Hack to Remove/Uninstall Symantec Norton Antivirus (SAV) Client without Password

Norton AntiVirus Clients or Symantec AntiVirus Clients especially Corporate Edition Clients can be installed as managed network setup type by a Symantec Antivirus Server. When a Symantec AntiVirus Client managed, it will prompt for password when uninstalling client via local computer Control Panel Add or Remove Program applet. If you don't know or forget the password, then the client is not able to uninstall or remove. And the SAV client uninstall password won't work with server group password too, as if you enter that password, you will receive an invalid password message.

The client uninstallation password is different from the server group password, and it can be set by the administrator through the Symantec System Center for the client that is managed. If the client uninstallation password has not been set or change specifically, it will still be the default password. Thus, first thing to try in order to successfully uninstall a Symantec Client Security program is by using the default password for the uninstalling client, which is symantec.

In the cases where 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 folllowing hack will enable you to remove Symantec AntiVirus without using a password:

1. Open Registry Editor (regedit)
2. Navigate to following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\INTEL\LANDesk\VirusProtect6
\CurrentVersion\Administrator Only\Security\
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 AntiVirus client or Norton AntiVirus client, including version 7, 8 9 or 10.

Steps to remove Symantec Endpoint Protection 11 WITHOUT knowing the uninstall password:

1. Click on Start -> Run (or Window Key + R if you don't have the Run menu item)
2. Type smc -stop. If it prompts for a password, open regedit (Window Key + R; type regedit; hit ENTER) and then navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\SMC. Look for the smcexit key, delete it, and then type smc -stop in the Run box again. Note: my key was called smcexit-test or something like that, but deleting it had the same effect.
3. Now, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\SMC. Look for the smcinstdata key; delete it.
4. You should now be able to use Add/Remove programs (or Programs & Features in Vista & 7) to remove SEP 11 without supplying the uninstall password.
5. You're now free from the shackles of Symantec. Enjoy a 10-15% performance boost.