I've been running Norton Removal Tool for the past 45 minutes and it's been stuck at this stage for about 95% the time:

Processing MSI's by Product Code

Any idea why that is so? or how I can completely get rid of Symantec and all related programs?


Apologies if this isn't the right place to post...

Try rebooting in Safe Mode and then re-run the Norton Removal Tool.

ok thanks done..... can close

One thing everyone should know about the "Norton Removal Tool", is that they have at least two different versions.  One for Windows 98 & ME and one For XP, Vista, etc.  
It's always important to download the correct one for your computer.

Also, you need to be using a recent version.  They are constantly upgrading the program and an OLD version won't even work.

Going back a ways, the removal tool consisted of three separate programs, not just one as it is now.
There WAS a batch file to unlock some DDL's then a removal program, followed by a registry file to remove 1,891 registry entries. :-/

Apparently now. they've incorporated all three into just the one .exe file.

I still run the .reg file after running the removal tool. It can't hurt, and just may remove some registry entries that the removal tool misses.

McAfee too, was such a beast to remove, that they too had to create a "Removal Tool" to remove their software.

It's such a pity, that those programs invade a computer to the extent that the normal Windows Uninstall routine won't remove them.

They can be worse to remove than any Virus. ;) :'(

Keeping those programs OFF of a computer is the best way to never have to worry about them.

Cheers Mates!
The Shadow  8-)