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  1. Hello again,
    I hate to keep posting here because I think I’m fairly computer literate…but I am baffled once again. On Sunday 11/9 I replaced our old Windows 98, slower than molasses, heaping piece of junk PC that the kids use. I got an eMachines EL1200 1.6Ghz AMD 2650e processor with 1GB RAM and Windows XP Home...all for $300 with an 18.5 wide-screen LCD monitor included. For that price, for the kids, it’s a steal.
    Anyway, I remove all the bloat-ware and I try hooking it up to my network and that’s when all the problems start. My main PC (a Gateway) can’t see it or ping it but the eMachine can access and ping the Gateway. I come to find that the stupid trial of Norton 360 (on the eMachine) is blocking the Gateway from seeing the eMachine. I set the permission to allow network access in Norton and viola, my Gateway can now see and access the eMachine. Gateway still can’t ping the eMachine, but at this point, who cares as long as I can transfer files. Considering that I won’t purchase Norton 360 when the trial ends, I decide to uninstall it and install AVG Free. All goes well but every time I try to update the virus definitions, I can’t connect to the update server. It tells me there is no internet connection…yet I am surfing the web all the while. Next I install Adaware and Spyware Blaster. Again, neither program can connect to update definitions. The firewall appears to be set correctly and disabling it doesn’t help either. To make matters worse, my Gateway once again cannot see nor access the eMachine. I’ve pulled my hair out trying to reestablish the connection but I can’t.
    I’m ready to do a complete system recovery(factory setup) and start from scratch but I’m looking for advice that may help me avoid the same problems.
    Thanks to those smarter than me,
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  2. aBigMeanie aedipuss's Avatar
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    norton is a bitch to get rid of. download the removal tool.

    http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Uninstallers/Norton-Removal-Tool.shtml

    take your new comp offline. it can take as little as 5 minutes for an unprotected comp to be infected, if it's online.

    run the removal tool. reboot. run it again. reboot. then it may be gone.

    then uninstall avg, reboot, reinstall.
    you may have to do the same with anything else that can't get online.
    --
    "a lot of people are better dead" - prisoner KSC2-303
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  3. Member
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    New ? ... Xp home

    1: Check for sp2 install (if not installed, get it asap)

    2: Considering the software products affected deal with malware and such, head to http://www.malwarebytes.org/ , download, install, and let it rip.

    3: After dealing with objects found by malwarebytes, reboot system and try updating those programs once more

    If the nortons clean out fails, head to control panel > adminstrative tools > services > locate all synmatec services > stop / disable / apply / ok

    Reboot and try again
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  4. Thanks for the advice aedipuss & BJS. Crazy as it sounds, yes new with XP. Units must have been found laying around in some warehouse collecting dust??? Advertiesed new, not refurb. Already had SP3 installed. Also, already tried Malwarebytes. Wouldn't update and scan found no malicious threats.

    Nonetheless, you both gave me options to try. I've wasted the better part of Sunday & Monday night fooling with this so I may give it a rest tonight. Once I try I'll post back with results.

    Thanks
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  5. Video Restorer lordsmurf's Avatar
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    AVG became such a pain in the ass that I replaced it with Avira a couple of months ago. If you want e-mail protection for Outlook, add ClamWin to it.
    Want my help? Ask here! (not via PM!)
    FAQs: Best Blank DiscsBest TBCsBest VCRs for captureRestore VHS
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  6. The Norton removal tool from aedipuss did the trick. Thank you very much. Everything works perfectly now.

    You know, it's very frustrating though, what these software manufacturers make us go through. Sure, the computer was cheap due to the pre-installed software but as the user I have the choice as to which software I am going to use. I uninstalled the Norton trial...even cleaned out the registry with CCleaner AND STILL NORTON WAS F'ing up how I want my system to run! They get their claws in and make it almost impossible to get rid of...IT'S BS.

    Sorrry for the rant but I needed to vent.

    Thanks again for the helpful link.
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  7. Mod Neophyte Super Moderator redwudz's Avatar
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    Not defending Norton, but many anti-virus programs are difficult to remove. They do this so they are harder for malware to disable them. I've had to boot to 'Safe Mode' at times to remove some anti-virus programs. At least Norton provides a removal tool.
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  8. Member ahhaa's Avatar
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    AVG seems to have some problems, this may help:

    Yesterday, a signatures update pushed by AVG falsely labeled a critical Windows file as a banker malware, prompting the company to quickly fix the issue and issue a workaround, following end users complaints at its support forums.

    AVG’s false positive causing downtime for Windows users is happening a week after Rising antivirus apologized to its customers for falsely detecting Outlook Express as malware leading to loss of emails, and yes, productivity too.

    The impact of the false positive leads to a continuous reboot cycle :

    more at http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=2158
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  9. Could be 2 things, in these days anti-virus and firewalls run a service at kernel level when they are stopped they keep the status because they change things in registry so they close the ports except 80 and 443 for browsing. before doing any thing you have to turn off the protection then remove it. Try to set AVG to go through port 80 like browsing. It could take some tackling. Mean while to be protected download AVG updates and apply manually. Comodo internet security is free firewall plus anti-virus I would check that too. The 2nd thing is if you have not uninstalled Norton it conflicted with AVG and it did not install correctly. Check services see there are any Norton services running and stop them. If you wanted to delete the services from registry and it didn't let you , right click on the folder/key then permission and change it to full control so it can be removed.
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  10. aBigMeanie aedipuss's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by mattman1968
    The Norton removal tool from aedipuss did the trick. Thank you very much. Everything works perfectly now.

    You know, it's very frustrating though, what these software manufacturers make us go through. Sure, the computer was cheap due to the pre-installed software but as the user I have the choice as to which software I am going to use. I uninstalled the Norton trial...even cleaned out the registry with CCleaner AND STILL NORTON WAS F'ing up how I want my system to run! They get their claws in and make it almost impossible to get rid of...IT'S BS.

    Sorrry for the rant but I needed to vent.

    Thanks again for the helpful link.

    you are welcome for the tool. i will say though, that i much prefer norton products to avg. i have used norton protection for the last 10 years or there about. i have tried other free products like avg 7&8, but always go back to norton systemworks. i pick up the latest versions at fry's . com whenever they show up "free" after rebate, so i haven't actually spent a dime on them in many years. and norton actually sends the rebate check every year!
    --
    "a lot of people are better dead" - prisoner KSC2-303
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  11. Forgot to comment on your $300 deal for that price you could have put together a dual core.
    G30 mother board $50 + 2gig DDR2 6400 $25 after rebate + CPU around $70 if your power supply is 250W thats all you need and you could have spent the rest around $150 on a brand new monitor a 22" I would say.
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  12. Member
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    Originally Posted by INFRATOM
    Forgot to comment on your $300 deal for that price you could have put together a dual core.
    G30 mother board $50 + 2gig DDR2 6400 $25 after rebate + CPU around $70 if your power supply is 250W thats all you need and you could have spent the rest around $150 on a brand new monitor a 22" I would say.
    There are a few more things that would prbably be needed. A newer OS than win98, and a hard drive. Possibly a new power supply, optical drive, mouse, and keyboard too, if the old ones have seen a lot of use.

    If it meets his kids' needs in the short term, and that's all he wants it for, it was an OK buy.
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  13. Usually Quiet beat me to the punch, but thank you INFRATOM for pointing out what could have been done. Although I'm sure I'm quite capable, I have no interest in building a computer. Also, as UQ stated, I would still need an OS among other things. My kids are 5 & 7 and don't need the latest tech/blazing speed. Consider that refurbs with 256-512mg RAM, 40GB hard drives, and slower processors AND NO MONITOR are consistently going for $199 & up at tigerdirect, Frys, etc...I think this is perfect. Perhaps I should have left that info out & just stated the original problems with Norton & misc. updates. Nonetheless, aedipuss gave me the solution that I needed and that's all I wanted.

    Thanks everyone
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