How to Turn Off Norton Antivirus

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Uninstalling Norton Antivirus (Windows)

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Uninstalling Norton Internet Security (OS X)

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Q&A

Norton is an antivirus program that is designed to protect your computer against virus infections and other malware. Norton can cause problems when you're trying to install other programs, and it can sometimes cause your computer to slow down. In cases like these, turning Norton off can be useful. If Norton is causing consistent problems, uninstalling Norton may be the best solution.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Disabling Norton Antivirus (Windows)

1
Locate the Norton icon in your System Tray. This is a collection of icons located in the bottom-right corner of your Windows desktop, next to the clock. These icons represent programs that are currently running. If you don't see the Norton icon, click the "▴" button to show all the hidden icons.
2
Right-click on the icon. This will open a small menu of options. Select "Disable Antivirus Auto-Protect". This is the active part of Norton Antivirus. Disabling it will turn off active virus protection.

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3
Select the duration. You can choose to disable your antivirus protection for a specific amount of time, until your computer restarts, or permanently. It is not recommended that you browse the internet without active protection enabled.
4
Reenable protection. If you're finished performing the task that requires antivirus protection to be disabled, you can right-click on the Norton icon again and select "Enable Antivirus Auto-Protect".

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Uninstalling Norton Antivirus (Windows)

1
Open the Windows program manager. You can access this from the Control Panel, which can be found in your Start menu. Select "Programs and Features" or "Add or Remove Programs".
- Windows 8 users can press ⊞ Win+X and select "Programs and Features".
2
Find the "Norton Antivirus" entry. There may be several Norton entries, but focus on the Antivirus one first. Select it and then click Uninstall or Change/Remove.
3
Choose whether or not to keep your preferences. You will be asked if you want to keep your preferences (in case you want to reinstall) or remove all your data. If you're getting rid of Norton, choose to delete all the settings, preferences, and files.
4
Choose whether or not to keep Norton Identity Safe. This is a password manager, which Norton would prefer you keep using. If you don't want to keep it, click "No, thanks".
5
Wait for uninstallation to complete. The uninstallation process may take a few minutes.
6
Restart your computer. You will need to reset your computer in order for the uninstallation to take effect. After rebooting your computer, Windows will inform you that you no longer have an antivirus installed.
7
Download the Norton Removal Tool. This is a program released by Symantec (Norton's developers) that will remove all traces of Norton software from your system. This is especially useful if Norton is not uninstalling correctly.
- Download the Norton Removal Tool by searching for "Norton Removal Tool" in your favorite search engine. It should be the first result.
- Run the removal tool. You will need to accept the license agreement and enter the Captcha to prove you're human.
- Reboot your computer after the removal tool has finished.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Uninstalling Norton Internet Security (OS X)

1
Open Norton Internet Security. You can find this in the Applications folder.
2
Start the uninstaller. Click Norton Internet Security → Uninstall Norton Internet Security. Click Uninstall to confirm.
3
Enter your administrator information. You will need to provide this in order to delete the program.
4
Restart your computer. You will need to restart your Mac for the uninstallation to complete.
5
Download the RemoveSymantecMacFiles utility. This is a program provided by Symantec (Norton's developer) that removes all traces of Norton software from your Mac. This is important, because Norton tends to leave a lot of things behind after it is uninstalled.
- Download the RemoveSymantecMacFiles utility by searching for "RemoveSymantecMacFiles" in your favorite search engine. It should be the first result.
- Extract the ZIP file that is downloaded.
- Run the RemoveSymantecMacFiles.command file. Click Open to confirm.
- Enter your administrator password. No characters will appear as you type. You must have an administrator password; a blank administrator password will not work and is a bad security practice anyway.
- Press 1 and then ⏎ Return to remove all Symantec files. Press 2 to exit.
- Reboot your computer by pressing Y and then ⏎ Return

Community Q&A

Question

How can I take something out of trash in Mac?

Jarod Smith

Community Answer

Go to your Trash folder and remove things like you would with the recycling bin in Windows.