• Some anti-virus programs have the ability to prevent viruses from infecting your computer.virus alert image by Pontus Edenberg from Fotolia.com
  
  An anti-virus program is a program designed to detect and remove malicious software programs from your computer. There are several reasons you may want to remove an anti-virus program from your computer. For example, you may want to replace it with a different anti-virus program or you may simply want to free up space on your computer. Use one of the following tools to remove an anti-virus program from Microsoft Windows XP.
  
  

Add or Remove Programs Tool

• The Windows XP operating system includes a tool referred to as the "Add or Remove Programs Tool." This tool allows users to easily remove installed programs. To remove an anti-virus program using the Add or Remove Programs Tool, click "Start" and "Control Panel" and then double-click on "Add or Remove Programs." Then click on the anti-virus program you want to remove and click "Change/Remove." The benefit of removing an anti-virus program using the Add or Remove Programs Tool, is that the anti-virus program is removed automatically, saving you the trouble of locating all of the associated files and deleting them manually.
  
  

Windows Command Prompt

• The Windows XP operating system includes an interface referred to as the Windows Command Prompt. The Windows Command Prompt allows you to interact with your computer by typing simple commands. To remove an anti-virus program using the Windows Command Prompt, click on the "Start" menu and then "Run" and then type "cmd" into the Run box and click "OK." Then type "rd /s program" into the Run box and press "Enter." Note that "program" should be replaced with the name of the anti-virus program that you wish to remove. Some anti-virus programs cannot be removed through the Add or Remove Programs Tool. For these anti-virus programs, you can use the Windows Command Prompt.
  
  

Online Removal Tools

• Most anti-virus programs, such as Norton Anti-virus, have online removal tools. These are small programs that you can download for free online. Once downloaded, the program will automatically remove the anti-virus program from your computer. Sometimes, when you install an anti-virus program, it places files and applications in different areas of your computer. Thus, using the above tools may remove most, but not all, of the anti-virus program. In theory, the online removal tool should know exactly what to look for and thus be able to completely remove the anti-virus program from your computer.