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Symantec Live Update Fun

Had Norton SystemWorks 2002 for a while, then upgraded AntiVirus to 2004. Worked fine for quite some time. Recently I reformatted my hard drive and reinstalled this duo. Now I’m getting an error that I Subscription Client Update failed LU1812. I’ve got no clue why this is happening. Following Symantec’s instructions to completely uninstall and reinstall didn’t work, nor did updating Live Update or any other step they gave.

Live Update Error

Curious if anyone else out there ran across this, and if anyone resolved this problem.

36 replies on “Symantec Live Update Fun”

I had the same problem a while back with my son’s computer–it simply would not download updates. We contacted Symantec and they emailed us a patch which we installed, and once that was done it was fixed.

I had to use my recovery CD because I was having other problems with my computer. After I installed Norton Systemworks 2004, the same problem with error LUI812 happened and is still happening. I went to Symantec’s website and followed their instructions and it didn’t work. I don’t even know what that update is for – it is called Subscription Client Update.

I had the same problem with subscription client update. What it turned out to be was a Windows Firewall issue. I went into Control Panel -> Security Center. Scroll to the bottom and click on Windows Firewall. Click on the Exceptions tab and make sure LiveUpdate is checked. If it is not listed, add the program to the exceptions list, and again, make sure it is checked after you add it in. This is the path I have for LiveUpdate if you are looking for it on your system: C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\LUALL.EXE (default path Norton installs to). Hope that helps.

Backslashes didn’t seem to show up above. Trying again:
C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\LUALL.EXE

I had this same issue after wiping a computer and reinstalling NIS 2004 on W2K SP4. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling about 8 times with various changes during the install. I used the NIS 2004 removal tool from Symantic, but nothing worked. I searched the Internet and found nothing specific about this issue. I contacted Symantec technical support and they couldn’t help me. I finally resolved the issue using these steps (reboot AFTER EACH STEP):

1) Uninstall all Symantec programs using Add/Remove Programs
2) Run the NIS removal tool (symnrt.exe – available at Symantec site)
3) Delete any remaining Symantec folders in programs files and C:\documents and settings\all user\applications\symantec. Delete all files in c:\temp and c:\winnt\temp. Clear the IE cache.
4) Download and install the latest LiveUpdate client from Symantec.
5) Reinstall NIS 2004.
6) Disable automatic liveupdate as soon as you can open NIS 2004. Run LiveUpdate from inside NIS 2004 and deselect subscription services and definition/content/security updates. ONLY DO PROGRAM UPDATES.
7) Run LiveUpdate from inside NIS2004. Continue to deselect subscription services and all definition/content/security updates. ONLY DO PROGRAM UPDATES. Repeat this step and reboots until there are no program updates left to do.
8) Run LiveUpdate from inside NIS2004. Deselect subscription services and do all definiton/content/security updates. Repeat this step and reboots if required until only subscription services is left.
9) Delete all files in c:\temp and c:\winnt\temp. Clear the IE cache again. Run LiveUpdate from inside NIS 2004. In subscription services, there should be 3 updates listed. DESELECT ALL BUT THE CLIENT UPDATE.
10) Run LiveUpdate from inside NIS 2004. Get any remaining updates.

Hope this is helpful.

Robcom99’s advice has worked for me – many thanks. After removing and reinstalling NIS about 6 times with no success on the subscription client update, this finally made it work – took a long time though, what with all those re-boots!!

We provide computer services and have been reselling Symantec products. After spending many of our own hours fruitlessly trying to install Symantec products, we began to consider our options. If you can install them successfully, more power to you! We’d not suggest removing them. But, if you do remove one of them, beware that you may never be able to re-install because of inadequate removal tools, procedures, etc.

The Symantec website is full of special tools and instructions for removal of their software – giving witness to the problem! Following any of these instructions is very iffy. We’ve had lots of systems where re-installation is even by an expert is frankly impossible. Only reinstalling Windows would seem to fix the problem.

We have communicated our concerns to Symantec management. One of our questions asked “what’s up? regarding fixing this” We received a telephone call from a fellow who “wasn’t technical”. He disavowed any knowledge of “a problem” even though our letter was very clear about what the problem is (not what causes it). We had asked for a status report regarding when the problem would be fixed. No acknowledgement of a problem and no answer to our question. Accordingly we had to plan a different approach.

After one more failed attempt we gave up on Symantec altogether. We wrote to their management informing them of our decision. No answer.

We still run into Symantec products on customer computers of course. Recently we had one that had to be uninstalled and, lo and behold, we could not reinstall it! This makes us even more circumspect if we encounter a Symantec install.

It’s too bad. The Symantec products seem to work pretty well when they’re there. But, they do slow down the boot process and all that stuff that goes into the registry is more than a bit worrisome. We’re using Zone Alarm and TrendMicro (PC Cillin) products now in trials to find a suitable replacement.

Martin: the Symantec instructions don’t work – that’s why everyone’s coming here looking for an answer!

If I get a spare day or so I will give Robcom99’s suggestion a try.

I’m using Systemworks 2005 Premier and get the same LU1812 Liveupdate error on NAV Program Update everytime no matter how many different ways I’ve tried to uninstall/reinstall.

I’m using norton system works primier 2005 and have the same problem that is live update error. i had tryd many things but not succeded

I have NIS 2004, and I ran into this same problem. The solution I used was to delete all the temporary files in my own PROFILE directory in addition to the Windows TEMP folder. In my case, I deleted all files in the following folder:

C:\Documents and Settings\Ian\Local Settings\Temp

Deleting all files in that folder, in addition to deleting files in the C:\WINDOWS\TEMP folder, allowed LiveUpdate to run correctly, patching the Subscription Client. Looks like LiveUpdate is incorrectly assuming that files it downloads into a temporary folder are up-to-date for the configuration of NIS being patched.

Sweet fix Ian!!
I messed with this for hours and Symantec was no help at all. Apparently this is an across the board problem with norton as we are running 2004, not NIS.

I have exactly the same problem with ‘Subscription client Update’, can someone explain to me in plain english which temporary files I need to delete to solve this problem.

C:\Documents and Settings\Ian\Local Settings\Temp
C:\WINDOWS\TEMP folder

I can’t find these folders, any help would be appreciated!!
Thanks

“C:\Documents and Settings\Ian\Local Settings\Temp” Replace “Ian” by your profile name (same as name you use to login into Windows)

You should be able to safely delete ALL the files in the 2 folders mentionend (which you should do from time to time anyway).

My problem with live update (SystemWorks 2003 with current subscription on an XP SP2 + current updates) is that live update runs, but I don’t get the little yellow box telling me that my def’ns are up-to-date. When I check the “status” box in the NAV section of Systemworks 2003, the date has not been updated either. I can download and run the weekly/daily “package”, but I’m on dial-up and the sucker’s 10meg!! The other weird thing – I manually click on the update icon, and it wants to download a 14.1k update file, which it says it does, but if I click about 5 minutes later, same request and result.

I have uninstalled/reloaded this sucker about 5 times now, and after spending 3-4 hrs on each occasion to get the required updates, the date I’ve reinstalled SystemWorks remains the date my def’ns are up-to-date, unless I download the 10+meg file I mentioned above.

I’ve turned off my Zone Alarm and have turned on MS’s built-in firewall, but I’m afraid to go further

I’m at Witts’ End! Any suggestions?

I had struggled with this very same problem all weekend, and was about ready to give up.

Merely by chance, when I downloaded the Windows Install Cleanup utility I was scrolling down the list of installed programs and came across a program called SymNet. There were two instances of it installed. They were listed as follows:

SymNet []
SymNet [2.0… etc]

I figured, since there are two installed and the first one seemingly “unidentified” due to the lack of version number… also they both began with “Sym,” assuming that it has something to do with Symantec, I decided to remove the “SymNet [].” (Symantec likes to leave a lot to the imagination.) Lo and behold, when I uninstalled it, the Symantec Redirector update installed successfully!!!!

You can’t imagine how happy I was when I solved a problem their tech support couldn’t help me with, aside from “Uninstall and Reinstall.” Maybe they just hire retards because they get reimbursed by the government?

LiveUpdate. Forget it! I tried all of these and I think Fred probably has the right idea. Get a different product. There is no way I can justify the hours and hours spent trying to make this POC work. If you are in IT as I am, you may see this as the inevitable chaos createded when profit hungry companies move product support offshore. I have received NOTHING of any use from Symantec Tech support. Useless, Useless, Useless. Vote with your dollars and send Norton/Symantec to the economic Hell the so richly deserve.

πŸ˜† yessss!!! has the same problem, with liveupdate for norton 2006 no way to get nortons redirector installed , no way to get norton autofix installed even deactivating firewall and alowing activex controls uninstaled norton 2006 and reinsltalled several times and no luck..no support big headaches and at last read godkillzyou solution and works!!

run windows installer cleaner select oldest symNet [xxxx] you have and run liveupdate again

norton redirector installls flawlessly now

thanks mate! πŸ˜‰

I could not agree more with dreghia’s comments. Many MANY lost hours.

Live update is bad news. And if you ever time out your connection during a live update you are sent to the LU code 1847 hell, never to return, no matter how many useless and stupid errands that tech support sends you on.

“Is your clock correct on your PC?” “Is your clock correct on your PC?” “Is your clock correct on your PC?” “Is your clock correct on your PC?”
Give me a break!

This has made me a believer in McAfee, which is what we run on our other machine.

Had exactly this problem 2 weeks after renewing my subscription to NIS 2004. Have spent 10 days of evenings uninstalling and re-installing following the web instructions and AutoFix tool. Then 10 days of evenings repeating this with the e-mail tech-support. Basically useless. Didn’t even read my repsonses and after 10 days stopped responding. Contacted “Customer services” who again ignored my problem, reset my account and said upgrade!………..aaaaaaaahhhh!

Will try Robocom99’s process. Hopefully…..!

Woody

Thanks Ian, thought I’d send my 2 cents. Have had this problem for some time and gave up for a long time, as it didn’t appear to affect NSW2004 operation, just the error during Liveupdate. Finally, I found some time to do some research and Googled my way to your post.
Deleting the Temp files fixed the problem.

Thanks again.

I’m having similar problem.tells me i entered wrong product key been trying different opitons for a week.

I have had the same issue with my version of NIS 2004 and like everyone else wasted many hours uninstalling, installing, restarting, running fixes from symantec, deleting temp files, playing with firewall settings etc. The only thing that finally worked was getting the updates off the archive server (see HeartsRus post ) and then running the update off the live server – this seemed to fix the problem.

As others have said – this type of problem should not occur with software such as this, and if it does, far better resources should be available to make it easier to fix. I will be looking at alternative software when my current subscription expires.

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