Since the beginning of time, I have used Norton SystemWorks to clean PC Registries - it was brilliant. Symantec stopped providing it a few years ago and offered us Norton 360 - I have seen this program destroy a Windows XP computer. So now we have Norton Utilities V15.0. My PC has two partitions, one with Windows XP (with SystemWorks)and the second with a brand new install of Windows 7.
Before completing the Norton Utilities (NU) install in Windows 7, the progam insisted on "optimizing" the PC. In Symantec speak, this means defragging the drive - no, because it is an SSD. A bad start! Ran the NU Registry Clean in Windows 7 - OK. Change partition to XP - all my desktop shortcuts in XP had disappeared! An hour later, my XP Desktop was back as it should be. Switching back and forth between the 2 partitions showed all was still OK with the XP Desktop.
In Windows 7, ran the NU Registry Clean again and it showed 100 errors. Funny, I thought, funny - nothing should have changed in the Windows 7 Partition since the previous visit - so what was NU finding? - guess what, it had removed all the desktop shortcuts in XP again. How can this perishing program jump a partition wall? - even a Norton Removal Tool keeps to the partition that it is operating within.
A whole day wasted, having obtained the Removal Tool, uninstalled NU, reinstalled Windows 7 (just in case NU had ruined it) and reconstructed my XP desktop shortcuts again. Do not go near Norton Utilities 15.0!