Norton VPN Standard vs EaseUS Todo Backup

[Charles_White1]

Does Norton VPN Standard play nicely with EaseUS Todo Backup on a Windows 10 computer? Problem: Norton VPN Standard is installed but not connected. Shortly after EaseUS Todo Backup starts, the computer starts bogging down and eventually locks up with the Black Screen of Death. I assume they are both trying to access the same resources at the same time. How do I get them to play nicely together? This problem only developed after installing Norton VPN Standard.

[bjm]

@Charles_White1

Does Norton VPN Standard play nicely with EaseUS Todo Backup on a Windows 10 computer? Problem: Norton VPN Standard is installed but not connected. Shortly after EaseUS Todo Backup starts, the computer starts bogging down and eventually locks up with the Black Screen of Death. I assume they are both trying to access the same resources at the same time. How do I get them to play nicely together? This problem only developed after installing Norton VPN Standard.

Hello @Charles_White1
Are you running Microsoft Defender Antivirus? Or, another non-Norton security solution?

========================================

While Norton VPN Standard is designed for Windows 10, it can conflict with EaseUS Todo Backup because both programs hook into low-level system drivers (network and disk I/O). This “resource tug-of-war” can cause system instability and the Black Screen of Death, even if the VPN is not actively connected.

To get them to play nicely, try the following steps:

1. Disable “Auto-Connect” and VPN Services
   Even when disconnected, Norton’s VPN background services can stay active and interfere with other deep-system tasks.

• Change Startup to Manual: Open the Run dialog (Win + R), type services.msc, and press Enter. Find Norton Secure VPN or Norton VPN, right-click it, select Properties, and change the “Startup type” to Manual. Reboot your computer. This prevents the service from loading until you explicitly open the app.
• Disable Auto-Connect: In the Norton dashboard, go to VPN Preferences and ensure “Automatically turn on VPN” is turned OFF.

2. Configure Split Tunneling
   If you need both running, you can exclude the EaseUS executable from Norton’s network monitoring.

3. Open the Norton VPN Dashboard.

4. Click VPN Preferences or Settings.

5. Enable Split Tunneling.

6. Click Add Application and select the EaseUS Todo Backup executable (typically found in C:\Program Files (x86)\EaseUS\Todo Backup\bin\).

7. Update or Reinstall Drivers
   The black screen often results from a conflict between Norton’s virtual network adapter and EaseUS’s snapshot driver.

• Update Norton: Run LiveUpdate multiple times until no more updates are available, then restart.
• Refresh Network Adapters: Open Device Manager, expand Network adapters, and uninstall any “Norton VPN” or “TAP” adapters. Restart your PC to allow Windows to reinstall them cleanly.

4. Create a Mutual Exclusion
   Add EaseUS Todo Backup to Norton’s “Exclusions” list in the Antivirus settings to prevent Norton from scanning backup files in real-time, which often causes the “bogging down” you described.

If these steps fail, you may need to uninstall Norton VPN entirely before running your backups, as it is known to have lingering background processes even when idle.

===================================================

The conflict you are experiencing between Norton VPN and EaseUS Todo Backup is likely due to resource contention or driver interference, specifically involving network or disk I/O filters that both programs use to monitor system activity.

To get them to work together on your Windows 10 machine, follow these steps:

1. Update Graphics and Network Drivers
   The “Black Screen of Death” is often triggered by outdated or corrupted graphics drivers being pushed over the edge by high resource demand.

• Use the Device Manager to update your display adapters and network card drivers.
• If the screen goes black, press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B to force a graphics driver reset.

2. Configure Exclusions in Norton
   Norton’s background services may be scanning EaseUS processes while it tries to perform high-speed disk operations, leading to a system lock-up.

• Open your security solution product and add the EaseUS Todo Backup installation folder (typically in C:\Program Files\EaseUS\) to the Exclusions list to prevent your security solution from intercepting its disk activity.

3. Disable Norton VPN Background Processes
   Even when “disconnected,” Norton VPN may have active background services or filter drivers that interfere with system resources.

• Try manually disabling the VPN within the Norton dashboard before starting a backup.
• If the issue persists, use the Task Manager to see if any EaseUS processes (like TrayNotify.exe or EuWatch.exe) are “bogging down” alongside Norton services.

4. Adjust EaseUS Backup Settings

• Run as Administrator: Ensure EaseUS Todo Backup has full administrative permissions to avoid permission-based conflicts that can stall the system.
• Lower Priority: If possible, set the backup priority to “Normal” or “Low” within EaseUS settings to reduce the immediate strain on system resources.

5. Repair or Reinstall Norton
   If the black screens only began after installing Norton VPN, there may be a corrupt installation or driver conflict.

========================================

Since you have the standalone VPN product, the conflict with EaseUS Todo Backup is likely due to the VPN’s background drivers or the “Kill Switch” feature, rather than a firewall.

• Disable the Kill Switch: If enabled, Norton VPN’s Kill Switch monitors all network traffic to prevent data leaks. This driver-level monitoring can conflict with the high disk I/O of a backup process. Ensure this is Off in the VPN settings before starting your backup.
• Stop the Background Service: Even when not “connected,” the Norton Security or Norton VPN service runs in the background. Open Services.msc (press Win+R, type it, and hit Enter), find the Norton-related services, and set them to Manual or Stop them temporarily before running EaseUS.
• Windows Defender Firewall: Because Norton VPN Standard lacks its own firewall, your system is using the built-in Windows Defender Firewall. You may need to ensure EaseUS is allowed through the Windows firewall, which you can find in your Windows 10 Settings under Update & Security > Windows Security > Firewall & network protection.

Note: AI sourced content may include mistakes

[Charles_White1]

BJM,

Great information! Thank you. I will try your suggestions. Oh, and yes, I am running Microsoft Defender Antivirus.

Chuck