How to Permanently Disable Microsoft Defender in Windows 10/11
Windows Defender (aka Microsoft Defender Antivirus) is a free antivirus program that comes with Windows. It’s designed to protect your computer from malware like viruses, spyware, and ransomware. It runs in the background, scanning files and programs as you use them.
While generally effective, some users choose to disable it. Knowing how to disable Windows Defender can be useful if you encounter conflicts with other security software, have concerns about system performance, or experience false alarms where legitimate files are flagged as threats. Some advanced users simply prefer alternative antivirus programs with more features or customization options.
How to Turn Off Windows Defender
According to Microsoft, Windows Defender turns itself off automatically when it detects another antivirus program on your computer. To temporarily disable Windows Defender manually, instead, there’s a single toggle that controls it. This toggle, when switched off, prevents Windows Defender from running. It’s part of Windows Security; here’s where to find it in both Windows 11 and Windows 10:
1. Open the Start menu and search for Windows Security. Select it to open it.
2. Choose Virus & threat protection on the left.
3. Select Manage settings from the Virus & threat protection settings area.
4. Select the toggle under Real-time protection to disable Windows Defender.
How to Permanently Disable Windows Defender
The steps above are easy to reverse, and Windows might even undo it itself in the future through a Windows update. If that happens, or if you want to really make sure Windows Defender is turned off for good, follow one of these methods to learn how to disable Windows Defender permanently:
Group Policy Editor
1. First, we need to turn off Tamper Protection. Repeat steps 1 through 3 above, and then scroll down to find and disable Tamper Protection.
2. Open Run (Win+R) and enter gpedit.msc.
3. In Local Group Policy Editor, go to this path by following the folders on the left-hand side: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Defender Antivirus.
4. On the right, double-click Turn off Microsoft Defender Antivirus.
5. In the window that opens, select Enabled, then OK.
6. Restart your computer.
Registry Editor
1. Open Registry Editor by searching for it from the Start menu or by executing the regedit command in the Run box.
2. Highlight the path at the top of the program and replace it with this, then press Enter: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender
3. Ensure you’re in the right key (Windows Defender, visible on the left), then right-click an empty area of the right side and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name the value DisableAntiSpyware.
5. Double-click the new value and type 1 in the box.
6. Select OK to save, then close Registry Editor and restart your computer.
Should you need to, you can always edit the registry to delete this new value to make Windows Defender work again.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is it safe to disable Windows Defender? Sure! But, you should have some sort of protection, so only turn off Windows Defender if you replace it with another antivirus app, else your computer will definitely be exposed to threats.
- Is Windows Defender good enough to protect my PC? Yes, it’s good enough for basic protection, but advanced users or those with specific security needs might want a more robust solution.
- Does Windows Defender scan for malware? Yes, Windows Defender actively scans for malware, checking files, programs, and downloads in real-time.
I’m exceedingly annoyed that I have to even /do/ this step, but I tip my hat to you for teaching us all /how/ to do it.