How to disable Norton in Win 8

For two days I've been trying to figure out why my new tablet won't connect to our wireless and I finally worked out that Norton is blocking connections to private networks.

I have no idea how to change this in Win 8. I can't even find Norton, never mind disabling it or telling it to let me connect to my network.

I hate Norton. I hate it with an all-consuming passion. I have removed it from all of my computers. It is a pestilence and a plague and harbinger of doom. Now it has found me again. It came installed on this new device, sneaking back into my life like a cunning spiritual virus, its goal to wreak havoc upon my very soul, or at least my computer. I do not want it, and this latest incident is a perfect example of why.

So- can anyone tell me exactly where I can find Norton on Win 8 (I can barely understand the desktop and the screens just confuse me) and how to tell it to, for the love of all things good on this green Earth, let me into my network?

Oh, and maybe tell me how to enable connection to proivate networks once I'm in Norton?

If you want to remove Norton, I suppose the way to do it is
(Step 1) to remove it through Add/Remove Programs and then
(Step 2) run the Norton removal tool. Of course Windows 8 makes everything harder.

Since I've managed to avoid being stuck with the egregious horror that is Windows 8 thus far, I have to look up a good site for how to wrestle with it on the Internet.

This site seems to tell how to access Add/Remove Programs
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/add-or-remove-programs-in-windows-8.html

Here's another site that shows a different way to access Add/Remove Programs
http://blog.ilab8.com/2012/03/03/windows-8-not-that-easy-to-uninstall-programs/

So you get to Add/Remove Programs in a bizarre and putrid way, but it's still there in some form. I assume that once you find it, you can use it in the usual way to uninstall something, though I can't be 100% sure.

Step 2 - For the Norton Removal Tool, you can find it at our old friend Bleeping Computer
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/norton-removal-tool/

The Norton Removal Tool will make sure it's gone -- in case it didn't uninstall completely -- which it very well may not have. Be sure to run it as an Administrator.

Once you're done removing it, find a friendlier antivirus.


If you want to search for Norton and rassle with it a bit before deleting it, here's a site that tells you how to open "File Explorer"
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/files-folders-windows-explorer

Norton is probably in either C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files(x86)

Windows 8 ships with Windows Defender anti-virus already installed. It's essentially Windows Live Essentials in a different skin.

I just removed the bloatware from a guy's new Windows 8 laptop including the McAfee antivirus trial. Searching is easier than ever in Windows 8. To find your Norton trial and uninstall, just go to the tiled side of your operating system and start typing Control Panel. It will appear on your left. If you want it to be pinned to your Start page so you can find it any time, just right click it and select Pin to Start Menu. You can also pin it to your taskbar if you want on the desktop side. Open up Control Panel and select Uninstall Programs as usual - it works exactly the same as Windows 7. I was lucky and was able to remove the McAfee trial through Control Panel and you can give it a try with Norton. But you may need to use the Norton Removal Tool Jenny linked you to.

If you want to just find Norton, go to the tiled side and simply start typing Norton - it will show up immediately on the left. You have three categories Search will look in - Apps, Settings and Files. If it isn't in Apps, you may need to click on Files over on the right.

I suggest a couple of things to learn how to nagivate Windows 8. One is from Tom's Hardware and is very comprehensive, but a great resource.

The Definitve Windows 8 Review and Gude

You can also go to the App Store on the tiled side and download the free Learn Windows 8 app which is located under the Education heading. It's very simple, but not bad at showing you the basics.