This may sound crazy but I can't uninstall Norton Internet Security 2007. It was a trial version and worked pretty well but expired. Now I'm trying to install Norton 360 and it is a no go. It won't get rid of Internet Security, the Norton removal tool that I downloaded won't do it and Add/Remove programs can't get the job done either. What can I do short of backing up everything and formatting my hard drive?

Did you use this tool:

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT...05033108162039

If you get rid of it I'd suggest never installing any Norton software again.

Yes... I've tried the Norton Removal Tool several times and it does not work at all... If I can't find an answer pretty soon then I'll probably just backup my pics, movies and music and format the hard drive and start again from scratch.

Uninstall Programs Manually

Just because Windows XP has the Add/Remove Programs feature it doesn't mean your application will appear in the list. Furthermore, even if it does appear, it's no guarantee that the uninstall feature will work. When you run across one of these situations the items listed below will help in getting rid of the application. Be aware that these steps may not remove everything associated with the application and can impact other applications on the computer. Have a backup or restore point and use caution.

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Find the directory for the application and delete all the files in the directory. Delete the directory. e.g. click C: under My Computer then Program Files etc.
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Open regedit (start/run regedit) and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE and find the folder for the application. Delete the folder.
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Open regedit and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE and find the folder for the application. Delete the folder.
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To remove the application entry from Add/Remove Programs (if present) open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Uninstall and find the folder for the application. Delete the folder.
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Some applications have Services attached to them. If this is the case, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es, locate and delete the service.
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In Windows Explorer, navigate to the individual user settings and delete program references. Common places to check would be:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs and delete relevant entries.
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and delete relevant entries.
C:\Documents and Settings\%YourUserID%\Start Menu\Programs and delete relevant entries.
[Do this for each User ID listed]
C:\Documents and Settings\%YourUserID%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and delete relevant entries.
[Do this for each User ID listed]

If no entries were found in the previous step and the application launches automatically, navigate to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
and delete the entry.

Well this definitely looks like it could do the trick... I hope there are no shared DLLs though. Looks like I'll have to dump the whole Symantec folder. If problems occur would a good registry cleaning/repair program correct the issues? And if so what program would you recommend?

Backup:

http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/

Cleaner:

http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm

Yes I would remove all Symantec and Norton I would never let them back in.

Bad software.

What would you suggest I use for Antivirus/Antispyware software then? I used to use Norton Systemworks Premier 2005 and my pc worked great back then. I couldn't leave well enough alone though and decided to try out the new software and it is junk... Right now I'm using Spysweeper w/Antivirus and I think it does an ok job. I can't tell though with the way my pc has been running since installing Internet Security 2007. When it expired (never worked good) I picked up Spysweeper from Best Buy for fear of going unprotected... Any suggestions?

AVG Free

Avast Free

COMODO

Which of the 3 is best?

I like AVAST for an AV and I use the XP firewall behind a router.

COMODO offers a free firewall if you feel you need it.