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Customize Real Time Protection settings

Real Time Protection detects unknown security risks on your computer and lets you determine what action to take if it finds a risk.

Default settings are recommended for most users. If you want to turn off a feature temporarily, turn it on as soon as possible. If you want low-risk items removed automatically, configure SONAR Advanced mode. Auto-Protect checks for viruses and other security risks every time that you run programs on your computer. Always keep Auto-Protect on.

Set Auto-Protect to scan removable media

Checks for boot viruses when you access removable media. After the removable media has been scanned for boot viruses, it is not scanned again until it is reinserted or formatted. If you still suspect that a boot virus infects your removable media, ensure that Auto-Protect is turned on to rescan the removable media. You then insert the removable media and open it from My Computer for Auto-Protect to rescan it. You can also scan it manually to verify that the removable media is not infected.

Customize Automatic Protection settings

  1. Open your Norton device security product.

    If you see the My Norton window, next to Device Security, click Open.

  2. In the Norton product main window, click Settings.

  3. In the Settings window, click Antivirus.

  4. Under Removable Media Scan, set the slider to On.

Set SONAR to remove threats automatically

SONAR provides real-time protection against threats and proactively detects unknown security risks on your computer. SONAR identifies emerging threats based on the behavior of applications. You can configure how SONAR removes a threat using SONAR Advanced Mode settings.

Set SONAR to remove threats automatically

  1. Open your Norton device security product.

    If you see the My Norton window, next to Device Security, click Open.

  2. In the Norton product main window, click Settings.

  3. In the Settings window, click Antivirus.

  4. Under Remove Risks Automatically, set the slider to Always.

  5. Under Remove Risks if I Am Away, set the slider to Always.

  6. Click Apply.

Set Auto-Protect to exclude known good files from Norton scans

If you think Norton identifies a valid application as a security risk, you can exclude the file from Norton scans.

Exclude files from Norton scans

  1. Open your Norton device security product.

    If you see the My Norton window, next to Device Security, click Open.

  2. In the Norton product main window, click Settings.

  3. In the Settings window, click Antivirus.

  4. In the Antivirus settings window, click the Scans and Risks tab.

  5. Under Exclusions / Low Risks, do one of the following:

    • In the Items to Exclude from Scans row, click Configure.

    • In the Items to Exclude from Auto-Protect, SONAR and Download Intelligence Detection row, click Configure.

  6. In the window that appears, click Add Folders or Add Files.

  7. In the Add Item dialog box, click the browse icon. In the dialog box that appears, select the item that you want to exclude from scans.

  8. Click OK.

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DOCID: v7631626
Operating System: Windows
Last modified: 03/20/2022