Norton Systemworks/Antivirus - Warning!

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

06/01/2005 09:54:07 AM · #1

If you use Symantec Norton Systemworks and maybe even just Norton Antivirus, I have a warning for you, a real problem, and thankfully, a solution.

I was cleaning up my dwindling disk space, and I found in the recycler\nprotect directory on one drive 80,000 files. Norton protected recycle bin claimed to have purged all files, and in fact, these were orphaned because it also did not offer to recover any files on these drives. I am not sure what caused this problem, but in investigating, I have found that it's a problem with almost all versions of Systemworks (and again, maybe also stand-alone NAV).

I spent a lot of time yesterday searching for a solution to deleting those 80,0000 files and another 40,000 on another drive. There are lots of people with the problem, but it took quite a while to find someone who had the solution. So I thought I would write and share it with my friends here.

Check if you have the problem:

1. When you are ready to purge your files, Right click on the recycle bin, and tell Norton to empty norton protected files on all drives.

2. Open a command window, "Start->Run->Cmd"

3. On the drive of interest, e.g., C, type "dir recycler\nprotect" (no quotes)

4. You may see a lot of files still!

5. Try deleting them! Some may delete, but eventually, you will probably hit files that give an error and won't delete. No normal method of deleting, including extreme ones like the program moveonboot, or going into safe mode, will delete them.

6. The solution is a very cryptic command, but it works. To delete these files on the c drive, you would type:

rd /S "\\?\C:\recycler\nprotect"

According to a couple of MS articles, the problem is that these file names use reserved words and the system won't delete them because of a reserved word check:

//support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320081
//support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315226

Kudos and thanks to the original poster who solved this problem for me, his post is here:
Original Post with Solution

I am a long time symantec user, and I even have some of their stock. But I am not buying or installing Systemworks anymore. This isn't the only problem I've had. In fact, when I recently upgraded from Systemworks 2003 to 2005, now, despite several uninstalls and cleans per Symantec's instructions, Liveupdate no longer updates NAV correctly. I does update the definitions, but the program is behind and it cannot download the upgrade. I am seriously considering returning the latest upgrade on their money back guarantee (I'll give them credit for at least offering that, unlike many software companies).

BTW - I cleared 3 GB of orphaned space on my drive by deleting these rogue files!

glad2badad

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

Lensbaby Sweet 35 Optic

06/01/2005 10:35:07 AM · #2

Thanks for the heads-up. I'm still using NAV 2002 and the directory you've mentioned does not exist on my PC. NAV 2002 may not have all the bells & whistle of newer versions, but it still gets the most current dat files and updates with LiveUpdate. I use this on most of the PC's here by just renewing every year, actually I use NAV 2001 on my wifes PC. Knock on wood, we've been pretty clean...

wewillexplore

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

06/01/2005 10:38:09 AM · #3

I have Norton 05 and didn't have the files either.

justine

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

06/01/2005 10:39:40 AM · #4

Yes, not found on 05 and I'm glad that's a lot of junk.

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

06/01/2005 10:50:25 AM · #5

A note to those looking: the folder "nprotect" is hidden. You may have to unhide it to see it in windows explorer or have hidden folders set to show hidden files and folders.

For those of you who just have NAV (any year), does it install the norton protected recycle bin? Note that if it does, then you do have an nprotect directory.

It may be that my rogue files came only from Systemworks 2003, which is what I had installed until a week ago when I upgraded. It seems like the files that are newer in the nprotect directory had names that were more than just numbers followed by a period; I think that's the key to the naming conflict with Windows protected files.

undieyatch

Olympus E-10

06/01/2005 11:25:23 AM · #6

nshapiro - A question for item one: "1. When you are ready to purge your files, Right click on the recycle bin, and tell Norton to empty norton protected files on all drives."

How do you talk to Norton through the recycle bin?

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

06/01/2005 11:33:34 AM · #7

Originally posted by undieyatch:

If norton is installed and protecting delete files, then right clicking on the recycle bin (or the "Norton Protected Recycle Bin" if it changed the name, will show you the option: "Empty Norton Protected Files" just above the option "Empty Recycle Bin".

If it's not there, then Norton Protection for deleted files may not be installed on your system. In that case, if you have the nprotect folder under recycled, it could be old (perhaps you uninstalled norton). Or maybe you have NAV standalong (rather than systemworks), and the Norton Protected Recycle bin isn't part of that, or works differently there.

You can safely skip that step in any case. I was just giving norton a chance to delete its own files.

Nelzie

Canon EOS-30D

06/01/2005 11:40:26 AM · #8

Originally posted by glad2badad:

It's not Norton AV that does this, just the Whiz-Bang Super Duper Deluxe Norton System Works package.

coolhar

Canon PowerShot Pro 90 IS

06/01/2005 12:31:29 PM · #9

Man, am I glad I don't use that stuff on my computer.

brianlh

Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

06/01/2005 01:00:10 PM · #10

On another note, I've never had troubles with Norton before but ever since installing System Works '05, I've been having a lot of compatibility issues. Anyone else?

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

06/01/2005 01:24:45 PM · #11

Originally posted by brianlh:

On another note, I've never had troubles with Norton before but ever since installing System Works '05, I've been having a lot of compatibility issues. Anyone else?

Yes, Systemworks 2005 is incompatible with itself. It can't even properly update itself.

But the problems I am having are partly a problem with updating from Systemworks 2003. But the symantec website papers on how to get around the error message it produces doesn't work. And of course, I don't want the protected recycle bin anymore.

Now the question for me is whether to just ditch all of systemworks. I probably will, but that means I probably would want to buy a new defragger. I figured buying Systemworks 2005 for about $5 after rebates got me a year of updates and an update to Norton Speeddisk. But I had also downloaded a copy of perfectdisk, and I might just give that a whirl.

brianlh

Canon EOS-450D Rebel XSi

06/01/2005 01:36:49 PM · #12

Originally posted by nshapiro:

But the problems I am having are partly a problem with updating from Systemworks 2003. But the symantec website papers on how to get around the error message it produces doesn't work. And of course, I don't want the protected recycle bin anymore.

Now the question for me is whether to just ditch all of systemworks. I probably will, but that means I probably would want to buy a new defragger. I figured buying Systemworks 2005 for about $5 after rebates got me a year of updates and an update to Norton Speeddisk. But I had also downloaded a copy of perfectdisk, and I might just give that a whirl.

Sounds similar to my boat - not sure if you're running '05 or '04 now, but I also had '03 prior to this installation. I read on amazon that some people were having trouble with it, but figured that it must've been those "inexperienced" folk that didn't know their floppy from their USB. Anyway, I'm thinking of uninstalling 2005 and installing 2003 again - supposing that it wouldn't raise any new issues.

I also got 2005 cuz it was essentially free when I got it - and I like Systemworks for Speed Disk and the Antivirus primarily.. Disk Doctor (I think that's what it's called) seems nice as well.. but I hardly use anything else. :sigh: When does 2006 come out?