event Category:    None
Event ID:    7026
Date:        1/13/2009
Time:        7:23:30 PM
User:        N/A
Computer:    EVANR51
Description:
The following boot-start or system-start driver(s) failed to load:
kl1
KLIF
oreans32

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.