How do I uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection to upgrade to Windows 10?

Upgrading to Windows 10 with Endpoint Protection installed

You can upgrade to Windows 10 with Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1.6 MP1 installed. Symantec Endpoint Protection is available on the webstore. You must uninstall earlier versions of Symantec Endpoint Protection. The operating system upgrade stops if it detects an earlier version of Symantec Endpoint Protection.

The following operating system upgrade paths are supported with 12.1.6 MP1 installed:

• Windows 8.1 to Windows 10
• Windows 8 to Windows 10
• Windows 7 to Windows 10
   

To uninstall the Symantec Endpoint Protection client for Windows

1. On the client computer, on the Start menu, click Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs (or Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program).
2. In the Add or Remove Programs (or Uninstall or change a program) dialog box, click Symantec Endpoint Protection, and then click Change, Remove or Uninstall.

1. Follow the onscreen prompts to remove the client software.

If you get an error during the upgrade you can try the following steps:

Error Message

The alert reads as follows:

What needs your attention
The following things need your attention to continue the installation and keep your Windows settings, personal files, and apps.

The alert lists Symantec Endpoint Protection, and further advises:

Uninstall this app now because it isn't compatible with Windows 10.

Cause

This issue occurs because additional Symantec Endpoint Protection upgrade processes have not completed. Therefore, the Windows upgrade detects product files from an earlier Symantec Endpoint Protection version that does not support Windows 10. 
 

Solution

Do not uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection as prompted. Instead, follow these steps:

1. Cancel the Windows 10 upgrade.
2. Open the file roru.log.
   You can find this file in the following default locations:
   • Windows Vista and later: C:\ProgramData\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\CurrentVersion\Data\Install\Logs\
   • Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Symantec\Symantec Endpoint Protection\CurrentVersion\Data\Install\Logs\
3. Scroll to the bottom of the file.
   • If you see the word Finished, close the file, and begin the Windows 10 upgrade again.
   • If you do not see the word Finished, close the file.
     You can check the file again at a later time to see if Finished appears.

To prevent this issue, you can do one of the following before you upgrade the operating system to Windows 10:

• Uninstall the earlier version of Symantec Endpoint Protection.
• Upgrade to 12.1.6.1 with the following command line switches:
  setup /v"l*v c:\log.txt MIGRATIONDELAY=1 MAXMIGRATIONDELAY=1"
• Check roru.log as noted above to see if all upgrade processes have completed.