Buzz
Norton is an antivirus program designed to protect your computer from viruses and other malicious software. However, Norton can sometimes cause issues when you try to install other programs, and it may even slow down your computer. In such cases, disabling Norton can be an effective solution. If Norton causes system problems, uninstalling it might be the best option.
Steps
Disable Norton Antivirus (Windows)
Locate the Norton icon in the system tray. It is situated in the bottom-right corner of the Windows screen, near the clock, and contains icons for running programs. If you don’t see the Norton icon, click the "▴" button to reveal all hidden icons.
Right-click on the icon. This will open a small menu with various options. Select "Disable Antivirus Auto-Protect." This is the active component of Norton Antivirus. Disabling it will turn off the active virus protection mode.
Choose the duration. You can opt to disable virus protection for a specific period, until your computer restarts, or permanently. However, you should avoid browsing the web without enabling active protection.
Re-enable protection. If you’ve completed the task that required disabling virus protection, you can right-click the Norton icon again and select "Enable Antivirus Auto-Protect."
Uninstall Norton Antivirus (Windows)
Open the Windows program manager. You can access it from the Control Panel in the Start menu. Select "Programs and Features" or "Add or Remove Programs."
- Windows 8 users can press ⊞ Win+X and choose "Programs and Features."
Locate the "Norton Antivirus" entry. There may be several Norton-related items, but focus on the Antivirus one first. Select it and then click the Uninstall or Change/Remove button.
Decide whether to retain preferences. You’ll be asked if you want to keep your preferences (in case you plan to reinstall) or delete all data. If you want to completely remove Norton, choose to delete all settings, preferences, and files.
Choose whether to keep Norton Identity Safe. This is a password management tool that Norton recommends retaining. If you don’t wish to keep it, click "No, thanks."
Wait for the uninstallation process to complete. The uninstallation may take a few minutes.
Restart your computer. You’ll need to reboot your computer for the removal to take full effect. After restarting, Windows will notify you that there is no longer an antivirus program installed.
Download the Norton Removal Tool. This program, released by Symantec (the developer of Norton), will completely remove all Norton software from your system. It is particularly useful if Norton is not being uninstalled properly.
- Download the Norton Removal Tool by searching for "Norton Removal Tool" in your search engine. It will appear as the first result.
- Run the removal tool. You’ll need to accept the license agreement and complete a Captcha to prove you’re not a robot.
- Restart your computer after the removal tool finishes.
Uninstall Norton Internet Security (OS X)
Open Norton Internet Security. You can find it in the Applications folder.
Launch the uninstaller. Click Norton Internet Security → Uninstall Norton Internet Security. Press the Uninstall button to confirm.
Enter your administrator credentials. You’ll need to provide this information to delete the program.
Restart your computer. You’ll need to reboot your Mac to complete the uninstallation process.
Download the RemoveSymantecMacFiles utility. This is a program provided by Symantec (the developer of Norton) that helps remove all Norton software from your Mac. This utility is crucial because Norton tends to leave behind many residual files after uninstallation.
- Download the RemoveSymantecMacFiles utility by searching for "RemoveSymantecMacFiles" in your search engine. It will appear as the first result.
- Extract the ZIP file you just downloaded.
- Run the RemoveSymantecMacFiles.command file. Click the Open button to confirm.
- Enter your administrator password. You must have an administrator password; an empty password is not accepted and is not a secure way to protect your computer.
- Press the 1 key followed by the ⏎ Return key to delete all Symantec files. Press the 2 key to exit.
- Restart your computer by pressing the Y key followed by the ⏎ Return key.
