Mike, Steve
Thanks for comments:
I am always in admin mode as it is my laptop and no-one else gets to it.
I have tried all advice on the knowledge base except the ms cleanup. I have lost count of the number of times I have uninstalled and re-installed. Initially, I found that it would not de-install completely so I followed the knowledge base to clean up all the leaks. It took 2 hours - how on earth ordinary folk are supposed to go through these detailed routines escaped me. They are OK for the semi-literate (like me) but are far too complex and time consuming for your average user.
So, in summary. Admin mode, full deinstall/purge, firewall off, and still error on the redirector.
Maybe a symantec insider will enlighten us as to what the redirector does and can it be ignored