Here’s a quick “How-to”…
Symantec AntiVirus Clients, especially Corporate Edition Clients, can be installed remotely and managed via a Symantec AntiVirus Server. When a Symantec AntiVirus Client is managed, it prompts for password when you attempt to uninstall the client via local computer Control Panel Add or Remove Program applet. If you don’t know or have forgotten the password, then the client is not able to be uninstalled or removed.
In that case, (or when the Symantec AntiVirus server has been taken down and no longer exist, or the client computer has no access to company network, or the default client uninstall password does not work,) the following registry hack will enable you to remove Symantec Antivirus without using a password:
1. Open Registry Editor (regedit).
2. Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREINTELLANDeskVirusPro tect6CurrentVersionAdministrator OnlySecurity
3. Change the value for useVPuninstallpassword key from 1 to 0.
4. Exit Registry Editor and now you can uninstall Symantec AntiVirus Client.
The trick should work on most version of Symantec or Norton AntiVirus client or Norton AntiVirus Client.
I think there is also a “Remove-All” Program you can download from the Symantec website however, I can’t find the link. I’ll keep looking and add it to this post when I locate it.
© 2009, Robert Owen. All rights reserved.
