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How can I fully remove Norton Antivirus from my system?

I've been having various problems working with chat boards and other sites, and a couple of people recommended to me that I remove Symantec's Norton Antivirus from my PC. That's fine, but I don't know exactly how to do that. Can you help me out?


Dave's Answer:

Generally, you remove applications by using the Windows utility for the task, but Norton Antivirus tends to get in a bit deeper into the system, so it's tricker to remove it completely. Here's how you can do that:

  1. Go to Start --> Control Panel --> Add/Remove Programs.
  2. Scroll down to your Norton program
  3. Click Change --> Remove All.
    You will be asked to restart your PC. Do so.
  4. Now go to Start --> My Computer --> Program Files. Right click on each Symantec folder and select Delete.
  5. While you are in Program Files go to the Common Files folder at or near the top of the Program Files window. Delete every Symantec folder there. And, again, restart your PC.
  6. Go to Start --> Search --> All Files and Folders --> More Advanced Options. Check each option except for "Case sensitive"
    Now type in Norton and delete each Norton folder from the search results (Again, right click, choose "Delete"). One more time, restart your PC.
  7. Repeat step 5 except type Symantec in the "Search" box.

The next step is trickier: go into the Registry.

  1. First thing to do is Back up the Registry. I'll be saying more about the Registry later. But suffice it to say that the presence of uninstalled security software in the Registry can conflict with newly installed security software and cause system freezes. So can folders of "uninstalled" programs for that matter.
  2. Once again, go to Start, then click on "Run". Type in "regedit"
  3. Go to the top of the Regedit window. Click (+) next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Go down the thread until you see Software. Click on Software and scroll down the thread until you see Symantec. Right click on Symantec and choose "Delete".
  4. From there go down to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and repeat step 3. Restart your PC.
  5. Click (+) next to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, now: Click (+) next to Software, Click (+) next to Microsoft, Click (+) next to Windows and Click (+) next to CurrentVersion.
  6. Select the Run folder. Right-click and delete each Symantec entry you see (if present). Restart your PC.

That should completely eradicate Norton Antivirus from your system!

Note: Symantec offers an uninstaller for NAV (Norton Antivirus) 5.0/2000/2001/2002/2003 which they say removes Norton from your Program Files and the Registry, but commentary on various discussion boards suggests that it might not work too well.

My thanks to David Rice, webmaster of PC1Stop, for his help with the details of this answer.
Update! There's more to it with the latest version of Norton, so I have a completely new article to help you out. Please see: How to FULLY remove Norton Antivirus Utilities from your PC, Take II.

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Categorized: Windows PC Help   (Article 4693, Written by )
Tagged: nav, norton, norton antivirus, remove norton
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Reader Comments To Date: 155

eorge said, on January 3, 2009 11:47 PM:

you guys should check out http://www.appremover.com

andrew said, on January 17, 2009 1:29 PM:

Hi Dave

I did everything that you outlined on how to remove Norton Anitivirus except step 5.

I cant remove -"symantec shared"under program files/common files

I am getting an error message saying
"cannot delete symlcnet.dll access is denied"

Please help

Thanks

Mallorie said, on February 4, 2009 7:52 PM:

Hey so when i try to delete norton i am able to go into control panel and begin the deleting process but before it completely deletes it freezes and it wont finish all the way and ive tried it 3 times. how do i fix this??

Mazarin07 said, on February 6, 2009 11:41 AM:

YOU ARE ALL WRONG!

You can remove Norton Virus check, but if you use the Google (or maybe Yahoo) Toolbar and gmail.com, Norton will reinstall itself, since this is the antivirus software used by these mail service providers.

so, why remove Norton, just to get viruses and trojans on your PC?

Jesper said, on March 3, 2009 10:38 AM:

I'm trying to install Norton 360 but it won't work. I appeared to have a virus (Adware Hotbar) but I think I've removed that now. However, it still won't install. Something about it can't find where to put it or maybe a registry problem.

smulis said, on March 25, 2009 11:12 AM:

Usefull topic. Finally i found where rest files were hiding. Thanx. BUT BE CAREFULLY AND MAKE WARNING THAT DELETING THOSE FOLDERS MAY RESULT YOU FOR IMPROPER WORK OF OTHER SYMANTEC PROGRAMS SUCH AS WINFAX! In my case- i deleted also WinFax from Symantec folder, cuz forgot abt that :/
Solution: just reinstal after all :)

bublee said, on March 26, 2009 10:07 AM:

I want to remove my norton antivirus completyely but when i am removing there is an error. i have tried your above mentioned point but still error. there is written first i uninstall then remove. so i don't know how to uninstall

Melissa said, on April 5, 2009 4:58 PM:

Hi Dave,
I read through your directions to uninstall norton anti-virus software, but when i go into the add/remove programme Norton anti-virus isn't there, but it appears when i do a folder and file search so i try to delete them but it says that "make sure that it is not write-protected or the disk is full" I can't seem to delete these files, can you please tell me how to delete these permanently as I have bought MacAfee antivirus software that I would like to install.
Thanks
Melissa

virakti said, on April 15, 2009 1:28 AM:

Hallo dave,
I had installed mcafee antivirus,but now i want to uninstall it,but unable to remove, as getting a message that there is error1721 & the program required for this install to complete could not be run,i am not able to install new updated antivirus.don"t know what to do?

Dibyendu Sasmal said, on April 22, 2009 4:47 PM:

Hallo dave,
I used a trial version of quick heal anti virus. i uninstalled it after the expiry date. now no antivirus is being installed. Please suggest how can I remove quickHeal completely from my computer.

With regards,

Dibyendu

Gadiy said, on May 8, 2009 9:51 AM:

Hi Dave,

I'm really lucky to have found your site. And also THANK you so so much for this post. I'm a vista user and i had this problem with Norton AV. The ridiculous Norton setup failed and damaged my registry and it affected especially MS Office, my right click button options, etc.

I've been hunting for a solution for 2 years! and I'm overjoyed to finally remove the condemn Norton AV. Your steps saved me from reformatting my comp, and also others who will come across this soon :)

I praise and thank God for guys like you.
Keep up the good work man!

Regards,
gadiy.

mylsoft said, on May 10, 2009 8:00 PM:

please try to use sytmetc remove tools

Karen said, on June 10, 2009 6:36 PM:

Dave, I followed the instructions that you gave. Restarted the computer and everything started and loaded up just fine. After a couple of days I deleted the backup that I'd made of the registry... MISTAKE!!!

Now I've found out that I can't download any files, either from the internet nor from email. It says it downloads or saves to 99% and then it just hangs there.

Any suggestions?? I lost the copy of Norton that I had in a fire and now I can't even re-install it.

HELP??!!??

Paul said, on June 29, 2009 3:58 PM:

Excellent walkthrough- found it very helpful. Tried to delete the Symantec folder, but said it couldn't for some reason. Found out that an Exe file was still running (AFTER I had installed the thing...). simply did cntl-alt-del to get rid of it. no problems after that. Cheers for the help- been trying for ages to get rid of the blasted program

silvia said, on July 24, 2009 8:09 AM:

Hi Dave,

I have read a lot of e-mails regarding the removal of Norton antivirus products. At the moment I am experiencing same issues. Once the program is removed, what is the best program you can recommend to keep my system protected. Is there any free on-only product. I bought a Norton 360 but have been unable to install due to issues with the old Norton 2003 I am trying to uninstall.

chode said, on August 18, 2009 5:29 AM:

HELP it sais i need information to delete these files from common files :S i am the computer adiminstator and have never had a problem like this before, this god damn nortan doesnt want to leave!

Becky said, on September 8, 2009 11:03 AM:

Hey Dave Um I Need help i cant remove norton anti virus and i tried to do what you said right at the top but it aint working because i dont have add/remove program soo help pleaseeee

RS said, on September 17, 2009 11:31 AM:

There's a lightweight utility called AppRemover which will completely remove several different Norton products automatically. It's a free download available at http://www.appremover.com/

RS said, on September 17, 2009 11:37 AM:

Oh, and here is a list of the applications it currently fully supports:
http://www.appremover.com/supported-applications

Tyson said, on October 20, 2009 10:30 AM:

Go to symantec

http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039

and download a norton removal tool. Thats the easiest way. Just ensure that you choose the one for the version you have

Christine said, on November 16, 2009 5:47 AM:

Hi Dave, I'm trying to uninstall norton, not sure how it got onto my system.
When i go into control panel i can't see where my ADD/REMOVE programs options is. Can you help me out.
In the programs and features i have options to uninstall a program, how to install new program, but when i go into these i cant see anything that say's it's norton.
In my security setting it tells me that Malware is off because Norton Internet Security is out of date, this is what i want to remove, i cant seem to install anything untill this has been removed.
I have had my pc for 3years and always used AVG.

Hope you can help

Rajim HArris said, on November 16, 2009 11:57 AM:

I too had that God-forsaken Norton on my CPU. I am on a network. I removed norton and now, I can't connect to the internet, although all the other computers that are on my network can. Oh, I'm using Vista (I know... It just keeps getting better...) Because I can't connect to the internet, I can't load my new anti-virus software... Help, please...

Ruth said, on December 4, 2009 8:49 PM:

Hi Dave once I uninstalled my Norton antivirus my computer could not connect to the internet when I checked my network its stating that my computer is connected to an unidentified network. It seems like my computer can't identify the network it's connected to. What could I do? It was working fine until I uninstalled the Norton. the other two computers that's connecting to the router are ok they can connect to the internet except for the main computer that's physically connecting to the router and modem.

Daniel said, on December 10, 2009 11:16 PM:

Hi,
I installed Trend Micro on my computer and when I bought my computer Norton had put their security on it. So I went to install both of them and then Trend stopped working. Now I can't delete Norton because I don't have the password to renew it because i threw the box in the bin. When I try to delete norton it says cannot find it. Can you tell me how to delete it?

Jan said, on December 14, 2009 10:21 AM:

Cheers A ++++ Dave Thanks for your site. I have tried on many many many attempts to remove Norton. I did it after reading your sight for the first time. And I did not have to pay a thing! Thanks for your add on the web. Getting help for free is a good thing! Thanks once again for your help! Now the norton is off. The norton has ideas for every thing, except for uninstalling the application. Cheer! Many Many Thanks A++++ And yes, I do have another Antivirus on my PC and it was conflicting. Mainly it would come on when I was in the middle of something and so I had to stop doing what I was doing as it would just hinder my progress.

kana said, on December 16, 2009 10:34 PM:

I want to make a live CD from Norton AntiVirus


It is possible ?

drajab said, on January 29, 2010 10:16 AM:

i like this site

Sara said, on February 14, 2010 10:10 PM:

I need help to remove this norton. I tried everything and i still hve the icon beside my clock. HELP!!!

Trevor said, on February 21, 2010 8:28 AM:

To uninstall Norton go to google and type in symnrt, download the tool and run it

Cathy Broughton said, on March 28, 2010 6:49 PM:

I have been following your directions for removing Symantec antivirus,but when I try to remove some of the files in the symantec folder I get "Cannot delete:access is denied" A couple of the filenames are fwEvent.dll and fwPlugin.dll. There are a few others.

Can you tell me why I am getting this and what I can do about it?

Thanks

Funkytown said, on March 29, 2010 10:21 PM:

Just thought I would say thanks for this article. Norton's been causing me problems for ages and no matter what I did it would not budge, but I followed your advice to the letter and it has finally gone!

Awesome site, gone straight into my bookmarks!

Thanks

akshay said, on March 30, 2010 10:14 PM:

how can i remove symantec coporation from computer its showing error ' you are attempting to uninstall a program that required for other symantec product to run on your pc you are unable to remove this program at this time' what should i do ??

jodie mitchell said, on April 1, 2010 6:01 AM:

hi dave,

Everytime time I start up my PC i get a pop up saying re-install NAV to your computer, I have tried to delete it as I have another antivirus software but I can not find it in unistall programs.
I tried your method above to delete Symantec but it will not let me delete that either.
How can I get rid of it fully?

Thanks

Alyssa Bachand said, on April 14, 2010 1:47 PM:

Dave,
I've been struggling with my Symantec lately. Every time I click on an icon on my screen, a small window pops up saying "please wait while Windows configures Symantec Antivirus" but then says "the network you are trying to use is on a network resource that is unavailable". It pops up so many times and is getting annoying.

Patricia Kirchner said, on April 17, 2010 10:15 AM:

HI Dave-on a fluke I found your website which is a plus to the day as my auto battery is dead...on the Norton virus subject..once installed via CD purchased from a store, how long is one protected? Must the protection be renewed?? I do not find answers to these questions in the booklet..typical of an informational 'booklet'. However I would appreciate hearing from you on this subject, and thank you for you. Patricia

Dave Taylor said, on April 22, 2010 9:26 AM:

Thanks for your query, Patricia. Anti-virus software needs to constantly update because new viruses are constantly released into the wild and virus writers are constantly trying to circumvent the anti-virus protection. It's annoying as heck, but if your app isn't checking and updating automatically every week, then something's wrong and you need to check your preferences.

Jim said, on May 19, 2010 8:34 PM:

I need a reply as soon as possible.
My Norton 360, 2.0 will expire Thursday, May 20, 2010. I can only have the Norton 360, 2.0 renewed on next Thursday, May 29, 2010. Can I download the Free Norton 360 from the Internet until next Thursday of next week?
Do I have to remove the present Norton 360, 2.0 before I download?

Thank you,
Jim
E-mail jsa3875003@aol.com


Claudia Thompson said, on June 16, 2010 8:48 AM:

I just went to the Norton website and clicked around till I found the right "Contact Us" link, then I found the Live Chat and a Norton Representative removed Norton from my computer, using Remote Desktop access. It took about 5 minutes.

Ries Companjen said, on July 24, 2010 10:00 AM:

Hi Dave,

Already quite some time ago the membership of the Norton Internet Security 2005 (!) from my father's PC wasn't refreshed and therefore I helped him by installing McAfee Antivirus with a full membership. Just before doing that I tried to uninstall Norton through Configuration -> Software. I hadn't used your webpage at that time and therefore did not make any further steps before installing McAfee.

Now is the problem that NIS 2005 still starts at the start-up of the PC and in no way will exit, even though it is no longer visible in the software list. Therefore it is impossible to remove any files from the PC that have something to do with the Norton software, because the system refuses this when the program is running. How will I be able to stop the program from running, so that I can remove all the Norton files from my father's PC? It is annoying, since the speed of the PC has been decreased by quite a bit now that it's running two AV-packages.

Regards, Ries (NL)

Perochak said, on November 24, 2010 8:57 PM:

Thanks dear for your nice Info. My Internet working properly.

Great Help.

bcr said, on December 14, 2010 6:41 AM:

pl tell me which is the best anti-virus in the year 2011 for home pc users who have network and financial transactions, banking on line.

Homer Mitchell said, on December 29, 2010 12:50 PM:

Thanks for your good advice, Dave. It appears that I finally, finally have completely removed Norton Anti-Virus from my computer.

Martin said, on January 16, 2011 11:45 AM:

Removed Norton anti virus on Windows Vista now cant get ontot he internet can you help?

Suzi said, on January 26, 2011 2:46 PM:

I've read all your latest suggestions but I do not see anything about removing Norton's from a Mac computer. I am running snow leopard and want to change to Intego. Can you help or suggest a site that might.

Thanks

bavitiran said, on May 29, 2011 10:58 PM:

bro i using a dells studio15
its always heat up faster n i using a i7 processor with 6gb RAM.
bt when i compare to others using i5 n 4GB RAM, mine always giving some problem like late start up, slower transferring any files, n etc y is it??
does my processor gt problem or any other parts??

David said, on July 12, 2011 1:43 PM:

My way or the highway.
Format and reinstall...
Sounds heavy but ooohh, your PC will be as reborn afterwards, trust me.
:)

Kitty said, on November 28, 2011 1:04 PM:

Hi Dave,I just deleted NAV,and installed Defender Pro 15-in-1,the problem is my computer has slowed down,doesn't display the page's sometime's,and it freeze's up at time's,also the little yellow update in progress sheild pop's up alot from NAV,it alway's stay's at 0%,but very annoying,how do I get rid of it?Thank you for your time.

Chris B said, on December 22, 2011 6:17 AM:

I have been althrough the instructions and Norton / Symantec has now gone from the list but Windows security alerts keeps coming up with Norton not turned on. Any ideas please.....

Widget said, on April 30, 2012 12:26 PM:

I had Norton for 3 yrs. Except for the fact it slowed my XPS considerably, I liked it. I removed it from my pc only to find that they had code also to disable/remove my cdrom drive. I contacted Dell and told them the problem. They confirmed it had been removed and corrected all the problems $130 later. I would never recommend Norton unless you don't plan on ever removing it or mind a slow system. I can't believe this company would do such a malicious thing.

khaima said, on August 4, 2012 1:37 AM:

hi
i buy norton antivirus to remove cooki from my pc
i setup my antivirus and update it and i make full scan to my pc and i well found cooki and trojan , norton removed they .
the problem cooki and torjan returen to my pc .
what i do ????

vincent said, on September 26, 2012 11:50 AM:

you mean i must totaly un install norton before i reinstill the norton proudct well that hell lot of work

sundus said, on October 27, 2012 7:40 AM:

Hi, i wanted to uninstall Microsoft office professional 2010 to install another version, but before removing finish i clicked in cancel, so its not removing and even the other version is not installing. it tells there are another groove installed, first remove it then install the other.
what can i do

#1 said, on October 31, 2012 5:16 PM:

HERE IS HOW TO DELETE ALL NORTON FOLDERS!
uninstall it normally than
turn on show hidden folders in your explorer settings than reboot in safe mode than once in safe mode delete away! i did this and it works just go into your files explorer in safe mode and delete all the norton and symtec folders, for some reason a virus keeps poping up in those folders so i had to get rid of them

Mike said, on November 8, 2012 12:32 PM:

After 20 years or so in personal computing, and owning/using no less than 15 computers over that period, here are the reasons that I have absolutely no use for any Norton anti-virus, and why I dissuade anyone that will listen not to use it:
1) Once it's installed, it's there forever -- unless you jump through flaming hoops to remove it -- or pay an "expert" to jump through the hoops. By definition, it's an infection -- a bad rash that never goes away.
2) Like any Norton product that has an expiration date, as that date nears, the program is designed to bug you endlessly about purchasing again/renewing -- always at full retail price. At least once a day, you are encouraged to believe a nuclear detonation in your computer is imminent unless you renew your Norton product.
3) Norton's definitions and terminology to describe any number of features or actions within the installation process and in its use are thoroughly counter-intuitive. I don't have time to take a 2 week course to understand the absurd, self-important language.
4) Forget customer service. Get it out of your mind, it's not going to happen. Try it once, twice, three times -- only then will you realize that help from Norton is a pipe-dream and inside joke.

Martin said, on December 21, 2012 2:37 PM:

I found this product call AppRemover, which worked great, it supports many OS and I need something to remove my AV from my Mac and this is one of the few that I found that worked well.

Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!











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