Guide Overview

NPROTECT is the folder for the Norton Protected Recycle Bin (NPRB), which "adds extra, configurable data-recovery protection to the Windows Recycle Bin to help you recover deleted files that the Windows Recycle Bin would not." The NPROTECT folder is added to the Recycle Bin folder normally located at C:\RECYCLER.

For a description of NPRB, see the Symantec Knowldge Base article Introduction to the Norton Protected Recycle Bin...

The purpose of this guide is to teach you how to remove the NPROTECT folder and all of its contents, should it still remain after you have deleted Norton System Works from your computer.

CAUTION: These instructions are only to be used if Norton System Works has been previously uninstalled and NPROTECT still remains.* Before proceeding with the following steps, make sure you have attempted to remove all traces of Norton/Symantec products by referring to the following posts and following the relevant instructions for your product version, including downloading and running of removal tools and NPROTECT still remains. Do not use if you are currently using any version of Norton System Works.

How To Remove Your Norton Products
Update


Instructions

1. Click on the 'Start' button and select the 'Run..' option

2. Copy and paste the following text and click the 'OK' button

rmdir /s \\?\C:\RECYCLER\NPROTECT


The NPROTECT folder and its contents will now have been deleted from your system. You can check this by allowing access to hidden files and folders, access your main drive (usually C: drive) and double click the now visible 'Recycler' folder. It should no longer have a folder called NPROTECT.

How to view Hidden Files and Folders

Always remember to hide files and folders again after checking.

*If you still have or want to keep System Works installed, see the following Symantec articles for working with and troubleshooting the NPRB:

Norton Protected Recycle Bin (NProtect) folder
Emptying the Norton Protected Recycle Bin
Troubleshooting problems with the Recycle Bin