I think you just need to bite the bullet here and scrape the adhesive away, even if this means pulling away some of the paper facing of the drywall, and then patching it.

I wish that would work...There is SO MUCH of it! They went overboard with the adhesive. I have been scraping for days and have only made a dent. I'v e tried different kindsd of removers but it has been there for so long they really don't work. It either comes partially off or digs way into the drywall..so much that I would never be able to get the walls smooth again. I think covering is the only option. I am actually gong for a tuscan theme anyway. I saw where you can tint the patch and put it on like venetian plaster.....Anyone tried that?

You can fix damaged drywall; it certainly would be no more difficult than DIY venetian plaster.

If it were my wall, I would get a palm sander - or if on a budget, a hand sanding block - and go at it until everything you wanted gone was gone. Then I would vacuum the wall to get the debris and dust off. Next a coat of oil based primer. Then fill the deep holes with layers of joint compound. Then skim coat with joint compound, sand, repeat skim coat and sanding as needed. Then prime a final time with oil based primer.

If the holes are really deep, cover them with pieces of drywall tape for more structure.

The reason for the first coat of primer is to put a barrier between the drywall and the joint compound so that the drywall doesn't soak in the water from the joint compound. Some experts skip this step and things come out fine. This is what an old time painter told me.

I'm a self-taught DIYer, so maybe the experts here will have other opinions on how to do this. But, you CAN do it.

You could also consider screwing some new drywall over it. Then you could start fresh, but this may involve removing and replacing trim.

I haven't tried sanding yet. I was a little leary doing that as the paint has been on there for many years...does anyone know when they stopped using lead based paint? The house was built around 1970.

According to sites on the internet, they reduced lead in paint in 1950s and again in 1970. I live in an old, old house and have been scraping and sanding. I wear a mask. I had my lead levels checked and they are fine. If you don't have children in the home and keep the pets out of the room for a time, I wouldn't worry about lead.

If your house was built between 1960-1978, they say there is a 25 percent chance that lead based paint was used. Lead based paint was completely banned in 1978. There are testing kits you can buy to check.

If you have a heat gun or access to one, you might try heating up the adhesive to see if it will soften to make it easier to scrape.