Turn off Defender antivirus protection in Windows Security (2024)

FAQs

Turn off Defender antivirus protection in Windows Security? ›

Select the Windows Security app from the search results, go to Virus & threat protection, and under Virus & threat protection settings select Manage settings. Switch Real-time protection to Off. Note that scheduled scans will continue to run.

Select the Windows Security app from the search results, go to Virus & threat protection, and under Virus & threat protection settings select Manage settings. Switch Real-time protection to Off. Note that scheduled scans will continue to run.

The Windows Defender warning you see on the browser is a scam, identified and exposed by security professionals. Illegitimate actors are using this scam to gain valuable information about the victims, such as bank and personal details.

Go to “Computer Configuration,” then “Administrative Templates,” followed by “Windows Components,” and finally “Windows Defender Antivirus.” Find and double-click the option named “Turn off Windows Defender Antivirus.” Select the enabled option and press Apply.

Disabling or uninstalling Microsoft Defender Antivirus isn't recommended in general; if possible, keep Microsoft Defender Antivirus in passive mode if you're using a non-Microsoft antimalware/antivirus solution.

In Safe mode, rename the registry key

Once you have entered Safe mode, open the registry editor – press WinKey + R , type regedit and hit Enter . Right-click the HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinDefend key and rename it to WinDefend-BLOCKED!! . That's it!

Open the Windows Security app by clicking the shield icon in the task bar or searching the start menu for Security. Scroll to the Notifications section and select Change notification settings. Slide the switch to Off or On to disable or enable additional notifications.

Open the Windows Security app. Select Virus & threat protection. Under Virus & threat protection settings, select Manage settings. Flip each switch under Real-time protection and Cloud-delivered protection to turn them on.

Sometimes Windows Defender keeps turning on in Windows 10/11 due to the old license of the antivirus software. Once the license is outdated, Windows will detect that your PC isn't under protection and automatically enables its antivirus component – Windows Defender to avoid security breaches.

Please type services in the search on the taskbar and select run as administrator. Hit enter. Scroll down the page until you find software protection. Turn this off and set it to disabled.

Do I really need Microsoft Defender? ›

The Bottom Line. Microsoft Defender Antivirus does a fine job of securing Windows 10 and 11 PCs that have no other protection, but it doesn't beat the best free or paid third-party tools. PCMag editors select and review products independently.

If you plan to install a third-party antivirus, such as Norton, AVG, or Kaspersky, you might have to disable Windows Defender first. Otherwise, Windows 10 might not be able to install updates, or your virus program might not work properly. Or perhaps Windows Defender is preventing you from doing specific tasks.

Microsoft Defender is an antivirus and anti-malware product included with a Microsoft 365 personal or family plan subscription. While Windows Security and Microsoft Defender both offer protection against computer viruses and malware, Microsoft Defender provides more protection with additional security features.

Go to Start and open Control Panel. Select System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall. Choose Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off.

In the search box on the taskbar, type Windows Security and then selct Windows Security in the list of results. In Windows Security, select Virus & threat protection and then under Virus & threat protection settings, select Manage settings. Change the Tamper Protection setting to On or Off.