Best practices when upgrading your operating system with Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1.x already installed

Products

• Endpoint Protection

Issue/Introduction

You intend to upgrade your operating system to a newer version, e.g., from Windows Vista to Windows 7, and need to know whether you must first uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) version 12.1 before the upgrade. Upgrading the operating system without first uninstalling programs like SEP is commonly referred to as an "in-place migration."

Cause

Because Symantec Endpoint Protection has many kernel-level components, your computer may not function properly after an in-place migration for one or more of the following reasons:

• Your currently installed product may not be supported on the upgraded operating system.
• A newer version of Symantec Endpoint Protection may have a different installation package.
• The Symantec Endpoint Protection client may have operating system-specific components that are incompatible with the upgraded operating system.
• The Symantec Endpoint Protection client may have operating system-specific files that are incompatible with the upgraded operating system.

 

Resolution

Windows Operating Systems

For Windows operating systems, you must uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection before you upgrade the operating system. This applies to all operating systems and all versions of Symantec Endpoint Protection (client and management server), with one exception as noted below. Otherwise, Symantec Endpoint Protection does not support in-place migration due to potential issues which may arise during the upgrade.

 

From	To	Solution
Windows 2000	Any	Uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection*
Windows XP	Any	Uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection*
Windows Vista	Any	Uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection*
Windows Server 2003	Any	Uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection*
Windows Server 2008	Any	Uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection*
Windows Server 2008 R2	Any	Uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection*
Windows 7	Any (except Windows 10)	Uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection*
Windows 7	Windows 10	In-place migration is supported only if Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1.6 MP1 or 12.1.6 MP1a are installed and the Virus and Spyware definitions are July 27, 2015 or later. For more information, see INFO2746.
Windows Server 2012	Windows Server 2012 R2	Uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection*
Windows 8	Windows 8.1	In-place migration is supported only if Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1.4 (client only) is installed before you begin
Windows 8	Windows 10	In-place migration is supported only if Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1.6 MP1 or 12.1.6 MP1a are installed and the Virus and Spyware definitions are July 27, 2015 or later. For more information, see INFO2746.
Windows 8.1	Windows 10	In-place migration is supported only if Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1.6 MP1 or 12.1.6 MP1a are installed and the Virus and Spyware definitions are July 27, 2015 or later. For more information, see INFO2746.

 

* Once you successfully upgrade the operating system, you may reinstall Symantec Endpoint Protection.

Mac OS X Operating Systems

For Mac OS X operating systems, you do not have to uninstall the Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1.x client when applying minor system updates, such as an upgrade from OS X 10.8 to OS X 10.8.2. However, for a major upgrade, e.g. from 10.8.2 to 10.9, you must uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1.x, and then reinstall after the upgrade is complete.