ADD/REMOVE fails - NEED a Manual method to remove Antispyware

[Joe]

I posted the problems earlier in this forum.

The XP-SP2 version Home Edition install of Feb 8 MSAS
BETA, along with Norton Internet Security 2005 install,
has locked up both apps, as well as stopped access to MS
Windows Update.

XP ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS does not work for these two.
They are now permanently installed - can't be removed .

Can you povide instructions to remove AntiSpyware
manuallly - cleaning up registry, etc?

I thought about installing copy of Norton SYSTEMWORKS
2005 - but it might get disabled & locked out of
ADD/REMOVE as well - just like the NIS 2005 install.

This is an URGENT request to MSAS tech support.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Norton itself can be very difficult to remove. Their Knowledge base should
have both manual removal instructions, and an automated removal application
which can help, I think. Let me know if you can't find those.

Can you say what happens when you attempt an uninstall of Microsoft
Antispyware?

My thought, without knowing what error messages you see, would be:

1) download the Windows Installer cleanup application:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290301

I would recommend removing the Windows Installer elements of Microsoft
Antispyware via this tool.

I'd then recommend reinstalling it, and then uninstalling it. There will be
traces left behind--both in the program files directory in which it is
installed, and in the registry. I'd recommend leaving the registry
alone--the items in the program install directory I think you can get rid
of--although I think they are left behind intentionally, and I'm not certain
the precise reasoning behind that.

That should take care of Microsoft Antispyware. If you continue to have
trouble with the Norton end of things write back--I've a little experience
with doing this--using articles from their KB and their automated tool, if
available, is the way to do it. If you attempt to do it manually, you will
risk carpal tunnel syndrome and waste considerable time.

 

[John]

Joe,

I provided detailed instructions on your previous post under the install
group, please go have a look.

 

[Guest]

Agreed, Bill:

As I have said in he INSTALL thread, I get NO error
messages, run screens, splash screens, or anything else,
if I try REMOVE PROGRAM or UNINSTALL - i just ignores me
(ssame thing for removing NIS, o running it's install CD
a second time to refresh it, hopefully).

-----Original Message-----
Norton itself can be very difficult to remove. Their Knowledge base should
have both manual removal instructions, and an automated removal application
which can help, I think. Let me know if you can't find those.

Can you say what happens when you attempt an uninstall of Microsoft
Antispyware?

My thought, without knowing what error messages you see, would be:

1) download the Windows Installer cleanup application:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en- us;290301

I would recommend removing the Windows Installer elements of Microsoft
Antispyware via this tool.

I'd then recommend reinstalling it, and then

uninstalling it. There will be

 

[Joe]

Yes, Bill,

I did run the Microsoft Installer CLEANUP utility - no
joy. I wonder if it might even mess things up further,
since if MSAS/NIS were only partially installed (unlikely
here), or even partially removed or "redirected"
(probably), potentially by the KILLAV virus, then REMOVE
may not have enough information to do it's job on those
two apps, so it "ignores" the request to do so. i.e.
REMOVE PROGRAM, or even MSAS UNINSTALL, only work with a
complete (unmodified) package, or an already working
version of the target program.
Any chance of that?

Joe

 

[JOE]

Thanks again, John,

Will get back to all on my findings, in the next few days.

Apologies to all, for the double post.

Joe

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I don't know enough about the workings of that app to give you a clear
answer.

I use it with the expectation that it only makes sense to use it if there is
no other option.

My experience with Windows Installer snafus is that there are three
levels--1) the Windows Installer itself is messed up. For that one, I
believe you can't get any response out of the installer itself or get an
error message. The cure for this is to re-download the installer--there's a
download source for this.

2) If the installer is working fine but you get various oddball
"connections" between a couple of apps---for example, many have found that
either attempting to install Microsoft Antispyware or using some features,
will bring up an install routine for some other product completely--perhaps
one the user has no source for. In this case, my thinking is that there is
a incomplete install of the unrelated product, and one either fixes that by
reinstalling it from the original source, if possible, or, if no source is
available, cleaning with the cleanup utility.

You have the original source, but the installer doesn't do anything
apparently useful with it, if I am reading the threads correctly--so you
don't fit my model well!

I'm going to go back and re-read the thread. Is the machine doing what it
should do in terms of operation and display of other applications? The
issue is really with the Norton piece, Microsoft Antispyware, and the
Windows Installer, and nothing else?

Which version of Windows, if you haven't already said?

 

[JOE]

Bill,
As far as I can tell, so far, no other app seems to
have suffered any damage, but there has been no
opportunity for regression testing of all apps. Perhaps
later, once I get past the main culprits. It just seemed
odd that the two apps (MSAS & NIS 2005) that were
installed in the same logon session, coincidentally both
would not launch, or even display icons or splash screens
and are the only two, it seems that refuse to be REMOVED,
or even REinstalled. When I decided to try to find recent
XP-SR2 Windows Updates and WIN XP patches, to help with
the problem, I found I no longer could pass the entry
screen - it didn't seem to like the Windows Installer on
my system, so it didn't get t the scanning for updates
phase. Perhaps the installer used for getting Updates, is
the same as the one giving complaints at boot time. I
always thought they were different - a special program
for Windws Update function. Maybe not.

It might very well be, that once I get the MSI fixed,
suddenly everything else will fall into line? I was able
to REMOVE PROGRAM for one of Norton's apps, so it must be
working, somewhat. Perhaps the REMOVE PROGRAMS uses the
same corrrupt or unregistered MSI, as Windows Update
uses. Seems to make sense.

Being a suspicious type, I wouldn't be surprised, if
it were a recent virus, that killing the MSI would
immediately make it impossible to remove it, to install
fixes, or to add other security programs, thus leaving
the virus in total control of its environment.

After several hours of trying various thins, in
desperation, I had no choice but to try a "Repair" mode
reinstall of XP Home from the old CD (no SR's). That
didn't change anything, so I took a chance at running the
install again - this time an UPDATE mode install, which
took over an hour. Still no luck to get through tothe
Window Update site, after the second reinstall, so I
downloaded the massive SR2 file from the downloads page,
and ran it locally. Now a fully update current XP-SR2 was
on the system, and absolutely nothing changed.

The "Microsoft Installer(MSI) Invalid or NOT
registered properly" situation may have come around by my
attempts to rerun NIS 2005 install from the Norton CD
(which seems to have its own brand of Installer), or an
attempt to reinstall WORKS SUITE, WORD which got
itself "disconnected" somewhere in the process of
reinstalling XP. So, now I have a bad MSI, and still no
Windows Update access.

If you know where to find the Microsoft Installer, I
would appreciate the link. However, the way I understand
it from the MS download site, there is a downloadable MSI
for Win 95/98/ME, and another MSI for WIN NT/2000.
There is no third MSI for XP, because MS claims it is
not necessary, since it comes already installed from the
XP CD. Duh ... that doesn't solve the problem when it
gets messed up.

Perhaps I just need to "register" the MSI already on
the hard drive, to reactivate it - it probably got
installed during each attempt to reinstall the XP -
unless it was skipped, because the MSI figured there
already was a current version on the hard drive, even
though it was messed up.

How do I "register" the MSI and where would it be on
the system? For that matter, do you know of a
downloadable MSI for XP at Microsoft?

Thanks,
Joe

 

[JOE]

Thanks to all - especially BILL

I finally got my MSAS and Norton Internet Security
2005 "REMOVAL" problem solved - but only partially,
since in the end I was forced into reformatting and re-
installing WIN-XP from scratch.

Removing MSAS from the corrupted system was finally
achieved - thanks to Bill's recommendation, and others -
by running Microsoft's installer "uninstaller" -
see Microsoft's:

Description of the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility -
Article 290301

However, Microsoft's description is pretty bad. I
would very highly recommend downloading Symantec's
(Document ID:2003092915164136), Titled:

Error: "The MSI must be launched through setup" while
installing Norton Internet Security or Norton Personal
Firewall 2004 or earlier

Symantec's description of this process has great
pictures, and an example that clarifies how to use that
tool - Microsoft's doesn't. That was something that
stopped me from getting MSAS, at least, freed from the
clutches of NIS 2005.

*********

Once I ran the Windows Installer Clean Up Utility
(Msicuu.exe), I was ONLY then able to REMOVE Program
Microsoft AntiSpyware. Next, I downloaded the newer
version, installed it, and it ran perfectly, finding 3
attackers (Trojans, virus, and spyware). However, I was
still unable to REMOVE Norton Antivirus, resulting from
a
bad Norton Internet Security 2005 installed at the same
time as MSAS. In fact, I went to the Symantec website,
and ran their remote offline, website version of the
Norton Antivirus scan, which reported that I had the 3
attackers on my system, but their website server is
somewhat messed up - only one removal script ran - but
the links to others failed miserably

So I had no choice but to save MY DOCUMENTS folder as
well as my OUTLOOK EXPRESS mail system (see: How to back
up and recover Outlook Express data - Microsoft Article
ID: 270670), to CD's, and to reformat the drive.

The new system is now running fine and the fresh
install of NIS 2005 is working. However, even though I
have confidently reinstalled MSAS on my own PC (I had
uninstalled it because of this bad MSAS experience on
that other system), - even so, I have purposely NOT
reinstalled MSAS on the problem system, since BETA
software should NOT be installed on PC's of people
unfamiliar even with WINDOWS. No matter how well
intentioned that would be, Beta software can be a bear.

Final advice for really sticky MSAS de-installation
problems: Have a look at the SYMANTEC document
describing
the use of Microsoft's MSI Uninstaller (above), then use
it.

Once again BILL, thanks for your advice.

Joe

-----Original Message-----
Norton itself can be very difficult to remove. Their Knowledge base should
have both manual removal instructions, and an automated removal application
which can help, I think. Let me know if you can't find those.

Can you say what happens when you attempt an uninstall of Microsoft
Antispyware?

My thought, without knowing what error messages you see, would be:

1) download the Windows Installer cleanup application:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en- us;290301

I would recommend removing the Windows Installer elements of Microsoft
Antispyware via this tool.

I'd then recommend reinstalling it, and then

uninstalling it. There will be