After getting the latest NS update to 22.9.3.13 I now have Norton Security Scan on my system.
What is it and why do we need it if we have NS on the system.
My external acer laptop hard drive has corrupted and I could not find the reason behind this, can anyone provide me a valid way to fix and recover it.
Thank you for the excellent suggestions lmacri. I looked at the Malwarebyte's log report. No mention of anything regarding Norton. All seems good for now. If the pop-up issue returns, I will be here to discuss.
tolbiny:...I downloaded Malwarebytes and ran a full scan. It detected 180 PUP files, which were quarantined.... I can no longer locate nssSetup.exe on my hard drive.
Hi tolbiny:
Thanks for the update. Be sure to post back if your pop-up returns or something else seems odd with your Norton installation.
If you had the Norton Security Scan utility on your computer it's possible it was detected by Malwarebytes and removed from your system, although I'm not sure if Norton Security Scan meets Malwarebytes' criteria <here> for a PUP (potentially unwanted program). If you click Reports from the main dashboard and view the scan log you can export the log to a .TXT file and review the items that Malwarebytes removed from your system.
It's not unusual for an initial Malwarebytes scan to detect a large number of potential threats - the majority are likely PUMs (potentially unwanted modifications to Windows settings) like stray registry entries left behind by software you've already uninstalled from your computer - but 180 detections seems a bit high. If you discover that you have programs like registry cleaners, driver updater tools, system optimizers, browser toolbars, etc. installed that no longer run correctly then they were likely detected by Malwarebytes as a PUP. If you want to keep these programs on your computer you will have to re-install and then exclude them from subsequent scans as instructed in Exclude Detections in Malwarebytes on Windows Devices.
If you suspect that you have an active infection on your system that wasn't removed by Malwarebytes you can post in their Windows Malware Removal Help & Support board and ask them to check your system See AdvancedSetup's guideline I'm Infected - What Do I Do Now? for instructions on how to attach your Malwarebytes scan log and Farbar Recovery Scan Tool (FRST) diagnostic logs in your initial post.
Going forward, you might also want to configure Malwarebytes to warn you when it detects a PUP or PUM (Settings | Protection | Potential Threat Protection) so that you're notified before any lower-risk threats are removed. See additional comments in BevStra's thread MyWay Search.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * FF ESR v52.9.0 * NS v22.15.2.22 * MB Free v3.5.1.2522-1.0.365
tolbiny, you are most welcome as always. If you indeed have a solution please mark the thread as solved if you'd be so king. Just check the box below the post which gave you your solution. Others with similar issue can then see the solution in the event they are searching for a like issue. Have an awesome week.
Cheers
SoulAsylym: I downloaded Malwarebytes and ran a full scan. It detected 180 PUP files, which were quarantined.
lmacri: there is a task in the root directory on my machine called Norton WSC Integration. I can no longer locate nssSetup.exe on my hard drive.
Looks like my original issue has been solved. The non-functional Norton Security Scan uninstall window that used to appear after reboot no longer appears. .dmp files are no longer eating up my hard drive.
Thank you both!
tolbiny.
lmacri: there is a folder called Norton Security in the Windows Task Scheduler Library. Inside that folder are 3 tasks, none of which seem to have anything to do with the files you mentioned. The names of the tasks are: Norton Security Autofix, Norton Security Error Analyzer and Norton Security Error Processor.
Those entries are normal on Windows 10.
tolbiny:...Norton Security Autofix, Norton Security Error Analyzer and Norton Security Error Processor ..
Hi tolbiny:
Just an FYI that I have Norton Security Error Analyzer and Norton Security Error Processor but no Norton Security Autofix task. I run an older Norton Security v22.15.1.8 on a Vista SP2 machine, though, so it might not match what you should see on your Win 10 machine.
....But on my computer there is something above Task Scheduler Library called Task Scheduler (Local). When I clicked on that, a whole bunch of tasks appeared. One was something called nssSetup or nssinstallstub. I deleted it so I'm not positive of the name....
I performed a clean reinstall of Norton Security on 19-Jan-2019 (i.e., which includes running the Norton Remove and Reinstall tool in advanced "Remove Only" mode (Advanced Options | Remove Only | Remove with no reinstall performed) and my task there is called Norton Product Installer. The task was triggered One Time on that date. Note that a Last Run Result of 0x0 in the Task Scheduler means "completed successfully". I think your Win 10 machine should also have a task in that root directory called Norton WSC Integration (for integration with the Windows Security Center).
Under the Actions tab it shows the file triggered by my Norton Product Installer task was located at C:\ProgramData\NortonInstaller\NSSInstallStub.exe.
I'm still wondering if you have a remnant of the Norton Security Scan utility somewhere on your computer, but it's difficult to determine now that you've already deleted the suspect tasks in your Task Scheduler. I posted a late edit <above> about submitting your nssSetup.exe file to VirusTotal.com that you might have missed reading. If you can locate that file on your hard drive it might still be worth uploading it to VirusTotal to see if it's associated with the Norton Security Scan utility.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Norton Security Deluxe v22.15.1.8
tobiny. If you have not done so already get Malwarebytes, install and run a full scan, see if it finds a PUP or PUA then removes it.
Cheers
I think I got it. I was looking in the wrong place in Task Scheduler. I was looking at the folders in the Task Scheduler Library. But on my computer there is something above Task Scheduler Library called Task Scheduler (Local). When I clicked on that, a whole bunch of tasks appeared. One was something called nssSetup or nssinstallstub. I deleted it so I'm not positive of the name, but it was one of those.
I spoke too soon. Those files are back, as well as the message after rebooting.
lmacri: there is a folder called Norton Security in the Windows Task Scheduler Library. Inside that folder are 3 tasks, none of which seem to have anything to do with the files you mentioned. The names of the tasks are: Norton Security Autofix, Norton Security Error Analyzer and Norton Security Error Processor.
Update: I hope I'm not jinxing it by speaking too soon, but we (translation: you) may have solved the problem. I forgot that the 2 Symantec files in CCleaner setup were still there at the time I performed Soul Asylum's instructions.That may be why the NSS Uninstall window still appeared after reboot. I have now deleted them again, and they don't seem to be coming back. I have rebooted a number of time without a problem. I keep checking CCleaner setup and they are not there any more. Fingers crossed. I will report back tomorrow...or sooner.
tolbiny:
...CCleaner also shows that nssSetup.exe keeps creating a lot of .dmp files which I delete but which then are created again.
Hi tolbiny:
It's probably a coincidence, but nssSetup.exe is also one of the names used for the installer for the Norton Security Scan utility (often when it's bundled with another product like Adobe Reader) - see the System Explorer article What is the "nsssetup.exe"?.
Can you locate the nssSetup.exe file on your hard drive? If so, upload this file to VirusTotal at https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/upload for analysis by ~ 60 antivirus scan engines. This site will calculate the SHA256 hash (digital fingerprint) of this file and the report give you some basic information about the file, including how many virus scan engines detect the file as a possible threat . The Details tab of that report should tell you if the file is associated with Norton Security Scan or the Standard (1 only PC, Mac or mobile device) version of Norton Security.
...I have attached a copy of a .txt file from CCleaner called startup.txt which shows the applications that run at startup. The 2 files I am talking about are the ones with the format HKLM:RunOnce. They are the 2 Symantec Corporation files. Something keeps recreating these files after I delete them.
If you're certain you've never had the Norton Security Scan utility installed on your computer then your startup.txt file might be indicating that you have a stub installer for Norton Security Standard stuck in a perpetual loop (see the references for HKLM:RunOnce NSS Symantec Corporation "C:\Program Files\NortonInstaller\... and HKLM:RunOnce SymInstallStub Symantec Corporation C:\ProgramData\NortonInstaller\NSSInstallStub.exe... ). Please see Guru yank's post in Remove and Re-install Prompt about a similar problem he had that required an edit to a task he found in a folder called "Norton Remove and Reinstall" in the Windows Task Scheduler that was incorrectly scheduled to start at every boot up.
Poke around in your Windows Task Scheduler and see if you can find a similar Norton-related task referencing nssSetup.exe, NSSInstallStub.exe or some other Norton installer (although it might not be located in a folder named "Norton Remove and Reinstall").
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Norton Security Deluxe v22.15.1.8
SoulAsylum: I followed your instructions to the letter, including disabling fast startup. It did not fix the problem. After reboot, the same Norton Security Scan Unistall window appears, then disappears after a while.
The only way I can prevent this window from appearing after reboot is to use CCleaner immediately prior to rebooting to delete 2 files in the startup window. I have attached a copy of a .txt file from CCleaner called startup.txt which shows the applications that run at startup. The 2 files I am talking about are the ones with the format HKLM:RunOnce. They are the 2 Symantec Corporation files. Something keeps recreating these files after I delete them.
SoulAsylum: I will try your suggestions and will report back.
lmacri: I am NOT talking about the standalone Norton Security Scan utility. And bjm_'s image is not the prompt I get after reboot. My prompt says "Norton Security Scan Uninstall (at the top of the prompt). Your Norton settings and passwords are now being saved. The install will begin in a few moments.". That's it. It goes away after a little while after doing nothing. CCleaner also shows that nssSetup.exe keeps creating a lot of .dmp files which I delete but which then are created again. Lastly, I saw the checkbox you refer to when I uninstalled from control panel and unchecked it. That didn't fix the problem.
tolbiny:...Immediately after every reboot, a Norton popup window displays the following: "Norton Security Scan Uninstall. Your Norton settings and passwords are now being saved. The install will begin in a few moments." It only displays after a reboot....
Hi tolbiny:
Could you just confirm that you aren't referring to the standalone Norton Security Scan utility that was discussed in kurt2121's thread Norton Security Scanner 2007?. I don't think this free Norton utility has been updated for years but it's still available at https://security.symantec.com/GetNSS.aspx. This utility is basically a marketing tool for Norton - it can clean cookies but if it finds any malware during the scan you are prompted to purchase a full Norton security product (which you already have) to remove the malware. The Norton Remove and Reinstall (NRnR) tool is not designed to uninstall this standalone utility from your computer. If you think this utility was somehow installed on your computer you might be able to uninstall from the Control Panel or your Win 10 Settings (see the MS support article Repair or Remove Programs in Windows 10).
Please see bjm_'s image <here> of the standard prompt that appears when you uninstall Norton via the Control Panel, and note the checkbox (enabled by default) at the bottom of that prompt stating "Get layered protection by allowing Norton Security Scan to be activated and periodically scan your computer....". I've never seen this checkbox myself, but it's possible that Norton Security Scan was installed on your system without your knowledge when you were uninstalling a Norton product [or that this utility was bundled with other third-party software and installed on your computer as a PUP (potentially unwanted program)].
I know of a few users who couldn't remove the last remnants of this Norton Security Scan utility after it was uninstalled via the Control Panel and had to download a fresh copy from https://security.symantec.com/GetNSS.aspx, reinstall, and then uninstall a second time. SoulAsylum's suggestion <here> to disable the Win 10 Fast Startup power feature might also help with complete removal.
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32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox ESR v52.9.0 * Norton Security Deluxe v22.15.1.8
Hello, check your power settings for "fast startup" being enabled. Disable it if it is indeed enabled. Here is how. This setting being enabled does cause issues with installation of Norton and other software. Next, using the remove and reinstall tool please do a REMOVAL ONLY once again, then reboot your computer. Once rebooted download a fresh copy of your product from your Norton account. Once installed manually run live updates until no more are available, reboot whether asked to do so or not. Once rebooted manually run live update a second time. Get all the updates that are available, run again to ensure no more are available. Reboot a second time. Allow the system to full boot before opening anything and let us know if the issue has cleared.
Also, if you have older versions of Norton installed OR another antiviral solution uninstall them as well. They most times can and do conflict with Norton.
Cheers
Thank you for your help. I removed it through add/remove.
Norton Security Scan comes with install of other pograms. When you install a piece of freeware, you should deselect the proposed side-install.
Or..install Unchecky, which will deselect all unwanted software at install time.
Thanks for that.
You should be able to uninstall Norton Security Scan by going to Control Panel > Programs and Features > Uninstall a Program.