Want to disable Windows Defender? Here’s how to do it.
As most of you already know, Windows Defender, a.k.a. Windows Security is the default antivirus in Windows 11 and Windows 10. It runs silently in the background and protects your computer in real time from viruses, malware, and other threats. In general, Windows Defender is a pretty competent antivirus software even when compared to the best third-party antivirus software out there. As good as it is, there might be situations when you need to disable Windows Defender (Windows Security). Maybe it is overly aggressive, taking up a lot of system resources, blocking files and programs with false positives, etc.
Whatever your specific reason is, in this quick and easy guide, I will show you two methods to disable Windows Defender in Windows 11 and Windows 10. Let’s get started.
Before You Start
- Windows Defender has been renamed to Windows Security in recent versions.
- You need administrator rights to disable Windows Defender (Windows Security).
- Important Note: Before following the below steps, disable tamper protection in Windows Defender. Otherwise, the methods shown below won’t work.
- Warning: Disabling Windows Defender and using Windows without antivirus software is not recommended. If you don’t want to use Windows Defender, use third-party antivirus software.
- The below steps are tested to work in both Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Disable Windows Defender Temporarily
Before permanently disabling Windows Defender, try disabling it temporarily. For example, if Windows Defender is blocking some program or file and you know it is a false positive, you can disable Windows Defender temporarily to get past that specific issue. The best thing is, you can turn it back on once you are done or it is enabled automatically after the system restart.
If that didn’t work or if you are looking to disable Windows Defender permanently, follow one of the two methods below.
How to Disable Windows Defender Using Group Policy
Note: This method only works in Pro and Enterprise editions. If you are using the Home edition, follow the second method (registry method). Also, don’t forget to disable Windows Defender tamper protection before following the steps. Otherwise, it doesn’t work.
- Open the Run dialog by pressing “Windows key + R”.
- Enter “gpedit.msc” in the Run dialog and click “OK“.
- Go to the “Computer Configuration” > “Administrative Templates” folder.
- Go to the “Windows Components” > “Microsoft Defender Antivirus” folder.
- Double-click the “Turn off Microsoft Defender antivirus” policy.
- Select the “Enabled” radio option.
- Click “OK“.
- Close the Group Policy Editor.
- Reboot Windows.
- With that, Windows Defender is disabled.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
To access the “Group Policy Editor,” hit “Windows key + R“, type gpedit.msc, and then click the “OK” button. You can also look for it in the start menu.
On the left panel of the Group Policy Editor, go to the “Computer Configuration” > “Administrative Templates” > “Windows Components” > “Microsoft Defender Antivirus” folder.
In the “Microsoft Defender Antivirus” folder, find and double-click the “Turn off Microsoft Defender Antivirus” policy on the right panel.
Select the “Enabled” option in the policy properties window and click “OK” to save the change.
Finally, close the Group Policy Editor window by clicking the “X” button on the title bar and restart your computer.
After rebooting, Windows Defender is turned off completely. Keep in mind that you will still see the Windows Defender icon (Shield icon) in the system tray.
How to Turn Off Windows Defender from Registry
Note: Before following the steps, please back up the registry. Also, don’t forget to disable Windows Defender tamper protection before following the steps. Otherwise, it doesn’t work.
- Press the “Start” key.
- Search and open “Registry Editor.”
- Go to the following folder.
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender - Right-click the “Windows Defender” folder.
- Select “New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value“.
- Type “DisableAntiSpyware” as the name.
- Double-click the new value.
- Type “1” in the “Value Data” field.
- Press the “OK” button.
- Close the Registry Editor.
- Reboot Windows.
- With that, Windows Security is disabled.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
Open the Registry Editor. You can search for it in the Start menu or use the “regedit” Run command.
In the Registry Editor, paste the below path in the address bar and press “Enter“. It will take you to the folder we need. Alternatively, you can navigate to it manually in the left navigation pane.
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender
On the right panel, right-click the “Windows Defender” folder and select the “New” > “DWORD (32-bit) Value” option. Name the new value “DisableAntiSpyware“.
After creating the value, double-click it and change the value data from “0” to “1“. Click “OK” to save the change.
Finally, close the Registry Editor window and restart your computer. After reboot, Windows Defender is disabled.
Wrapping Up — Permanently Disabling Windows Defender
As you can see, thanks to the Group Policy and Registry, you can easily turn off Windows Defender permanently with just a few clicks. If you are using the Pro or Enterprise edition of Windows then follow the Group Policy method. Otherwise, follow the registry method. Remember to not use your computer without any active antivirus software. If Windows Defender is causing problems or you don’t like it, use a third-party antivirus.
To enable Windows Defender, change the policy to “Not Configured” in the Group Policy Editor or change the Value Data to 0 for the “” value in the Registry Editor.
If you need any help or have questions, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
