Home » How To » How to Stop Malwarebytes from Disabling Windows Defender

How to Stop Malwarebytes from Disabling Windows Defender

For Windows, Malwarebytes is one of the most popular anti-malware software. The good thing about Malwarebytes is that it can work alongside the existing antivirus software, including Windows Defender. However, Malwarebytes registers itself as the primary antivirus software and disables Windows Defender in the background. If you want to use both, this tutorial shows you a simple way to stop Malwarebytes from disabling Windows Defender.

In case you are wondering, it is always recommended to use only one antivirus solution. That’s the reason why Windows Defender is automatically disabled once Malwarebytes is registered as the primary antivirus software. The problem is that Malwarebytes is not a full-fledged anti-virus solution and has no real-time protection unless you pay for it. Thankfully, you can fix the issues with a flip of a switch in Malwarebytes settings.

Fix Malwarebytes Disabling Windows Defender

To stop Windows Defender from disabling itself after installing Malwarebytes, you need to change a simple setting in Malwarebytes. Here’s how to do it.

1. First, open Malwarebytes. You can either double-click on the taskbar icon or search for it in the start menu and click on it.

2. After Malwarebytes has been opened, click on the Gear icon on the top bar to open the Settings panel.

3. Move to the “Security” tab on the Settings page. You will see a whole lot of options. Scroll down until you see the Windows Security Center section. Under that, turn off the “Always register Malwarebytes in the Windows Security Center” option.

Stop malwarebytes from disabling windows defender

4. The settings are automatically saved. Reboot Windows and Windows Defender should be active now.

Windows defender running alongside malwarebytes

To verify, Open Windows Security by searching for in the Start menu or by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Open Windows Security, and you should see a Green checkmark in the Virus & Threat Protection section.

That is all.

Updated: The tutorial has been updated with new steps in-line with the recent updates in Malwarebytes Anti-malware software.

2 thoughts on “How to Stop Malwarebytes from Disabling Windows Defender”

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top