The Canaries ended their season on a winning note but were given a testing time by a lively Preston side and only opened the scoring through an own goal.
Mark Rivers laid on the inch-perfect cross from which Phil Mulryne sealed victory and Robert Green pulled off a couple of spectacular saves to ensure a clean sheet as he picked up the man-of-the-match award.
The home side kicked off and Mulryne headed wide early on from a Rivers' cross before Dickson Etuhu fired straight into the arms of Green.
Rivers was inches away from opening the scoring after 23 minutes when Mulryne touched a free kick to him.
For the next 15 minutes Preston enjoyed plenty of possession but failed to test the Norwich keeper.
On 37 minutes Gary Holt timed his run well to get on the end of Mulryne's cross from the right but his header went wide of the near post.
Norwich took the lead a minute into the second half when Paul McVeigh's diagonal cross from the left was headed past Jonathan Gould by left back Tyrone Mears.
The Preston keeper then did well to block a fierce shot from young Ian Henderson and Etuhu fired a foot wide on 52 minutes.
Rob Edwards made way for Marlon Broomes on 56 minutes and Green cleared a header from Eddie Lewis off his goal line as he made a spectacular save.
Rivers then crossed from the right wing and Mulryne volleyed the ball home at the far post to put the Canaries two up in the 63rd minute.
Another Henderson shot was turned away for City's first corner of the game a quarter of an hour from the end.
Mears almost made up for his own goal but Green tipped his fierce drive over the bar.
David Nielsen was denied a goal in the last minute of stoppage time when Gould tipped his shot onto a post.