How To Disable Windows 10 Defender Antivirus
Windows Defender is a built-in security application developed by Microsoft for Windows operating systems. Disabling the Windows Defender software makes your computer vulnerable to threats. Therefore, it is recommended to enable it as soon as possible or install a new-antivirus software on your computer.
Carry out these steps to disable the Windows Defender antivirus on Windows 10:
- On your Windows desktop, click the Windows icon followed by Settings available on the left-side corner of the screen.
- In the Settings window, select the Update & Security option.
- Navigate to the left-side panel and select the Windows Security tab.
- Under Protection areas, click the Virus & threat protection option to access the Windows Defender settings.
- In the Windows Defender window, click the Virus & threat protection settings tab.
- Toggle off the Real-time protection button and click Yes to confirm your action when prompted.
- Doing this will disable the real-time scanning feature of Windows Defender software.
- It will automatically turn on when you restart your Windows computer.
Carry out these steps to permanently disable/turn off the Windows Defender antivirus on your computer:
- On your Windows desktop, open the Run panel by pressing the Windows + R shortcut keys.
- In the Open field, type “grpedit.msc” and click the OK button.
- On the Local Group Policy Editor screen, navigate to the left-side panel and click Administrative Templates --> Windows Components --> Windows Defender.
- Navigate to the right-side panel and select the Turn off Windows Defender Antivirus option.
- In the new pop-up window, click the Enabled radio button at the top-left corner of the screen.
- Click the Apply button followed by OK to save the applied changes.
- Now, the Windows Defender antivirus is disabled on your Windows computer.
- Verify whether Windows Defender is disabled or not by checking it from Settings.
- The Windows Defender window will display the “This app is turned off by group policy” message.
- Alternatively, you can disable the Windows Defender application from the Registry Editor.