Using the Norton SystemWorks cleanup utility (SYMClean)


Situation:
This document explains how to use the SYMClean utility. SYMClean is typically used in any of the following situations:

- When the Windows® Add/Remove Programs utility fails to fully remove Norton SystemWorks 2002/2001.
- You encountered problems while installing Norton SystemWorks, and a technician advised you to use SYMClean.
- You see a message while installing Norton SystemWorks that indicates that a previous version was detected, even though you already uninstalled the previous version.

Solution:
SYMClean is designed to remove leftover Norton SystemWorks files and registry entries that may be interfering with the Norton SystemWorks installation.


Important: Do not use this document to remove Norton SystemWorks 2003 or later. SYMClean has not been updated to remove those versions. If Add or Remove Programs failed to completely remove Norton SystemWorks 2003 or later, then read Using the Norton Removal Tool. That document provides a completely automated removal tool for Norton 2003 or later products.




Before you begin:


How to use the Windows uninstall utility

To use the Windows uninstall utility
  1. Open the utility. Use one of the following methods:
    • Click Start > Programs > Norton SystemWorks > Uninstall Norton SystemWorks.
    • Click Start > Control Panel, and then double-click Add/Remove Programs. In Windows XP, click Add/Change rather than Add/Remove.
  2. Select Norton SystemWorks.
  3. Click Change/Remove or Remove. The option that you see depends on your operating system.
  4. Follow the prompts.
How to use the SYMClean utility
To run the SYMClean utility, use each of the following sections in the order that they are listed.


To obtain the SYMClean utility

To prepare to use SYMClean
  1. If Norton AntiVirus is installed, disable Email Protection and Script Blocking. That is, if Norton AntiVirus is installed either as a stand-alone product or as a part of Norton System Works or Norton Internet Security, you must disable Email Protection and Script Blocking before using SYMClean. For more information, read the document that is appropriate for the version of Norton AntiVirus that is currently installed:
    How to enable or disable email scanning in Norton AntiVirus 2002 and 2003
    How to disable script blocking in Norton AntiVirus 2002 or 2003
  2. Close all programs.

To start SYMClean To run SYMClean
  1. Choose the uninstallation method:
    • Click Add/Remove if you have not used the Add/Remove Programs utility to uninstall Norton SystemWorks and its components. This step starts the Windows Add/Remove Programs utility. Follow the prompts. If the utility completes without problems, continue with step 10 (restart the computer and install NSW).
    • Click Continue if you have used the Add/Remove Programs utility to uninstall Norton SystemWorks and its components and you still encounter a problem when trying to install NSW, or if the component that you want to uninstall is not listed. The following dialog box appears:



      You can choose to uninstall individual programs, but we recommend that you uninstall all of them before running the Norton SystemWorks installation.
  2. Click Remove All. This choice uninstalls all of the listed products. You see a warning message that prompts for confirmation.
  3. Click Yes to proceed. If you see the message "Do you want to completely remove Netscape (7.0) and all its components?", answer No. Netscape 7.0 and older Norton SystemWorks versions both use the file NSuninst.exe. Removing that file may prevent Netscape from functioning correctly.
  4. When you see a prompt to restart the computer, answer Yes.
  5. If you uninstalled only Norton AntiVirus, then follow the instructions in the document How to uninstall Norton AntiVirus using the Rnav2003.exe removal utility.
  6. Restart the computer, and install NSW.

For additional information to prepare your computer before installing new software, see the document How to prepare your computer before installing Norton SystemWorks.
If SYMClean displays a message that says there is no previous Norton SystemWorks installation to remove
When SYMClean displays a message that says there is no previous Norton SystemWorks installation to remove, the problem is typically caused by one of the following situations: When you cannot install Norton SystemWorks after using SYMClean
If the Norton SystemWorks installation still has problems after you used SYMClean, then SYMClean may have not have removed all the leftover files and registry entries. This may happen if Windows was upgraded after Norton SystemWorks or one of its component products was installed. In this situation, you may need to perform a manual uninstallation of Norton SystemWorks or of the component products that are part of Norton SystemWorks. See the References section for links to documents that provide instructions for uninstalling Norton SystemWorks.

How to obtain the latest version of SYMClean
To obtain the latest version of SYMClean, click the previous SYMCLN.EXE icon, or download SYMClean from the Symantec FTP site.

To download SYMClean from the FTP site
  1. Download SYMClean from the Symantec FTP site.
  2. Select "Save this file to disk," and then click OK.
  3. Set "Save In" to Desktop, and then click Save. The step saves the file to your desktop.


Technical Information:
Why use SYMClean
Norton SystemWorks is not intended to be installed over the older versions of NSW. If you encounter problems while installing NSW, the problems may be due to an incomplete uninstall of the previous version. In some cases, the Windows uninstall utility does not remove all of the Norton SystemWorks files and registry entries. SYMClean is designed to remove leftover Norton SystemWorks files and registry entries that may be interfering with the Norton SystemWorks installation.



Document ID: 2001101612274407
Last Modified: 20.10.2008
Date Created: 16.10.2001
Operating System(s): Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP
Product(s): Norton SystemWorks 2003
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