XP Pro behaving badly

[lohearn]

A few weeks ago I installed a new hard drive into my computer. Transfered all my files to the new drive and made it the boot drive. Of course Norton System Works 2003 totally freaked out. I know, should have uninstalled it before the hardware change but I didn't.

Tried to uninstall it couldn't. Tried to reinstall it, couldn't. Used symclean and RNAV to clean out the system and tried reinstall again. No dice, still got all kinds of error messages. Went into regedit, removed everything the Symantec site said to and rebooted. Lost the internet! Used system restore to go back to a point before I removed the symantec registry entries and the inetrnet was back and so were the invalid Norton registry keys.

Tooled around with it for a few days, figured all I really needed was antivirus. Did the RNAV again, clean out the NAV registry entries and was able to insalled that. After NAV installed though I now can't shut down the computer or logoff users.

Okay, tried to do a repair install of XP Pro, that had an error message but continued along with the install. Now, still can't shut down or log off users and have now lost system restore!

HELP! I'm getting entry point not found errors. I have the OEM version of XP Proand we all know MS won't support that!

[HeadBand]

sounds like its time for a format...just set the other drive as a slave and use it to store your important data then reformat the otherone and do a fresh install od windows

[thekingofpain]

Ive ghosted sound drives w/Norton on them no prob---Norton can be simply uninstalled from your start menu but it shouldnt have been an issue---how did you initially transfer the old to the new?

[Undeadlord]

What is it with Norton and HP installing things that become impossible to unistall when there is an error. GRRR.

I think Headband has a good idea, use that slave for data backup and just reformat the mother. Even if you manage to get it to where you want it without reformating you know there is gonna be tons of Norton crap strewn about the registry that has no business being there.

Undeadlord

[lohearn]

**Sigh** I was hoping to avoid the big format. Okay, I can't tell you how many times in the last 4 years I have had to do a fresh install of an operating system. I've used back-up and file copy to keep my files safe and sound. Neither way works great as my settings all disappear, other programs sometimes will not function properly.

Anyone have a great way to back-up data that preserves user settings? I'm getting sick of reinventing the wheel.

[Foggy]

"Anyone have a great way to back-up data that preserves user settings? I'm getting sick of reinventing the wheel."

Yes, get yourself a spare HDD and slave it to your CDROM or Burner, and ghost the whole sys. once you get it up and running with everything you want installed, once you do this and as long as it is working without errors you can ghost it anytime you want to backup new programs or data, it will over write the HDD.
I'v been doing this since ghost came out and even before with drive image, if everything goes gunney sack I'm up and running in less then 20 min.

[lohearn]

Ghost is geat, used it before. Don't have a ghost image though to work with this time. Do you think if I use the files and settings wizard to transfer everything to the slave drive, then use the wizard again to transfer back to the main drive after a fresh install would work?

Opinions please.