Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
Jan. 01, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies Business Symantec Corporation (“Symantec,” “we,” “us,” “our,” and “the Company” refer to Symantec Corporation and all of its subsidiaries) is a global leader in security. In the second quarter of fiscal 2016, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to sell the assets of its information management business ("Veritas") (which represented a reporting segment) to The Carlyle Group and certain co-investors ("Carlyle"). The agreement was amended in January 2016 and closed on January 29, 2016, see Note 13, Subsequent Events. Beginning in the third quarter of fiscal 2016, the results of Veritas are presented as discontinued operations in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and thus have been excluded from continuing operations and segment results for all reported periods. Furthermore, the related assets and liabilities have been classified as held for sale on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. See Note 3, Discontinued Operations, for additional information on discontinued operations. Basis of presentation The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") in the United States of America ("U.S.") for interim financial information and with the instructions on Form 10-Q pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). In accordance with those rules and regulations, we have omitted certain information and notes normally provided in our annual Consolidated Financial Statements. In the opinion of management, the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contain all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring items, except as otherwise noted, necessary for the fair presentation of our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the interim periods. These unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 3, 2015. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended January 1, 2016, are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the entire fiscal year. We have a 52/53-week fiscal accounting year. Unless otherwise stated, references to three and nine month ended periods in this report relate to fiscal periods ended January 1, 2016 and January 2, 2015. The nine months ended January 1, 2016, consisted of 39 weeks whereas the nine months ended January 2, 2015, consisted of 40 weeks. Our 2016 fiscal year consists of 52 weeks and ends on April 1, 2016. There have been no material changes in our significant accounting policies for the three and nine months ended January 1, 2016, compared to the significant accounting policies described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 3, 2015. Recently adopted accounting guidance In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements and Property, Plant and Equipment, that provides new guidance related to reporting discontinued operations. This standard raises the threshold for a disposal to qualify as a discontinued operation and requires new disclosures of both discontinued operations and certain other disposals that do not meet the definition of a discontinued operation. The standard became effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2016, and applies to the presentation and disclosure of the sale of Veritas which closed in January 2016. For additional information about our reporting of discontinued operations, see Note 3, Discontinued Operations. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Interest–Imputation of Interest, which requires debt issuance costs to be presented as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related liability. We adopted the standard in the first quarter of fiscal 2016, and it did not have a material impact on our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Recent accounting guidance not yet adopted In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, that requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers and will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP. The standard permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date, which defers the effective date of the new revenue reporting standard by one year. The standard will be effective for the Company for the fiscal year beginning on March 31, 2018. We have not yet selected a transition method nor have we determined the effect of the standard on our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Income Taxes, which simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes by requiring that all deferred income tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent. The amendments in this ASU are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The standard will be effective for the Company for the fiscal quarter ended April 1, 2016. The Company intends to adopt this standard on a prospective basis, and believes there will be a material balance sheet reclassification of current deferred income tax liabilities and assets to noncurrent, but cannot determine the exact amount at this time. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. The new guidance enhances the reporting model for financial instruments, which includes amendments to address aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure. The update to the standard is effective for the Company for the fiscal year beginning March 31, 2018, with early adoption permitted under limited circumstances. The Company is currently evaluating the effect the standard will have on its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies

Business

Symantec Corporation (“Symantec,” “we,” “us,” “our,” and “the Company” refer to Symantec Corporation and all of its subsidiaries) is a global leader in security.

In the second quarter of fiscal 2016, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to sell the assets of its information management business ("Veritas") (which represented a reporting segment) to The Carlyle Group and certain co-investors ("Carlyle"). The agreement was amended in January 2016 and closed on January 29, 2016, see Note 13, Subsequent Events. Beginning in the third quarter of fiscal 2016, the results of Veritas are presented as discontinued operations in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and thus have been excluded from continuing operations and segment results for all reported periods. Furthermore, the related assets and liabilities have been classified as held for sale on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. See Note 3, Discontinued Operations, for additional information on discontinued operations.

Basis of presentation

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") in the United States of America ("U.S.") for interim financial information and with the instructions on Form 10-Q pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). In accordance with those rules and regulations, we have omitted certain information and notes normally provided in our annual Consolidated Financial Statements. In the opinion of management, the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contain all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring items, except as otherwise noted, necessary for the fair presentation of our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the interim periods. These unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 3, 2015. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended January 1, 2016, are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for the entire fiscal year.

We have a 52/53-week fiscal accounting year. Unless otherwise stated, references to three and nine month ended periods in this report relate to fiscal periods ended January 1, 2016 and January 2, 2015. The nine months ended January 1, 2016, consisted of 39 weeks whereas the nine months ended January 2, 2015, consisted of 40 weeks. Our 2016 fiscal year consists of 52 weeks and ends on April 1, 2016.

There have been no material changes in our significant accounting policies for the three and nine months ended January 1, 2016, compared to the significant accounting policies described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 3, 2015.

Recently adopted accounting guidance

In April 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements and Property, Plant and Equipment, that provides new guidance related to reporting discontinued operations. This standard raises the threshold for a disposal to qualify as a discontinued operation and requires new disclosures of both discontinued operations and certain other disposals that do not meet the definition of a discontinued operation. The standard became effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2016, and applies to the presentation and disclosure of the sale of Veritas which closed in January 2016. For additional information about our reporting of discontinued operations, see Note 3, Discontinued Operations.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Interest–Imputation of Interest, which requires debt issuance costs to be presented as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the related liability. We adopted the standard in the first quarter of fiscal 2016, and it did not have a material impact on our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Recent accounting guidance not yet adopted

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, that requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers and will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP. The standard permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date, which defers the effective date of the new revenue reporting standard by one year. The standard will be effective for the Company for the fiscal year beginning on March 31, 2018. We have not yet selected a transition method nor have we determined the effect of the standard on our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Income Taxes, which simplifies the presentation of deferred income taxes by requiring that all deferred income tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent. The amendments in this ASU are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The standard will be effective for the Company for the fiscal quarter ended April 1, 2016. The Company intends to adopt this standard on a prospective basis, and believes there will be a material balance sheet reclassification of current deferred income tax liabilities and assets to noncurrent, but cannot determine the exact amount at this time.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. The new guidance enhances the reporting model for financial instruments, which includes amendments to address aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure. The update to the standard is effective for the Company for the fiscal year beginning March 31, 2018, with early adoption permitted under limited circumstances. The Company is currently evaluating the effect the standard will have on its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.