Yes. First of all you must never use any kind of belt dressing on serpentine belts. That will make road dust and dirt stick to it and make the squeal much worse. Now you'll need a new belt, but any dressing residue must be washed off all of the pulleys first.
Before the old belt is removed, sight along all of the pulleys to be sure they are in perfect alignment. If the belt appears to be peeking out-of-line on any pulley, that one can be expected to be worn, bent, or installed improperly. An out-of-line pulley will force the belt to slide across it as it goes around it. THAT'S where the squeal comes from assuming the belt is tight. Belt dressing or anything else that makes the belt sticky will make it harder for the belt to slide across the pulley, so the squeal will get worse.
Tug on the belt, (with the engine off, of course), to see if the spring-loaded tensioner pulley moves and retightens the belt when it's released. Sometimes rust forms in the pivot and the pulley won't hold sufficient tension on the belt.
To verify it really is a belt squeal, (when you aren't sure), lightly sprinkle a little water on the smooth back side while the engine is running and the noise is occurring. If the squeal changes, it's the belt.
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Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 AT 6:01 AM