I just reformatted my laptop to factory-fresh, just-out-of-the-box spec, both to clear out old junk files and to repair a software issue. Unfortunately this means all the trialware that came with the laptop was reinstalled as well, including the Norton Antivirus trial.
I don’t use Norton. I hate it. I want it dead and gone from my computer, totally and permanently and beyond recovery. This is something I have never been able to do - no matter how much Norton/Symantec software I delete and uninstall, how many times I run Find on my drives to try to hunt it down, no matter how many times I say I don’t want to register for Norton, it keeps coming back, like some sort of digital zombie. Even when I think I’ve eradicated it - nope! I get that damn Norton security warning whenever I try to do, well, anything. Even though the trial is expired and the files deleted/uninstalled, somehow Norton still wants me to be aware of a “threat” (which is invariably something I’m deliberately trying to do) and confirm/deny the operation in question. It’s more insidious than any virus I’ve ever gotten and I’m sick of it.
So, how can I eradicate this worthless pile of bits and bytes? What programs can I run, and what files can I delete, to make sure that I never, ever see the words Norton or Symantec or that goddamn yellow pop-up warning box again?
Please help, I’m at my wits’ end here!