Symantec = Fail or windows cannot load the user's profile

So I recently started fixing personal computers again recently and remembered why I hate doing it. Anyways I was asked to look at a slow laptop. After taking it home I connected to the internet after noticing it appeared to be virus free. I ran a defrag and it ran some updates.

After doing this and rebooting I saw a screen I didn't like.I was getting aa 16bit 640x480 welcome screen. It gave me the error: windows cannot load the user's profile but has logged you on with the default profile system. Detail - Insufficient system resources exist to complete the requested service.Ugh and it was giving me an error about bcmwltry.exe. So I rebooted into safe and tried to do a restore. To earlier that day it succeeded but I was getting the same problem. So I tried to before I had touched it and it wouldn't restore. :( I then removed the Dell Wireless utility to at least get rid of the bcmwltry.exe error to see if I would get anymore.

I also created a new user just to check. After rebooting I then selected the new user and get the following error: userinit.exe the application failed to initialize properly 0xc000012d. After looking around I found two forums mentioning Symantec Antivirus as a possible culprit after it had gotten a update of some kind. I am sure while I had it connected to the internet it had done this.

So let me state first off. I have already had numerous problems with various versions of Symantec in the past, don't like it and if I have the choice I uninstall  it. I hadn't done this yet because the user had a up-to-date subscription and I hate to remove a product that someone has paid a subscription for.

Continuing on with the story, I went ahead and in safe mode ran msconfig killed all symantec related startup items. Also disabled all the Services. A reboot later and still no go. I took it a step further in Safe mode. I renamed  the following three folders:

• C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared 
• C:\Program Files\Symantec
• C:\Program Files\Symantec Antivirus

I just added .old to the end of the folders. After a reboot I had the beautiful welcome screen I loved. And guess what, the system was speedy as all get up. That was a good enough excuse for me to remove Symantec. I renamed all three folders back to what they were and did an install of anything Symantec. 

After this I went about my normal computer cleanup steps and installed a free antivirus solution. I predict a very happy client.

MORAL OF THE STORY - Beware of Symantec - (aka If you start having problems with your computer check your Symantec Antivirus Software)