You are facing both problems in the same server? 

Normally this problem will get rectified if we reinstall the client.For removing you may required cleanwipe-- a utility to uninstall which you will get from symantec support. or follow the manual uninstall procedure given below
Manually uninstalling Symantec AntiVirus 10.1 client
 

Disable windows installer service before doing this..

its a left over /  corrupt install
download MS clean up utility
download it, remove it
install SAV again, thats it
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301 

@ AravindKM @Rafeeq Yes, both problems on same computer. This installation was done almost 1 year ago, it only started acting up a few weeks ago. I really dont want to uninstall and reinstall if I dont absolutely have to.

@jdrsmith I think the problem started right around an installation of Kiwi Syslog server that I uninstalled right after I installed it. Now I will have to find the DVD I burned it to.  Actually, it was a direct download from Symantec. I wonder if i can download it again, I have the nam certs. If I new the file extension the downloaded file had, I could start searching for it.

if you want to remove Symantec, download the same version which is installed then point the msi, 
if you want to uninstall it without that, then use the MS Cleanup utility will work without fail. 

hi seems like the installation is in loop, hence you may need to uninstall SAV completely from the system and need to reinstall.

Oh *^%#@ I just went through using makedrop to add client machines and local installs when makedrop failed.

grrrrr...

Or I can just live with it.

Do you have a copy of the same version software ?
If yes try by pointing to that msi file once..

Sure hope that works

Yes, Im hoping that will work. I included these screens just in case it sheds more light on the problem. When right clicking, it starts the installer then shows the blank passwords error. Then it shows the msi message, then the 1706 error comes up.

Stupid question Im sure, but is there a way to save a client list so if I must reinstall, I dont have to go through adding all the clients to the parent server? And that raises another question, does anything need to be done to the ex-clients before adding them back or does deleteing/replacing the grc.dat and server cert during the process cover it?

Will the discovery service streamline the adding clients process so I dont have to use the makedrop utility or do it locally to each PC or is that just to identify PCs with SAV installed?

Try by just running the msi file 

Pointed it to the msi, problem solved.