Windows update for 1709 refuses to install saying Symantec Endpoint Protection is installed - but it's not installed

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Windows update for 1709 refuses to install saying Symantec Endpoint Protection is installed - but it's not installed

 

I think this might be a fairly common problem, because I've seen it all over Google, but I have not found the right solution yet.

 

Microsoft wanted to push Windows update 1709 to my computer, but it keeps failing saying Symantec Endpoint Protection has to be removed first. I removed SEP the first time I got that message, but it keeps coming back with the same error. I downloaded a program

from the Symantec website called "clean wipe" which is supposed to remove every trace of SEP from the system, including files, folders, registry settings, everything - no dice.

 

I manually searched the registry for the string "symantec" and manually removed everything I could find. No dice - Windows update is still insisting I need to remove SEP from the system before the update can install.

 

Some people said if the update finds even the installation package of SEP anywhere, the update will fail, so I searched the entire C: drive for the string "symantec", and found some install programs I'd accumulated over the years and was just storing

in a folder somewhere and deleted them. Still no dice.

 

This first happened about November or December last year. I've run the "fix" program numerous times, and had to re-download the Update several time. This is getting annoying. I would try for awhile, get busy with other things, come back again,

a few times over. I would like to fix this once and for all.

 

What do I need to do?

 

Paul

 

 

 

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