I'm running the latest version (21.2.0.38) of Norton 360 on Windows 7 64-bit. I get a new error 3038.104 every couple of days. The date and time zone are OK, and a check with NIST time shows the clock drifting perhaps 15 seconds. I've tried the permissions solution with two reboots, re-installing, and NRnR.exe twice. A reboot fixes the problem for a day or two but one of my main uses of this computer is to make extended runs, sometimes for weeks or months, and I am not in a position to reboot this computer every couple of days. I"ve been keeping a log of 3038,104 errors since March 31:
March 31, 2014 April 2, 2014 April 6, 2014 April 10, 2014 April 14, 2014 April 17, 2014 April 20, 2014 April 23, 2014 April 29, 2014; Solved without reboot by applying a patch that was waiting for LiveUpdate May 01, 2014 May 06, 2014 May 8, 2014 May 10, 2014
I've done searches and it seems that no one has this problem as severely as this. Any ideas?
How old is the system? Is it possible that the CMOS battery is weak? That would explain whey all is well for short peeriods but start failing when the system is on for an extended peeriod.
Depending on the time server you are using you should never be more than a few [2 to 3] seconds off the master clock.
The system is about three months old. The system clock synchs automatically with time.windows.com "on a scheduled basis." I can't get any more information than that from the system. When I try to change the service to time.nist.gov I get an error, "Your changes could not be saved."
I moved the HD over from the old system; the motherboard died. I'm now running on an AMD 8-core CPU that runs at 4 GHz. Motherboard is an ASUS Sabertooth 990FX R2.0, processor AMD FX8350. I can provide just about any information you need if you just ask. For example, if you direct me to look for a specific error in the system log, I can do that.
The battery isn't old because I got a refurbished motherboard on warranty, meaning that it had the undivided attention of a tech shortly before i got it. I can change the battery if that is something that you think I ought to do.
If 15 seconds is enough to glitch out Norton 360, then I will try synching with time.nist.gov (I have an old stand-alone utility) every day. I agree that five or ten seconds a day is a bit much for a system clock.
I was trying to edit the Time and Date utility as launched by double-clicking on Stardock's Object Dock. I tried it after directly invoking the Time and Date utility and changed the service to time.nist.com and it updated the system clock on demand. I will know in two days whether or not that fixed the problem. For the time being, unless time.microsoft.com is unresponsive, I think we can assume that the problem lies elsewhere. For example, I have two RAID drives on USB that I use for automated backups using Acronis, and have a dedicated data-only HD as an internal drive.
Anything that comes to mind is welcome. I need to solve this problem so I can start one of my weeks-long number-crunshing sessions. This computer exists to perofrm number-crunching duty, and the requirement to boot every two days to keep the antivirus working conflicts with this.
Yes, I tried manual updating, three times. Going by the file dates, I did this on March 7, March 31, and May 10. But I have no problem with LiveUpdate, and that operation is equivalent to LiveUpdate. LiveUpdate will run, and update files, when I will get 3038,104 if I try a QuickScan.
I've tried re-installing and in addition have used NRnR.exe, the last time on May 8. I've even run NPR a time or two just in case. Of course, I ran the Administrative Permissions and notification settings two-boot fix many times. But a reboot always solves the problem temporarily anyway, so I suspect that the notiications settings is not my problem.
I switched the time server to time-a.nist.gov because it is closer to me and will have less variation in latency than time.nist.gov, which is in Colorado. According to the Help file, Windows synchronizes the clock once a week, so if I get a 3038,104 every two days and clock drift is the cause, that won't help. But I will manually synch with time-a.nist.gov every morning to see if that does it.
Can you tell me exactly what eror 3038,104 is? What logical checks fail for the software to declare this error?
Yes, the page you link to is the one that the Norton error process links to when a 3038,104 occurs, and I did that a number of times before I gave up on it and started trying other things. I haven't used NRT for over a year, so that exact solution hasn't been tried on this problem.
Since we have a test on the Windows time synch in progress, I'll wait three more days before I use Norton Removal Tool. I see N360Downloader.exe dated December 8, 2013, but I don't recall whether that was before the problem began or not. I downloaded a fresh copy just now to use if I do get another 3039,104.
Hi, motorfingers. I think if the clock time issue is fixed that the Removal Tool might be the way to go, as it will give you the fresh install that may be needed to fix this problem.
I'm concerned that if I go ahead and use the removal too and re-install now, we won't know whether the clock server refresh or the re-install fixed the problem. So, I'll hold off for a few days and see if the clock server synch re-assignmnet to time-a.nist.gov fixed the problem. If not, I'll try the removal and re-installation. That way we can assign a solution to this problem that others can rely on.
The error usually occurs every two days, and the comptuer never goes more than five days without the error. The last one was May 10. So, if we get through May 15 without a 3038,104 then we know that the clock synch was the cause and moving to a time server closer to the computer solved the problem.
If the 3038,104 happens again, I'll run the Removal Tool and re-install and see if that does it.
Sorry, motorfingers. That's what I meant. As you say, monitor it for a few days to satisfy yourself that the clock/time issue has gone away, and THEN try the NRT if necessary.
That hopefully, will fix those errors with a clean install.
I beieve that your impiicit assumption, that the time synch probably won't fix it but the Removal Tool and a clean re-installation is my best bet, is correct. I'm just determined to be a good citizen by nailing exactly which measure fixes this, though.
That didn't take long. I got anohter 3038,104 this morning. I checked the clock against time-b.nist.gov and was less than four seconds from that standard, and corrected the system clock. That didn't help the 3038,104. I ran LiveUpdate, which foudn three minor updates. It completed one of them and then got a repeatable 8920,223 error on Norton Reputation Revocation List.
I'm running the Norton Removal Tool and re-installing Norton 360 right now. I'll report back any issues with that (don't expect any!) and will come back every two days. If I don't get another error in six days, we will declare victory and flag a solution.
Whooa, I run Intelligent Updater and both the 3038,104 error and the 8920,223 error went away, something that Intelligent Updater has never done for me before.
But, after the QuickScan completes, I'm running Norton Removal Tool and re-installing anyway. I need the computer to start up a big number-crunching project.
Hi, again. Because this is related to updates the Intelligent Updater gives you the entire virus data base definitions, so often that WILL make the errors go away. Fingers crossed for a solution, either way !.........
I have no way of knowing what was replaced by the Intelligent Updator or why, so I used the removal too and re-instaled anyway because that is the nuclear option, and it is available to anyone else who might have the same problem. I did this on May 12 at about 11:00 AM EDT. I'll feel better if it goes 48 hours without another 3038,104, and will declare vicotory if it goes five days. If it does, I'll post the details in a summary message and tag it as the solution, or I can just notify you here that it worked and you can have the honors; after all it was you that suggested using the Removal Tool.
Two days and counting, and all's well. At five days from May 12 at 11:00 AM, e.g. noon on Saturday, May 17, we declare vicotry if there isn't another 3038,104 by then.
Whoops, got another 3938,104! The system clock was about 15 seconds off time-a.nist.gov; corrected that and no joy. LiveUpdate runs OK. I verified that my logon has Adminstrator priveleges and went through the two-boot process involving Notification settings. QuickScan runs now but it always runs with just a reboot.
I'm out of ideas right now. What is the next step?
As long as I had to shut everything down and reboot, I'm goning to run NPE just to be absolutely sure that there is nothing in there.
