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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.

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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.

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Before you begin:

• If you have not already tried to uninstall Norton SystemWorks automatically, use the Windows uninstall utility rather than the SYMClean utility to uninstall Norton SystemWorks. SYMClean is a small program that should be used for emergency manual uninstallation only after you have tried to uninstall Norton SystemWorks using the Windows uninstall utility.
• SYMClean 2003 does not remove Norton SystemWorks 2003/2004 or its component products. It is designed to remove only older versions of Norton SystemWorks and its components. Using SYMClean to remove Norton SystemWorks 2003/2004 results in an incomplete uninstallation, and requires that you perform a manual uninstallation to more fully remove Norton SystemWorks. For more information on what items SYMClean removes, read the document Introduction to SYMClean.

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Click an icon to either expand ( ) or collapse ( ) each section. (If you cannot expand a section, then read the document Cannot expand sections in a Symantec Knowledge Base document.)

How to use the Windows uninstall utility

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

• If you have the Norton SystemWorks 2003 CD, you can find the SYMClean utility in the Support\SymClean folder on the CD.
• If you do not have the Norton SystemWorks 2003 CD, or you want to ensure that you have the latest version of SYMClean, download the SYMClean utility:
  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.

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

• Double-click the file SYMCLEAN.EXE saved on your desktop. This step starts the SYMClean utility. You see the Symantec Application Cleanup Utility dialog box:
  
  
  
  

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  Note: If you see the message "The SYMClean tool has detected no additional items that need to be removed. You can proceed to install your Symantec Applications," then either you have already removed all current and previous versions of Norton SystemWorks and its components or SYMClean will not work. If you have not already removed Norton SystemWorks, use a manual uninstall method instead. Read the document Message: "The SYMClean tool has detected no additional items. . ." and the NSW installation still detects NSW programs.

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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 NSW installation to remove

When you cannot install NSW after using SYMClean

How to obtain the latest version of SYMClean

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: 10/20/2008
Date Created: 10/16/2001
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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