How to Disable the Symantec Endpoint Protection Chrome Extension
If you've noticed the Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) extension in your Chrome browser and found it impossible to remove or turn off, you aren't alone. Because SEP is enterprise-grade security software, its browser extensions are often "forced" by your IT administrator to ensure Browser Intrusion Prevention stays active.
Depending on whether you have administrative access or are just troubleshooting a personal machine, here are the three main ways to handle it. 1. The Official Way (Administrator/SEPM)
If you manage the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM) console, you can disable the extension via policy. This is the only way to ensure it doesn't automatically reinstall.
Access Policies: Open your SEPM console and navigate to the Policies tab.
Intrusion Prevention: Select your Intrusion Prevention Policy.
Disable Browser Protection: Look for the option labeled Enable Browser Intrusion Prevention for Chrome (or Edge) and uncheck it. disable symantec endpoint protection chrome extension
Lock the Setting: Click the padlock icon next to the setting to "lock" it in a disabled state. This prevents the client UI from showing a "malfunctioning" error and instructs the SEP agent to unload the extension from all client browsers. 2. The Troubleshooting Way (Local Client)
If you just need the extension gone temporarily to test if it's breaking a specific website, you can stop the entire SEP service locally. Note that this requires local administrative rights and may be password-protected by your IT department.
Stop the Service: Press Win + R, type smc -stop, and hit Enter. This kills the SEP agent and its hooks into Chrome.
Restart the Service: Once you're done troubleshooting, use smc -start to bring protection back online. 3. The "Forceful" Way (Registry & Files)
If the extension is stuck and the "Remove" button in Chrome is greyed out, it's likely being forced via the Windows Registry. Use this method only if you are comfortable editing registry keys.
Check the Extension ID: The SEP extension folder is typically named pamolibmfebkknkdmfabpjebifbffbec. How to Disable the Symantec Endpoint Protection Chrome
Modify Registry: Navigate to:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallForcelist
Remove the Entry: Find the string value containing the SEP extension ID and delete it.
Delete the Folder: Navigate to %localappdata%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ and delete the folder matching the ID above.
Warning: Manually deleting these files may cause the SEP client to report a "Browser Intrusion Prevention is malfunctioning" error in your system tray.
Need to completely start over? Use the official Broadcom CleanWipe tool to remove all traces of SEP, including persistent browser extensions, from your system.
Are you attempting this on a corporate-managed device or a personal computer? Slowing down page loads, especially on internal company
In my case, the extension was:
If you’re an admin or an advanced user, you may want to disable just the browser component while keeping the main SEP client active for file and network protection.
To re-enable:
chrome://extensions/ and toggle “Enabled” back on.Warning: Only do this if you understand registry editing. Backup first.
regedit and navigate to:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallBlocklistchrome://extensions/ in developer mode).* to block all extensions, or use the specific extension ID to block only SEP.This prevents Chrome from loading the extension altogether.
Applies to: Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge (Chromium)