Norton Antivirus or Norton Security may repeatedly alert you that a particular file or folder has a virus even though you know it doesn’t. This result, called a “false positive,” can be quite annoying. Fortunately, you can tell the program to ignore specific files or folders during scans on Windows and Mac computers.
Whitelist files for Norton Antivirus
Like most good antivirus programs, Norton AV software allows you to whitelist or exclude files and folders from scanning. You can tell the software to ignore a file or folder, which blocks it from the program’s view. Therefore, Norton will not tell you if there is a virus there or not.
Obviously, this feature can be useful if Norton keeps telling you that a file contains a virus when you know it doesn’t. However, it is not always advisable to exclude entire folders from scanning, especially if the folder is the one that frequently collects new files, such as the Downloads folder.
How to exclude files and folders from Norton antivirus software scans
Here’s how to exclude specific files and folders from a Norton Security Deluxe scan:
There are dozens of Norton Security antivirus programs on the market, so the process may be slightly different depending on your version.
- Open Norton antivirus software.
- Select Settings.
- Choose the Antivirus option on the Settings screen .
- Go to the Analysis and Risks tab .
- Look for the Exclusions/Low Risks section .
- Click Configure[+] next to the option where you want to make changes. There are two sets of options available here: one is for exclusions to antivirus scans, and the other is for exclusions to Norton software’s real-time protection features, such as Auto-Protect, SONAR, and Download Intelligence Detection.
- From the exclusions screen, use the Add Folders and Add Files buttons to locate the desired file or folder and create a new exclusion rule.
- Click OK on the exclusions window to save your changes.
At this point, you can exit any open windows and close Norton software.
Only exclude files and folders if you are sure they are not infected. Anything your antivirus software ignores could end up with viruses later, and Norton won’t notice if those files are excluded from real-time protection and scans.
Excluding files from Mobile Norton antivirus app scans
The Norton Security and Antivirus app for Android and iOS does not allow you to exclude specific files and folders within the settings menu. Instead, you must tell Norton to ignore the files once they are detected.
