Remove Symantec Encryption Desktop for Windows from your computer (2024)

To remove Symantec Encryption Desktop for Windows from your computer, you'll first need to decrypt the encrypted volumes, and then you can uninstall the software.

On this page:

• Decrypt a volume
• Uninstall Symantec Encryption Desktop

Decrypt a volume

To decrypt your encrypted volumes:

1. Open Symantec Encryption Desktop from the Start menu or system tray. You'll see the Symantec Encryption Desktop home screen:

   

2. In the column on the left, under "PGP Disk", click Encrypt Disk.
3. In the center column, select the encrypted volume(s) that you want to decrypt.
4. If you do not need the system to perform other work while it decrypts your volumes, you can check Maximum CPU Usage in the column on the right to shorten the time it takes to decrypt. If you need the system to do other things while it decrypts, leave the box unchecked.
5. At the upper right, click Decrypt.
6. When prompted, enter your PGP passphrase.

Uninstall Symantec Encryption Desktop

Once you've decrypted all of your encrypted volumes, to uninstall Symantec Encryption Desktop:

1. Open the Start menu, and enter the first few letters of the program name in the search box.
2. From the list that appears, select Uninstall Symantec Encryption Desktop.
3. When prompted, click Yes to confirm that you want to uninstall the program.
4. If you see a "User Account Control" prompt, approve it.
5. A pop-under notification (i.e., a window that appears behind other windows) called "PGP Global Directory Unenrollment" will open; locate it and click OK.
6. When prompted, click Yes to restart your computer.
7. After your computer restarts, the Symantec Encryption Desktop bootguard screen should be gone, and you should be able to log into your computer normally.