How to use Office programs with the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in (329820)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Excel 2003
  • Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003
  • Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003
  • Microsoft Office Project Standard 2003
  • Microsoft Office Publisher 2003
  • Microsoft Office Word 2003
  • Microsoft Office XP
  • Microsoft Excel 2002
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 2002
  • Microsoft Publisher 2002
  • Microsoft Project Professional 2002
  • Microsoft Project Standard 2002
  • Microsoft Word 2002
  • Microsoft Office 2000
  • Microsoft Excel 2000
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 2000
  • Microsoft Publisher 2000
  • Microsoft Word 2000
  • Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003
  • Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
  • Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Standard Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Student and Teachers Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Small Business Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Basic Edition 2003
  • Microsoft Office Access 2003
This article was previously published under Q329820
Important This article contains information that shows you how to help lower security settings or how to turn off security features on a computer. You can make these changes to work around a specific problem. Before you make these changes, we recommend that you evaluate the risks that are associated with implementing this workaround in your particular environment. If you implement this workaround, take any appropriate additional steps to help protect your system.

SUMMARY

The Norton AntiVirus plug-in for Microsoft Office scans documents for macro virus infections in Office products. This plug-in may cause performance issues, the inability to open files within Office, or the inability to install some Office programs.

For more information on potential problems when using the Norton AntiVirus plug-in, including error messages that you may receive, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

835404 You receive an error message when you try to open an Office document or start Outlook

This article contains the latest information about how to use Office with the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in.

MORE INFORMATION

To work around the issues that are listed in the "Summary" section, use either of the following methods.

Method 1: Run Live Update

Obtain the latest version of the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in that is available through the Live Update option site in your Norton AntiVirus software.

Note An update to the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in may not be available in all languages.

Method 2: Disable Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in

Perform this method only if you cannot update your Norton AntiVirus software through the Live Update Web site.
Important These steps may increase your security risk. These steps may also make your computer or your network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We recommend the process that this article describes to enable programs to operate as they are designed to, or to implement specific program capabilities. Before you make these changes, we recommend that you evaluate the risks that are associated with implementing this process in your particular environment. If you choose to implement this process, take any appropriate additional steps to help protect your system. We recommend that you use this process only if you really require this process.Note An antivirus program is designed to protect your computer from viruses. You must not download or open files from sources that you do not trust, visit Web sites that you do not trust, or open e-mail attachments when your antivirus program is disabled. For more information about computer viruses, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

129972 Computer viruses: description, prevention, and recovery

When the Norton AntiVirus plug-in is disabled, the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in does not scan documents when you open the documents. Even if the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in is disabled, the Norton AntiVirus Auto-Protect feature still provides on-going protection by scanning any file that you run, download, open, create, or delete.

To disable the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in, use one of the following methods, depending on the version of Norton AntiVirus that is installed on your computer.
Note Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

Norton AntiVirus 2004, Norton SystemWorks 2004, Norton AntiVirus 2003, Norton SystemWorks 2003, Norton AntiVirus 2002 or Norton SystemWorks 2002 is installed

Disable the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in. To do this, follow these steps. Norton AntiVirus 2002 is used as an example. Warning This workaround may make your computer or your network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We do not recommend this workaround but are providing this information so that you can implement this workaround at your own discretion. Use this workaround at your own risk.
  1. Start Norton AntiVirus. To do this, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Norton AntiVirus, and then click Norton AntiVirus 2002.

    Note If you installed Norton AntiVirus as part of the Norton SystemWorks 2002 program, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Norton SystemWorks, point to Norton AntiVirus, and then click Norton AntiVirus 2002.
  2. Click Options.

    NoteIn Norton SystemWorks 2002, click Options, and then click Norton Antivirus.
  3. Under Other, click Miscellaneous.
  4. Under How to keep Microsoft Office documents protected, click to clear the Enable Office Plug-in check box, and then click OK.
  5. Restart the computer.

Norton AntiVirus 2001 or Norton SystemWorks 2001 is installed

Disable the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in. To do this, follow these steps: Warning This workaround may make your computer or your network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We do not recommend this workaround but are providing this information so that you can implement this workaround at your own discretion. Use this workaround at your own risk.
  1. Start Norton AntiVirus. To do this, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Norton AntiVirus, and then click Norton AntiVirus 2001.

    Note If you installed Norton AntiVirus as part of the Norton SystemWorks 2002 program, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Norton SystemWorks, point to Norton AntiVirus, and then click Norton AntiVirus 2002.
  2. Click Options, and then click General.
  3. Under How to keep Microsoft Office documents protected, click to clear the Enable Office Plug-in check box, and then click OK.
  4. Restart the computer.

Norton AntiVirus 2000, Norton SystemWorks 2000, or Norton Internet Security is installed

Unregister the Norton AntiVirus OfficeAV.dll file. To do this, follow these steps: Warning This workaround may make your computer or your network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We do not recommend this workaround but are providing this information so that you can implement this workaround at your own discretion. Use this workaround at your own risk.
  1. Quit all programs.
  2. Click Start, and then click Run.
  3. Depending on how Norton AntiVirus 2000 is installed, type one of the following commands:
    • If the Norton AntiVirus program is installed as a stand-alone product, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

      regsvr32 /u "c:\program files\norton antivirus\officeav.dll"

      c is a placeholder for the drive where Norton AntiVirus is installed.

      If the command is successful, you receive the following message:

      DllUnregisterServer in C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\OfficeAV.dll succeeded.

    • If the Norton AntiVirus program is installed as part of SystemWorks, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

      regsvr32 /u "c:\program files\norton systemworks\norton antivirus\officeav.dll"

      c is a placeholder for the drive where SystemWorks is installed.

      If the command is successful, you receive the following message:

      DllUnregisterServer in C:\Program Files\Norton Systemworks\Norton AntiVirus\OfficeAV.dll succeeded.

    • If Norton Internet Security is installed, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

      regsvr32 /u "c:\program files\norton internet security\norton antivirus\officeav.dll"

      c is a placeholder for the drive where Norton Internet Security is installed.

      If the command is successful, you receive the following message:

      DllUnregisterServer in C:\Program Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\OfficeAV.dll succeeded.

  4. Click OK.
  5. Restart the computer.

REFERENCES

For a list of additional Microsoft Knowledge Base articles that describe known issues with Microsoft Office and the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in, click the following Microsoft link: Click here to view a list of articlesFor additional information about how to disable or to enable the Norton AntiVirus Office plug-in, visit the following Symantec Web site:

http://www.symantec.com/search

Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.
In the Search text box, type 1999091612160606, and then click How to enable and disable the Norton AntiVirus plug-in for Microsoft Office to locate the latest information from Symantec about this issue. For additional information about your Norton AntiVirus or Norton SystemWorks software, see your product documentation. The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:9/21/2006
Keywords:kbHOWTOmaster KB329820 kbAudEndUser
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