These instructions pertain to removing Norton Antivirus and all other Norton Applications. This is also a fix for the error : Norton could not initialize the virus scanning database. The preferred method for removing Norton AntiVirus 2001 (NAV) is to use the Add/Remove programs applet in the Windows Control Panel. However, if this has not been successful, you can manually remove NAV from your system. You should make a backup copy of the registry files prior to executing any of the following steps. Incorrect use of the registry editor and editing the registry files can cause serious problems that may require a complete reinstall of your operating system. I assume no responsibility, expressed or implied, regarding the consequences of any action taken as a result of the information provided herein. Editing the Registry 1. Click the Start button, click Run, and then type regedit in the Open box. Click OK. The Registry Editor window appears. 2. Click the plus (+) sign next to each of the following keys: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT * Shellex ContextMenuHandlers 3. In the left pane, right-click NortonAntiVirus, and then left-click Delete. The Confirm Delete window appears. 4. Click Yes. 5. Click the minus (-) sign next to each of the following keys: ContextMenuHandlers Shellex * 6. Click the plus (+) sign next to each of the following keys: Folder Shellex ContextMenuHandlers 7. In the left pane, right-click NortonAntiVirus, and then left-click Delete. The Confirm Delete window appears. 8. Click Yes. 9. Click the minus (-) sign next to the following key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT 10. Click the plus (+) sign next to each of the following keys: HKEY_CURRENT_USER Software Symantec 11. Single-click the Norton AntiVirus folder. 12. In the left pane, right-click Norton AntiVirus, and then left-click Delete. The Confirm Delete window appears. 13. Click Yes. 14. Click the minus (-) sign next to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER 15. Click the plus (+) sign next to each of the following keys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SOFTWARE 16. If NAV is the ONLY Symantec product on your computer, then perform the following steps: In the left pane, right-click Symantec and then left-click Delete. The Confirm Delete window appears. Click Yes. Proceed to step 34. If NAV is NOT the only Symantec product on your computer, then proceed to step 17. 17. In the left pane, right-click Norton AntiVirus, and then left-click Delete. The Confirm Delete window appears. 18. Click Yes. 19. Repeat steps 17 and 18 for the following values in the left pane: SharedDefs, Norton Rescue 20. Click Yes. 21. Click the plus (+) sign next to the following key: Symevent 22. In the left pane, right-click NAV95, and then left-click Delete. The Confirm Delete window appears. 23. Click Yes. 24. Click the minus (-) sign next to the following key: Symevent 25. Click the plus (+) sign next to the following key: InstalledApps 26. In the left pane, right-click AVENGDEFS, and then left-click Delete. The Confirm Delete window appears. 27. Click Yes. 28. Repeat steps 26 and 27 for the following values in the left pane: NAV NAV95 29. Click the minus (-) sign next to each of the following keys: InstalledApps Symantec 30. Click the plus (+) sign next to each of the following keys: Symantec Shared Technology LiveReg 31. In the left pane, right-click NAV, and then left-click Delete. The Confirm Delete window appears. 32. Click Yes. 33. Click the minus (-) sign next to each of the following keys: LiveReg Shared Technology Symantec 34. Click the plus (+) sign next to each of the following keys: Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion 35. Single-click the Run folder. 36. In the right pane, right-click NAV DefAlert, and then left-click Delete. The Confirm Delete window appears. 37. Click Yes. 38. Repeat steps 36 and 37 for the following values in the right pane: Norton eMail Protect Norton Auto-Protect 39. Click the minus (-) sign next to the following key: Run 40. Click the plus (+) sign next to the following key: Uninstall 41. In the left pane, right-click Norton AntiVirus, and then left-click Delete. The Confirm Delete window appears. 42. Click Yes. NOTE: If NAV is the ONLY Symantec program on your computer, then delete folders LiveReg and LiveUpdate1.6 as well. 43. Repeat steps 41 and 42 for the following value in the right pane: Norton Rescue 44. Click the minus (-) sign next to each of the following keys: Uninstall Current Version Windows Microsoft Software 45. Click the plus (+) sign next to each of the following keys: System CurrentControlSet Services VxD 46. If NAV is the ONLY Symantec program on your computer, then delete folder NAVAP only and then proceed to step 50. If NAV is NOT the only Symantec product on your computer, then proceed to step 47. 47. In the left pane, right-click NAVAP and then left-click Delete. The Confirm Delete window appears. 48. Click Yes. 49. Repeat steps 47 and 48 for the following value in the left pane: Symevent 50. Close the Registry Editor. NOTE: If you are prompted to save the changes, click Yes. Remove Symantec NDetect from the Task Scheduler 1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Scheduled Tasks. 2. Click Symantec NDetect, and then press the key. 3. Close the Scheduled Tasks window. Remove NAV from the Start Menu 1. Right-click Start, and then left-click Open. 2. Double-click Programs. 3. Click the Norton AntiVirus folder, and then press the key. How to Remove the LiveUpdate icon from the Control Panel 1. Click the Start button, point to Find, and then click Files or Folders. The Find: All Files window appears. 2. Type s32lucp1.cpl in the Named box. 3. Verify that the Look In box has the (C:) drive selected and that the Include subfolders box contains a checkmark. 4. Click the Find Now button. 5. Right-click the file s32lucp1.cpl and left-click Delete. 6. Click Yes. Remove NAV From the Hard Drive NOTE: Norton AntiVirus creates a backup of infected files before repairing them. These archived files, along with quarantined files, and files submitted to SARC using Scan and Deliver are all stored, by default, in the C:\Program files\NAVNT\Quarantine folder. If you do not want to lose these files in the Quarantine folder, then back up the folder before deleting it. If you want to retrieve the files from Quarantine folder later, then you must reinstall NAV, and use the quarantine function to view and restore them. 1. Click Start, point to Programs, and then click Windows Explorer. NOTE: If you use Windows Me, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer. 2. In the left pane, double-click the Program Files folder. 3. Click the Norton AntiVirus folder, and then press the key. NOTE: These steps assume that NAV was installed to the default location. If yours is different, then you need to substitute the location where NAV is installed. 4. If NAV is the ONLY Symantec product on your system, then delete the following folders as well: C:\Program Files\Symantec C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared If NAV NT is NOT the only Symantec product on your system, then only delete the following folder: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\VirusDefs At this point Norton AntiVirus 2001 is completely uninstalled from your system. Restart the computer to complete the process. The information contained in the above document consists of excerpts from Symantec Knowledge Base. Any content editing was done for space considerations. Where possible, the document was left in its entirety. The technical information and troubleshooting described herein are for informational purposes only. For additional information or the complete document, please go to: http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/index.html