Member Avatar for Powder

Windows XP
P4 3.4GHz
1GB RAM


My PC locked up about 5 times yesterday, and now about 4-5 times again today. In the event viewer, this same error shows up at the time of every crash:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Service Control Manager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7000
Date: 11/10/2005
Time: 4:33:05 PM
User: N/A
Computer: DESKTOP1
Description:
The Norton AntiVirus Auto Protect Service service failed to start due to the following error:
The system cannot find the file specified.

Yesterday I uninstalled Norton completely, and even followed the instructinos as shown to manually remove it from the registry, to try to rid my PC of it completely. But even after all that, with it gone, I'm still getting this same error message in the event viewer at the time of every crash. Wierd.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by just_a_nobody

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Generated

Event ID 7000 in this case is a symptom, not the whole story: it means Windows attempted to start a service whose executable or driver file was no longer present. That explains why saw the Norton-related event log noise even after uninstalling Norton, and why disabling the service removed the log entries but didn’t immediately stop the freezes. The fact that removing BlackIce cured the hangs points to a kernel-level conflict between security components (two products fighting for low‑level hooks), not a magical leftover “ghost” file.

Practical cleanup steps that are safe and repeatable:

  • Open Services (services.msc), double‑click the leftover Norton service and note the exact Service name (the short name shown in the dialog). Export the registry key at HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\<ServiceName> before any change.

  • From an elevated command prompt remove the service by short name:

    sc delete <ServiceName>

    If that fails, delete the exported registry key and reboot. Always have a restore point or full image before editing the registry.

Further troubleshooting (when freezes/BSOD persist):

  • Use Autoruns (Sysinternals) to find and disable leftover drivers/services/startup entries (look under Drivers/Services).
  • Enable small memory dumps, collect minidumps from C:\Windows\Minidump, and analyze with a dump viewer to see the offending driver/module. That will point to whether it’s an audio driver, firewall, anti‑cheat, etc.
  • Run hardware checks: memtest86+ for RAM and a full HDD surface test. Update chipset and device drivers if dumps implicate them. Use Driver Verifier only as a diagnostic (it will force BSODs when it finds a bad driver).

About reinstalling Windows: and are correct that a clean install will definitely remove persistent low‑level components, but it’s a last resort. Often sfc /scannow or a repair install restores replaced Microsoft files and resolves conflicts without full formatting.

Checklist distilled from the thread: remove stale service entries (sc/regedit), scan minidumps, test RAM, use Autoruns to find kernel hooks, avoid running multiple kernel firewalls/IDS simultaneously, and reserve format/reinstall as the final option.

Recommended Answers

All 13 Replies

Member Avatar for just_a_nobody

You may need to download the Norton removal program which will remove Norton entries in the registry. http://www.majorgeeks.com/Norton_Removal_Tool_SymNRT_d4749.html

Then go into Windows Explorer, and delete any Norton and Symantec folders. Also, go to Start?Run/type in msconfig then go to Startup tab, and uncheck anything with Norton or Symantec referenced.

Member Avatar for Powder

I can't use the norton removal tool on my version (corporate)

Member Avatar for just_a_nobody

Perhaps you missed one of the registry entries.

Member Avatar for Powder

I've checked & rechecked. If I missed something then its hiding pretty good.

Member Avatar for just_a_nobody

Did you go into Windows, and delete anything related to Norton, also, check Program files/Common files, and look in there too.

Member Avatar for Powder

Yup. I've deleted anything to do with Symantec or Norton from anywhere that I could find it.

Member Avatar for just_a_nobody

Do you see any processes running in the task manager that relates to them?

Member Avatar for Powder

Do you see any processes running in the task manager that relates to them?

No processes. Here is where I am so far...

The reason I was getting the auto-protect error in the event viewer was because there was still a service for it on automatic and it was looking for something that wasn't there, so that's why I got the errors. I disabled this and I'm still locking up, but now no errors in event viewer. I'm now convinced that this is not a Norton issue, but still a security issue. Also in add/remove programs, I notice that there was a security update installed 2 days ago. I uninstalled this and it still freezes. In the middle of all this, I caught a BSOD with my audio driver. I think nothing of it, probably just a system hiccup, but I updted that driver anyway.

So now after all this the only thing I can do now is wait and see if it freezes again. If it does, then I'm gonna reseat my RAM. If it still does, I'm gonna turn off my firewall. If it still does, I don't know what I'll do, maybe kill myself just kidding. I'm gonna stop posting now so that I don't get pissed of if my PC freezes again after I typed all this out.

Member Avatar for Powder

I uninstalled BlackIce 2 days ago and I haven't locked up since. I'll just settle for using the Bit Defender firewall.

Member Avatar for just_a_nobody

Glad you got it fixed.

Member Avatar for jwenting

Norton replaces some Microsoft files when you install it with its own and doesn't remove those when you uninstall Norton (at least some Norton products do this, maybe not all).

The ONLY way to get rid of those products is to reinstall Windows from scratch (format harddisk, install Windows), just running a system repair won't do it as the Windows installer won't notice the files are not its own.

Member Avatar for kc0arf

Hello,

This is one of the few times that I will agree with Mr. Wenting. Formatting and rebuilding from scratch is the only way to remove the Symantec parasite from your system.

Christian

Member Avatar for just_a_nobody

Perhaps, but I have removed Norton from a lot of computers, but I have never did the corporate version. There are tools at the Norton site that is supposed to uninstall Norton, but it does not do the most thorough job, so removing it, from the registry, was a real hassle, but it worked. I think it was quicker, manually removing Norton, from the registry, rather than doing a complete install.

I hate Norton!

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