How do I disable my antivirus program in Windows?

It should be noted that the instructions in this page are for temporarily disabling an antivirus program, not uninstalling an antivirus. Additionally, the answer to this question varies from one antivirus program to another, so you may have to use some intuition. However, nearly all antivirus protection programs can be temporarily disabled by following the steps below.

Disable in Windows

1. Locate the antivirus protection program icon in the Windows notification area. Below are examples of how the antivirus program icon may look.

McAfee, Norton, AVG, Kaspersky, and Webroot examples.

1. Once the antivirus icon is located, right-click the icon and select Disable, Stop, Shut down, or something similar. In some cases, you may need to open the program and disable it using the program’s menus.

How to disable Microsoft Security Essentials

In the previous section, we mentioned how to disable many third-party antivirus programs and that some of them require more than a few clicks in the Windows notification area. Microsoft Security Essentials is one of the special cases we get asked about frequently.

1. Click the Microsoft Security Essentials icon in the Windows Notification area, and then click Open.
2. Click the Settingstab, then click Real-time protection.
3. Uncheck the box next to Turn on real-time protection (recommended).
4. Save your changes.

To turn protection back on, follow these steps again and check the box next to Turn on real-time protection.

Disable by starting in Safe Mode

If the recommendations above did not help you disable your antivirus scanner, you can boot into Safe Mode, which doesn’t load any third-party programs, including your antivirus program. Booting into Safe Mode is helpful when you’re concerned about the antivirus program interrupting another program during an installation.

How to Disable Windows Defender

Turning off Windows Defender is not recommended as it leaves your computer vulnerable to attacks. However, in some cases, the antivirus can interfere with other necessary programs, or you may have decided to use a third-party antivirus instead.

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Since it isn’t a good idea to run two antivirus programs simultaneously, you may want to disable Windows Defender, especially if Windows 10 has not automatically disabled it. Read on to learn different methods of doing this.

What Is Windows Defender?

Starting with Windows 8, Windows Defender was included as a part of every Microsoft Windows package. Its job is to remove malicious software, perform virus scans, and delete spyware. You can manually run scans any time you want, and at the same time, it runs in the background continuously looking for threats.

Windows Defender replaced Microsoft Security Essentials, which was found on older versions of Windows. In versions of Windows 8, it was recommended you uninstall Windows Defender before installing another antivirus.

This is not necessary with Windows 10 because the program is designed to detect when you install a third-party antivirus and disable itself. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen.

Four Methods to Disable Windows Defender

Disable Constant Monitoring

This method will allow Windows Defender to continue working but only for scheduled scans. Windows Defender will no longer automatically scan files you install or download from the Internet.

If you have a third-party antivirus running, Windows 10 should automatically do this, but it doesn’t hurt to check it and make sure. If you don’t have another antivirus program on your computer, Windows 10 will automatically reset this option, so you need to redo it every time you restart your computer.

Step #1

Type “Settings” into the search bar without quotation marks. Choose “Settings” from the list that appears.

Step #2

Click on “Update & Security” in the Settings menu.

Step #3

Choose “Windows Security” and then open “Windows Defender Security Center.”

Step #4

When Windows Defender opens, pick “Virus & Threat Protection.”

Go to Virus & Threat Protection Settings and switch Real-time Protection “Off” by toggling the button.

Using this method still allows you to choose to scan your computer manually with Windows Defender. It is also great for temporarily preventing Windows Defender from interfering with a trusted download.

Exclude Your System from Windows Defender

Excluding your system from Windows Defender will shut your antivirus protection off a little more permanently than the previous method. Keep in mind that not running any antivirus places your system at risk.

Step #1

Go to the Settings window by typing “Settings” into the search bar without quotation marks. Choose “Settings.”

Then click “Update & Security.”

Step #2

As in the previous method, select “Windows Security” and open the “Windows Defender Security Center.“

Step #3

Click on “Add an Exclusion.” Then choose “Exclude a folder.” Select your entire “C:/” drive as the folder to exclude.

You can repeat this method if there are other drives you wish to exclude from Windows Defender’s antivirus scans.

Using the Group Policy to Disable Windows Defender

The group policy is only available to those who have some versions of Windows 10 Pro, and to those who have Windows 10 Enterprise or Windows 10 Education. Home users and some Windows 10 Pro users will need to skip this method and continue to the next one.

Step #1

Start by pressing the [R] key and the [Windows] key at the same time.

Type “gpedit.msc” without any quotation marks into the box and click on the “OK” button.

Step #2

If you see an error message, make sure you typed the file name correctly. If you did, you probably do not have a version of Windows 10 that supports the Group Policy Editor. You will have to use a different method.

If the Group Policy Editor opens, continue to step #3.

Step #3

On the left side of the Group Policy Editor window, select “Computer Configuration” and then “Administrative Templates” from the list that appears by clicking it to open it.

Then select “Windows Components” and finally click on “Windows Defender.”

Step #4

On the right side of the Group Policy Editor window, you should now have the option to “Turn off Windows Defender.”

Step #5

Now, you need to click “Enabled.” This enables a policy that disables Windows Defender. Click “Apply” and “OK.”

Step #6

Refresh the Group Policy Settings by typing “cmd” into the search bar and right-clicking on the “Command Prompt” option.

Choose “Run as Administrator.” Finally, type “gpupdate /force” into the prompt.

You may have to restart the computer to allow these changes to take place.

Editing the Registry to Disable Windows Defender

Editing the registry is one valid method of disabling Windows Defender, but it needs to be done with extreme care.

Always perform a full backup of your system before attempting to edit the registry.

Even if you modify the register correctly, you may experience unwanted side effects and performance issues on your computer.

Step #1

Press the [R] key and the [Windows] key simultaneously.

This opens the run box window. Type “regedit” without any quotation marks into the box and press [Enter].

When you see a warning about the app making changes to the registry, click “Yes” to continue.

Step #2

From the list on the left select “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE” and then “SOFTWARE.” Then select “Policies” and “Microsoft.”

Step #3

Finally, choose “Windows Defender.”

From the list that appears on the right, double-click “DisableAntiSpyware.”

If you do not see this option, you will need to create it by right-clicking on the blank area on the right and selecting “New.”

Choose “DWORD (32-bit) Value” from the menu that appears. Name the new task “DisableAntiSpyware” and hit [Enter].

Once it is created, click on it.

Step #4

In the window that appears, change the current value data to “1.” It is “0” by default.

Click “OK.”

Step #5

Restart your computer by clicking the Power icon found in the Start menu and selecting “Restart.”

Conclusion

Disabling Microsoft’s antivirus program is not as easy as it once was, but it still can be done by following one of the methods listed above.

Just remember, it is dangerous for your computer to have no antivirus protection. You should download an antivirus program from a reputable third party or turn Windows Defender back on when the reason you needed to disable it is no longer an issue.

How to permanently disable Windows Defender Antivirus on Windows 10

Windows Defender Antivirus is the free malware solution that Microsoft includes on every installation of Windows 10. It’s a security software package meant to provide the first line of defense to protect your device and data against malware, including viruses, ransomware, rootkits, spyware, and other types of malicious programs.

Although the antivirus runs automatically, and it can disable itself as you install a third-party security software, the only caveat is that Windows 10 doesn’t offer a way to disable it permanently. Perhaps the obvious reason is that Microsoft doesn’t want you to use your device without any protection, which is a good thing.

However, there are still some cases where some users may prefer not to use Windows Defender Antivirus, such as on a kiosk device that isn’t connected to a network and where peripheral connectivity isn’t allowed.

In this Windows 10 guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to permanently disable the Windows Defender Antivirus on your computer using Group Policy, Registry, and Windows Defender Security Center.

How to disable Windows Defender Antivirus using Group Policy

On Windows 10 Pro, it’s possible to use the Group Policy Editor to disable the Windows Defender Antivirus permanently.

1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.
2. Type gpedit.msc and click OK to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

Browse the following path:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Antivirus

Browse the following path:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Antivirus > Real-time Protection

On the right side, double-click the Turn on behavior monitoring policy.

Click OK.

On «Real-time Protection,» double-click the Monitor file and program activity on your computer policy.

Click OK.

Click OK.

Click OK.

Once you’ve completed the steps, Windows Defender Antivirus will no longer scan and detect malware on your device, even after restarting your computer.

At any time, you can enable the Windows Defender Antivirus using the same steps, but on step No. 5, 10, and 14, make sure to select the Not Configured option. Then just restart your device to apply the changes.

How to disable Windows Defender Antivirus using Registry

The Local Group Policy Editor is not available on Windows 10 Home, but you can still achieve the same results changing the Registry settings.

Warning: This is a friendly reminder that editing the registry is risky, and it can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don’t do it correctly. It’s recommended to make a full backup of your PC before proceeding.

1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.
2. Type regedit, and click OK to open the Registry.

Browse the following path:

Right-click on the Windows Defender (folder) key, select New, and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Click OK.

Name the key Real-Time Protection and press Enter.

Click OK.

Click OK.

Click OK.

After completing the steps, simply restart your computer to disable the Windows Defender Antivirus permanently.

If you change your mind, you can always revert the changes using the same instructions, but on step No. 3, right-click the DisableAntiSpyware key, and select Delete. Then inside the Windows Defender (folder) key, right-click the Real-Time Protection (folder) key and select Delete to remove key and its content. Finally, restart your device to complete reverting the changes.

How to disable Windows Defender Antivirus using Security Center

Alternatively, if you’re installing a piece of software that requires deactivating the antivirus to install correctly, or you simply want to disable the Windows 10 built-in antivirus temporarily, you can use the following steps:

1. Open Windows Defender Security Center.
2. Click on Virus & threat protection.

Click the Virus & threat protection settings option.

Turn off the Real-time protection toggle switch.

After completing the steps, Windows Defender Antivirus will be disabled making it unable to monitor and stop malware from taking over your device. However, this is a temporary solution, eventually, the antivirus will re-activate automatically after you restart your device.

Wrapping things up

While there could be scenarios where you may need to disable the antivirus, it’s never recommended to have your device without malware protection.

If you’re trying to get rid of Windows Defender Antivirus because you prefer another security software, you should know that the built-in antivirus will disable itself automatically during the installation of third-party security software.

It’s should also be noted that the shield icon will continue to appear in the notification area of the Taskbar because it’s the Windows Defender Security Center icon, not merely dedicated to the antivirus.

In the case you don’t like the default anti-malware solution, here are a few alternatives that won’t cost you a penny for basic protection.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

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