Disable Symantec Endpoint Protection Chrome Extension
| User Type | Best Method | Permanence | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Non-admin employee | Switch to Firefox browser | 100% (on Chrome, 0%) | | Power user (local admin) | Registry override (HKCU) | Until policy refresh | | IT admin | Disable via SEPM policy | Permanent | | Mac user | Remove configuration profile | Permanent (until re-enrolled) | | Anyone in a hurry | Hide icon from toolbar | Temporary (visual only) |
Would you like the extension ID or instructions for a different browser (Edge/Firefox)?
Disable Symantec Endpoint Protection Chrome Extension: A Step-by-Step Guide
Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) is a popular security software solution designed to protect computers from various threats, including malware, viruses, and hacking attempts. While SEP provides robust security features, its Chrome extension can sometimes interfere with your browsing experience or cause compatibility issues with certain websites. If you're experiencing such issues, disabling the Symantec Endpoint Protection Chrome extension might be the solution you need.
In this blog post, we'll walk you through the process of disabling the Symantec Endpoint Protection Chrome extension.
Why Disable Symantec Endpoint Protection Chrome Extension?
Before we dive into the steps, let's discuss some common reasons why you might want to disable the Symantec Endpoint Protection Chrome extension:
How to Disable Symantec Endpoint Protection Chrome Extension
Disabling the Symantec Endpoint Protection Chrome extension is a straightforward process. Follow these steps:
Method 1: Disable the Extension through Chrome Settings
Method 2: Disable the Extension through the Chrome Menu
Method 3: Uninstall the Extension
If you want to completely remove the Symantec Endpoint Protection Chrome extension, follow these steps:
Re-enable the Extension (If Needed)
If you only disabled the extension temporarily and want to re-enable it, follow the same steps as before: disable symantec endpoint protection chrome extension
Conclusion
Disabling the Symantec Endpoint Protection Chrome extension can help resolve performance issues, compatibility problems, or false positives. While the extension provides valuable security features, it's sometimes necessary to temporarily disable it to ensure a smooth browsing experience. If you're experiencing issues with the extension, try disabling it using one of the methods outlined above. If you need to re-enable it, simply follow the same steps to toggle the switch back to the ON position.
To disable the Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) extension in Google Chrome, the method depends on whether your computer is managed by an IT department (using policies) or if you have direct control over the client. For Managed Users (IT Administrators) If the extension was installed via the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM)
, it is often "forced" and cannot be disabled within Chrome's settings. You must use a policy to remove it: Broadcom support portal Disable via Intrusion Prevention Policy : Open your SEPM console, go to Policies > Intrusion Prevention , and edit your policy. Uncheck the option for Enable Browser Intrusion Prevention Version Note : For clients on version 14.3 RU4 or newer
, disabling this policy will automatically unload or uninstall the extension from Chrome. Third-Party Management : Starting with
, you can enable "third-party management" in the IPS policy settings to manage the extension through Active Directory GPOs Google Admin instead of SEP. Broadcom support portal For Individual Users (Unmanaged Clients)
If you have administrative rights on your local machine and the extension is not locked by a central policy: Standard Extension Toggle Open Chrome and go to chrome://extensions/ Symantec Browser Protection toggle switch
Note: If the toggle is grayed out and says "Managed by your organization," you cannot disable it here. Stop the SEP Service (Troubleshooting Only) dialog (Win + R).
and hit Enter. This will stop all SEP services, which may automatically disable the extension's functionality, though it might not remove the icon from Chrome. Broadcom support portal Known Workaround for Chrome Errors
If you are trying to disable the extension because Chrome is not loading pages or crashing, some users fix this by modifying the Chrome shortcut: Right-click your Chrome shortcut > Properties field, add --disable-features=RendererCodeIntegrity to the end of the text string. Registry keys
to manually remove the forced installation entries for the extension?
Disabling the Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) Chrome extension—officially known as Symantec Online Security—is typically handled through the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM) rather than directly in the browser. Because this extension is often "force-installed" by your organization's security policy, standard removal buttons in Chrome may be grayed out or unavailable. Method 1: Disabling via SEPM (Administrators Only)
For users running SEP 14.3 RU5 or later, administrators can remotely unload the extension by modifying the Intrusion Prevention policy.
Log in to the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM) console. Navigate to Policies and select Intrusion Prevention. Edit the active policy and locate the Windows Settings tab. Uncheck the option for Enable Browser Intrusion Prevention. | User Type | Best Method | Permanence
Note: This action unloads the extension from both Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge on all target client computers.
Wait for the client machines to check in ("heartbeat") to receive the updated policy.
Method 2: Disabling the Client Service (Temporary Troubleshooting)
If you have local administrator rights and need to temporarily disable the entire SEP client (including the browser extension) for troubleshooting, you can stop the Symantec Management Client service. Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog. Type smc -stop and click OK.
The SEP icon in your system tray will disappear, and the Chrome extension will stop functioning.
To re-enable it later, use the command smc -start in the same Run dialog. Method 3: Manual Removal via Registry (Advanced Users)
If the extension was installed via Group Policy and you have administrator access, you can manually remove the "force-install" instruction from the Windows Registry. [DISCUSSION] Symantec Endpoint Protection | Page 64
To disable the Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) Chrome extension, you typically need administrative access, as the software is designed to prevent unauthorized removal. Broadcom TechDocs For Managed Clients (via SEPM) If the extension is managed by the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM) , it is often forced via a registry key called ExtensionInstallForceList . To remove it: Disable Browser Intrusion Prevention : In the SEPM console, navigate to Policies > Intrusion Prevention . Disabling the "Browser Intrusion Prevention"
setting for the client group will automatically unload the extension from Chrome. Enable Third-Party Management : For version 14.3 RU9 or later , check the option "Enable third party management of extensions"
. This removes the force-install registry key, allowing you to manage or disable the extension using other tools like Active Directory GPO Google Admin Locking the State
: If the client shows a "Disabled" error after turning it off, select the padlock icon
next to the policy item in SEPM to lock the browser protection in its disabled state. Broadcom support portal For Individual Troubleshooting
If you are troubleshooting a specific machine and have the necessary permissions:
Disabling the Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) Chrome extension varies depending on whether you are an end-user or a system administrator. Below are the methods to manage or disable these extensions. For Individual Users (Troubleshooting) Would you like the extension ID or instructions
If you have local permissions and need to temporarily disable the extension for troubleshooting, follow these steps in Google Chrome:
Open Extension Management: Click the three-dotted icon (top right) > Extensions > Manage Extensions.
Toggle Off: Locate the Symantec Endpoint Protection extension and click the blue toggle to turn it gray (Disabled).
Alternative (Complete Stop): If the extension is locked by a policy, you may need to stop the SEP service entirely by opening the Run command (Win + R), typing smc -stop, and clicking OK. Note: This requires administrative rights and may be blocked by Tamper Protection. For Administrators (Policy Management)
Administrators can control whether the extension is deployed or active across the network via the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM):
Prevent Automatic Installation: In the Intrusion Prevention Policy settings, you can enable the option to manage extensions through third-party tools like GPO or Google Admin, which prevents SEP from automatically force-installing the extension. Disable via Policy: Go to the Policies page in SEPM. Select Intrusion Prevention and edit your active policy.
Under Intrusion Prevention Settings, you can uncheck the option for Browser Intrusion Prevention to unload the extensions from Chrome and Edge.
Tamper Protection: If you cannot disable the extension on a client, ensure Tamper Protection is not locking the settings. This is found under Clients > Policies > General Settings > Tamper Protection. Verification and Monitoring To confirm if extensions are disabled across your fleet:
SEPM Home Page: Check the Endpoint Status for clients with a "Disabled" status.
Client Logs: The system log on the client computer will record an event every time the browser extension is enabled, disabled, or removed.
If you're having trouble because the settings are greyed out, I can help you find the specific Registry keys or Group Policy settings to override them. Would you like instructions for Windows Registry or Active Directory?
The Symantec Endpoint Protection Chrome extension is installed by default to provide web threat protection (anti-phishing, malware scanning). However, it can cause conflicts with internal web applications, degrade browser performance, or interfere with single sign-on (SSO) flows. Currently, users cannot remove it because it is force-installed via the Windows Registry or Group Policy. Administrators require a controlled method to disable this extension without uninstalling the core SEP client.
If you simply hate seeing the shield icon but don't mind the protection, hide it instead of disabling it.
To verify it’s still working: Go to chrome://extensions/ – you’ll see the Symantec extension with "Managed by your organization."