Microsoft Defender Antivirus on Windows Server

Applies to:

Microsoft Defender Antivirus is available on the following editions/versions of Windows Server:

• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server, version 1803 or later
• Windows Server 2016.

In some instances, Microsoft Defender Antivirus is referred to as Endpoint Protection; however, the protection engine is the same. Although the functionality, configuration, and management are largely the same for Microsoft Defender Antivirus on Windows 10, there are a few key differences on Windows Server:

• In Windows Server, automatic exclusions are applied based on your defined Server Role.
• In Windows Server, Microsoft Defender Antivirus does not automatically disable itself if you are running another antivirus product.

The process at a glance

The process of setting up and running Microsoft Defender Antivirus on a server platform includes several steps:

Enable the user interface on Windows Server

By default, Microsoft Defender Antivirus is installed and functional on Windows Server. The user interface (GUI) is installed by default on some SKUs, but is not required because you can use PowerShell or other methods to manage Microsoft Defender Antivirus. If the GUI is not installed on your server, you can add it by using the Add Roles and Features wizard, or by using PowerShell cmdlets.

Turn on the GUI using the Add Roles and Features Wizard

When you get to the Features step of the wizard, under Windows Defender Features, select the GUI for Windows Defender option.

In Windows Server 2016, the Add Roles and Features Wizard looks like this:

In Windows Server 2019, the Add Roles and Feature Wizard is similar.

Turn on the GUI using PowerShell

The following PowerShell cmdlet will enable the interface:

Install Microsoft Defender Antivirus on Windows Server

You can use either the Add Roles and Features Wizard or PowerShell to install Microsoft Defender Antivirus.

Use the Add Roles and Features Wizard

Refer to this article, and use the Add Roles and Features Wizard.

When you get to the Features step of the wizard, select the Microsoft Defender Antivirus option. Also select the GUI for Windows Defender option.

Use PowerShell

To use PowerShell to install Microsoft Defender Antivirus, run the following cmdlet:

Event messages for the antimalware engine included with Microsoft Defender Antivirus can be found in Microsoft Defender AV Events.

Verify Microsoft Defender Antivirus is running

To verify that Microsoft Defender Antivirus is running on your server, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

To verify that firewall protection is turned on, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

As an alternative to PowerShell, you can use Command Prompt to verify that Microsoft Defender Antivirus is running. To do that, run the following command from a command prompt:

The sc query command returns information about the Microsoft Defender Antivirus service. When Microsoft Defender Antivirus is running, the STATE value displays RUNNING .

Update antimalware Security intelligence

To get updated antimalware security intelligence, you must have the Windows Update service running. If you use an update management service, like Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), make sure that updates for Microsoft Defender Antivirus Security intelligence are approved for the computers you manage.

By default, Windows Update does not download and install updates automatically on Windows Server 2019 or Windows Server 2016. You can change this configuration by using one of the following methods:

Method	Description
Windows Update in Control Panel	— Install updates automatically results in all updates being automatically installed, including Windows Defender Security intelligence updates. — Download updates but let me choose whether to install them allows Windows Defender to download and install Security intelligence updates automatically, but other updates are not automatically installed.
Group Policy	You can set up and manage Windows Update by using the settings available in Group Policy, in the following path: Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Configure Automatic Updates
The AUOptions registry key	The following two values allow Windows Update to automatically download and install Security intelligence updates: — 4 — Install updates automatically. This value results in all updates being automatically installed, including Windows Defender Security intelligence updates. — 3 — Download updates but let me choose whether to install them. This value allows Windows Defender to download and install Security intelligence updates automatically, but other updates are not automatically installed.

To ensure that protection from malware is maintained, we recommend that you enable the following services:

Windows Error Reporting service

Windows Update service

The following table lists the services for Microsoft Defender Antivirus and the dependent services.

Service Name	File Location	Description
Windows Defender Service (WinDefend)	C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe	This is the main Microsoft Defender Antivirus service that needs to be running at all times.
Windows Error Reporting Service (Wersvc)	C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe -k WerSvcGroup	This service sends error reports back to Microsoft.
Windows Defender Firewall (MpsSvc)	C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe -k LocalServiceNoNetwork	We recommend leaving the Windows Defender Firewall service enabled.
Windows Update (Wuauserv)	C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs	Windows Update is needed to get Security intelligence updates and antimalware engine updates

Submit samples

Sample submission allows Microsoft to collect samples of potentially malicious software. To help provide continued and up-to-date protection, Microsoft researchers use these samples to analyze suspicious activities and produce updated antimalware Security intelligence. We collect program executable files, such as .exe files and .dll files. We do not collect files that contain personal data, like Microsoft Word documents and PDF files.

Submit a file

Visit the sample submission portal, and submit your file.

Enable automatic sample submission

To enable automatic sample submission, start a Windows PowerShell console as an administrator, and set the SubmitSamplesConsent value data according to one of the following settings:

Setting	Description
0 — Always prompt	The Microsoft Defender Antivirus service prompts you to confirm submission of all required files. This is the default setting for Microsoft Defender Antivirus, but is not recommended for installations on Windows Server 2016 or 2019 without a GUI.
1 — Send safe samples automatically	The Microsoft Defender Antivirus service sends all files marked as «safe» and prompts for the remainder of the files.
2 — Never send	The Microsoft Defender Antivirus service does not prompt and does not send any files.
3 — Send all samples automatically	The Microsoft Defender Antivirus service sends all files without a prompt for confirmation.

Configure automatic exclusions

To help ensure security and performance, certain exclusions are automatically added based on the roles and features you install when using Microsoft Defender Antivirus on Windows Server 2016 or 2019.

Need to set Microsoft Defender Antivirus to passive mode?

If you are using a non-Microsoft antivirus product as your primary antivirus solution, set Microsoft Defender Antivirus to passive mode.

Set Microsoft Defender Antivirus to passive mode using a registry key

If you are using Windows Server, version 1803 or Windows Server 2019, you can set Microsoft Defender Antivirus to passive mode by setting the following registry key:

• Path: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Advanced Threat Protection
• Name: ForcePassiveMode
• Type: REG_DWORD
• Value: 1

Disable Microsoft Defender Antivirus using the Remove Roles and Features wizard

See Install or Uninstall Roles, Role Services, or Features, and use the Remove Roles and Features Wizard.

When you get to the Features step of the wizard, clear the Windows Defender Features option.

If you clear Windows Defender by itself under the Windows Defender Features section, you will be prompted to remove the interface option GUI for Windows Defender.

Microsoft Defender Antivirus will still run normally without the user interface, but the user interface cannot be enabled if you disable the core Windows Defender feature.

Turn off the Microsoft Defender Antivirus user interface using PowerShell

To turn off the Microsoft Defender Antivirus GUI, use the following PowerShell cmdlet:

Are you using Windows Server 2016?

If you are using Windows Server 2016 and a third-party antimalware/antivirus product that is not offered or developed by Microsoft, you’ll need to disable/uninstall Microsoft Defender Antivirus.

You can’t uninstall the Windows Security app, but you can disable the interface with these instructions.

The following PowerShell cmdlet uninstalls Microsoft Defender Antivirus on Windows Server 2016:

The most secure Windows ever

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Microsoft Defender Antivirus

Formerly known as Windows Defender, Microsoft Defender Antivirus still delivers the comprehensive, ongoing, and real-time protection you expect against software threats like viruses, malware, and spyware across email, apps, the cloud, and the web.

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Find My Device

Find My Device is a feature that can help you locate your Windows 10 device if it’s lost or stolen. It works for any Windows device, such as a PC, laptop, Surface, or Surface Pen.

1 For the supported lifetime of the device. Internet access fees may apply.

2 Requires a Microsoft family account with Device health sharing permissions enabled.

3 Windows Hello requires specialized hardware including a Windows Hello capable device, fingerprint reader, illuminated IR sensor or other biometric sensors and capable devices.

4 Based on average time comparison between typing a password respectively detecting a face or fingerprint to authentication success.​

5 Available for selected companion devices and selected Windows 10 editions. Might require that PC and companion devices are joined in Azure Active Directory or Active Directory and paired via Bluetooth.

6 Requires a Microsoft family account with Device health sharing permissions enabled. Also requires Android devices with Microsoft Launcher installed and signed in with the same Microsoft account associated with their Microsoft family account. For a parent to access and view a child’s locations and app activities through the Family web page, Microsoft Launcher must be installed on each child’s device. For a parent to access and view their child’s location(s) and app activities through Microsoft Launcher, Microsoft Launcher must be installed on both the parent’s device and each child’s device. In each case, location and app usage permissions must be allowed through Microsoft Launcher on the child’s device. Activity reporting features require Android 5.0+ on each child’s device. Family settings available on Windows 10 and Xbox One devices. Some settings available on Android devices with Microsoft Launcher installed. Family settings work on the Microsoft Edge browser only.

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