Disable the built-in antivirus of Windows 10. Enable and disable Windows Defender

Some users are interested in how to disable Windows Defender on their computer if they prefer to use another antivirus, or want to leave their PC without protection. Let's figure out how to disable Windows Defender permanently, or for a while.

Windows Defender is an antivirus program built into operating systems Windows systems 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8. The program changed its name several times in different versions of Windows 10.

Microsoft has taken care of users so that their computers running the modern Windows operating system are always protected from viruses. Free built-in antivirus protects your computer from malware: viruses, trojans, rootkits, ransomware, spyware software and so on.

Some users, instead of the standard Microsoft antivirus, install another antivirus on their PC, which disables Windows Defender (not always) in order to avoid conflicts and remove additional load on the system.

Previously, the built-in antivirus was less functional and had some problems in ensuring system protection compared to other antivirus programs. Recently, as comparisons of antivirus test laboratories have shown, Windows Defender antivirus has become a worthy product, practically in no way inferior to other paid or free antiviruses.

Why users disable Windows Defender

Now we will look at the main reasons why users disable Windows Defender in the operating system:

  • Installing another antivirus on the computer - some antiviruses disable Defender, in other cases, it continues to work on the PC, in parallel with the new antivirus.
  • Inability to install a program or game - Windows Defender is blocking installation computer game or computer programs.
  • Reluctance to use any anti-virus program on the computer - the user works at his own peril and risk on a PC without protection against malware.

If it is impossible to install programs on your computer, applications are often prevented from launching, which can be disabled without disabling Windows Defender. It may be worth adding the problematic file or folder to Windows 10 Defender exceptions so that the antivirus does not block work with these elements.

I do not recommend disabling and not using antivirus on your computer, because then the risk of being harmed by attackers increases many times over. For example, I opened an innocent letter in e-mail, as was the case with, after that the system was encrypted.

There are several ways to disable Microsoft Antivirus. Some methods only make it possible to turn off Defender for a while, then it will still start on its own. Other methods will help you disable Windows Defender completely.

In this guide, you will find instructions on how to disable Windows 10 Defender permanently or temporarily, how to disable Windows Defender 8.1 (Windows 8) using system tools, using free programs: O&O ShutUp10 and Win Updates Disabler.

Before applying changes to your computer, create a system restore point, or create a backup copy of Windows. In this case, if something goes wrong, you can roll back the changes, restore the operating system to the state it had at the time the restore point was created, or backup copy Windows.

How to disable Windows Defender 10

First, we will disable Windows 10 Defender from the settings of the application itself.

Follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Start menu and launch the Settings app.
  2. Open Update & Security and go to Windows Security.
  3. In the "Protection Areas" option, click on the "Virus and Threat Protection" option.
  4. Go to “Protection settings against viruses and other threats”, click on the “Manage settings” link.
  5. Slide the switch to the "Disabled" position in the "Real-time Protection" and "Cloud Protection" options.

Windows 10 Defender is disabled; after some time, the operating system will automatically turn on the antivirus, usually after restarting the computer.

Temporarily disable Windows Defender in Windows PowerShell

By using system tool Windows PowerShell the user can turn off the built-in antivirus for a while.

  1. Run Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
  2. Run the command:
Set-MpPreference -DisableRealtimeMonitoring $true

Disable Windows Defender 8.1 (Windows 8)

To disable the built-in antivirus in Windows 8.1 or Windows 8 operating systems, follow these steps:

  1. Enter "Settings", open "Control Panel".
  2. Select Windows Defender.
  3. In the Windows Defender window, go to the Settings tab.
  4. Uncheck the box next to “Enable real-time protection (recommended).”
  5. Click on the “Save Changes” button.

How to completely disable Windows 10 Defender using Local Group Policy

Antivirus can be disabled in the Local Group Policy Editor. This method only works on Windows Pro operating systems ( Windows Professional) and Windows Enterprise (Windows Enterprise), because in lower versions operating system There are no group policies.

The following settings need to be changed:

  1. Press the “Win” + “R” keys on your keyboard.
  2. In the “Run” window, enter “gpedit.msc” (without quotes), click on the “OK” button.
  3. In the “Local Group Policy Editor” window, follow the path: “Policy“ Local computer"" → "Computer Configuration" → "Administrative Templates" → "Windows Components" → "Antivirus program windows defender».
  4. Double-click on the "Turn off Windows Defender Antivirus" option.

  1. In the “Turn off Windows Defender Antivirus” window, activate the “Enabled” option, click on the “OK” button. This option will turn off Windows program Defender.

  1. Enter the Allow anti-malware service to start option, set the option to Disabled.
  2. Open the Allow Anti-Malware Service to Always Run option, select Disabled.
  3. Enter the “MAPS” (Microsoft Active Protection Service) section, in the parameters of the elements “Configure the “Block on First Appearance” function”, “Join Microsoft MAPS”, “Configure local override for reports in Microsoft MAPS”, activate the “Disabled” option .
  4. Open the “Send sample files if further analysis is required” item, apply the “Enabled” option, and in the “Options” section select “Never send”.

  1. Open the “Real-time Protection” section of the policy, and then enter the settings one by one: “Enable behavior monitoring”, “Scan all downloaded files and attachments”, “Monitor the activity of programs and files on the computer”, “Enable process scanning if Real-time protection is enabled."

  1. Set the specified parameters to “Disabled”.

Close Local Group Policy Editor.

Restart your computer to apply the changes.

How to completely disable Windows Defender in Registry Editor

The next method involves using the Registry Editor system tool.

  1. In field Windows search Type "regedit" (without quotes).
  2. Run the application as administrator.
  3. In the Registry Editor window, follow the path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender
  1. Click right click mouse by free space In the Registry Editor window, in the context menu, select first “New” and then “DWORD Value (32 bits)”.
  2. Name the parameter "DisableAntiSpyware" (without quotes).
  3. Right-click on the created parameter and select “Edit...” in the context menu.
  4. In the “Change DWORD (32-bit) parameter” window, set the “Value” field to “1” (without quotes), click on the “OK” button.

  1. Right-click on the “Windows Defender” partition, in the menu that opens, select “New”, then “Partition”.
  2. Give the section a name " Real-Time Protection».
  3. In the "Real-Time Protection" section, create DWORD parameters (32 bits) named "DisableBehaviorMonitoring", "DisableOnAccessProtection", "DisableScanOnRealtimeEnable", "DisableIOAVProtection", assign the value "1" to each of these parameters.

Close the Registry Editor window, and then restart your PC.

Disabling Windows Defender in O&O ShutUp10

The free O&O ShutUp10 program is used to disable all kinds of Windows 10 settings related to user security and privacy. Sent from the user's computer to the Microsoft server a large number of various data, the program helps to disable most of the system tools responsible for transmitting user data.

O&O ShutUp10 download

The program does not require installation on a PC, the application works in Russian. Read more about using the O&O ShutUp10 program.

  1. Run the O&O ShutUp10 program on your computer as an administrator.
  2. In the program window, go to the “Windows Defender and Microsoft SpyNet” section.
  3. Create a system restore point, and then disable the options: “Disable Microsoft SpyNet membership”, “Disable sending data samples to Microsoft”, “Do not send Microsoft information about a virus infection”, “Disable Windows Defender”.
  4. Slide the switch to the on position (the switch will turn green).

Restart your computer.

If necessary, in the O&O ShutUp10 program you can enable Windows 10 Defender again by moving the switch to the disabled position (red). To apply the changes, restart your computer.

Disable the built-in antivirus in Win Updates Disabler

The free program Win Updates Disabler is designed to disable Windows operating system updates different versions. From the official website of the application developer, you can download the regular version of the program, or a portable version that does not need to be installed on your computer.

Win Updates Disabler download

  1. Run the Win Updates Disabler program, the program works in Russian. The portable version is launched from the folder; select the program file corresponding to the bit level of your operating system.
  2. In the “Win ​​Updates Disabler” window, in the “Disable” tab, check the box next to “Disable Windows Defender.”
  3. Click on the "Apply Now" button.

Restart your computer.

To enable antivirus in the Windows operating system, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Win Updates Disabler program window, go to the “Enable” tab.
  2. Check the box next to “Turn on Windows Defender.”
  3. Restart your PC.

How to remove the Windows Defender icon from the notification area

Even though the antivirus has been disabled, the Windows Defender icon will still appear in the notification area on the taskbar. You can disable it in the following way:

  1. Launch Task Manager.
  2. Right-click on “Windows Security notification icon”, in the context menu click on “Disable”.

The icon will disappear from the notification area after the system restarts.

After the "big" Windows updates 10, all previously applied settings may be lost, because, essentially, this is a reinstallation of the system by updating to new version, in which various parameters change. Therefore, the user may have to disable the system antivirus again.

How to enable disabled Windows Defender

To enable antivirus on your computer, you need to do the reverse:

  • Go to Windows Defender settings and turn on virus protection.
  • If you disabled defender using local group policies, you will need to enter the modified policy settings again, set the default value: “Not configured”, and then restart the PC.
  • In case of application of changes in system registry, go to the “Windows Defender” section, remove the “DisableAntiSpyware” option and the “Real-Time Protection” section. After this, restart your computer. If you do not want to delete these parameters from the registry, change the value in the created parameters from “1” to “0”.
  • Roll back changes to programs if you used third party applications For Windows shutdown Defender.

Conclusions of the article

If necessary, the user can disable the Windows Defender antivirus program on the computer, which is built into the operating systems Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8. The antivirus can be disabled temporarily or completely using different ways: Windows settings, local group policy, changes in the registry, in the O&O ShutUp10 and Win Updates Disabler programs.

Experienced PC and Internet user

How to disable Windows Defender 7 and what is this program? Such questions concern thousands of users who are just beginning to acquire skills in working with this operating system. Our article aims to reveal in detail the first question and answer the second. Although many have already heard that Defender works almost the same as all antiviruses on Windows 7.

Microsoft has long been concerned about the problem of malware, so the company decided to ship the operating system with built-in software to ensure computer security. Defender works like an antivirus on a PC. It scans downloaded and launched files in the background, protecting the system from viruses and spyware applications, but only from the most common and well-known ones. It lacks more functionality. For complete security, it is better to install a third-party antivirus program and disable the built-in defender.

Let's look at how to remove Windows 7 Defender before securing your computer reliable antivirus with integrated firewall. Why is this issue so pressing? Microsoft does not provide the ability to remove Defender when using third-party antiviruses.

Program settings

Let's start with the simplest and most obvious, but not free from shortcomings, option. Let's look at how to disable protection through the application settings menu.

  1. Launch Windows Defender.

This can be done through the Start search bar or through the Control Panel.

In the second case, open the “Control Panel”, for example, through the main “Explorer” window.

Click on the icon or name of the required object.

  1. Go to the main menu section called “Programs”.
  1. Open “Settings” by clicking on the gear icon.
  1. Let's go to last tab"Administrator".
  1. Uncheck the box next to the “Use this program” option.
  1. Click “OK” to disable Windows Defender.

To make changes you need system administrator privileges!

After rebooting the computer, Defender will no longer start on the computer, however:

  • before then it will still work;
  • a notification will appear in the tray stating that the defender is turned off and should be turned on;
  • Most likely, an error will be displayed saying that the service cannot be started, and to solve the problem you need to restart the system or contact the administrator if the problem reoccurs.

Let's look at how to completely disable the protection built into the "Seven" and get rid of notifications about it, even if an anti-virus package is not installed on the PC.

Stopping a service

  1. We call the “Control Panel”, for a change, through “Start”.
  2. Open “Administration”.
  1. Double-click on the “Services” element.

You can open this window faster as follows: hold down Win + R, enter “services” and press Enter.

  1. Find “Defender…” or “Windows Defender” if the first service is missing, and open its “Properties”.
  1. We select the method of its activation as “Disabled”. If we want to stop the program, click “Stop”

Disabling the Security Center service will help you get rid of notifications that your antivirus program is inactive. To avoid harm, carefully study its purpose, because the service notifies you not only about the absence of an antivirus, but also about the absence of a firewall, antispyware (their status) and disabled updates.

Through the System Configurator window

  1. Execute “msconfig” in the “Start” search bar or the “Run” command interpreter.
  1. Uncheck the box next to the entry marked in the screenshot and click “OK.”
  1. In the “System Settings” window, select the appropriate option.

You know how to turn off the defender. But how can you turn it on if necessary? In the same way, only instead of removing the checkbox, put it back in the “System Configurator” window, and change the service startup type back to “Automatic”.

Group Policy

The Group Policy Editor is missing in the Home version of Seven - this method is suitable for other editions of the OS.

  1. Press Win + R, enter and execute the command “gpedit.msc”.
  1. In the “Computer Configuration” branch, expand the “Administrative Templates” section.
  1. Open the Windows Defender directory in the Components folder.
  1. Through context menu Call up the window for changing the parameters of the entry shown in the screenshot.
  1. Move the switch to the last option and save the settings.

Command line

How can you remove Defender from the operating system if you definitely don’t intend to use it? It will help to do this system tool"Command line".

Although a completely disabled program does not in any way affect the operation of the user and the computer, the directory with its files is still stored on the computer. Let's get rid of it too.

  1. We open it by executing the “cmd” command in the command interpreter window.
  1. Enter two lines and press Enter after each command:
  • sc stop windefend – stops the service;
  • sc delete windefend – will delete it from the computer.
  1. Open the “Program Files” or “Program Files (x86)” directory if you are using a 64-bit OS, and delete the “Windows Defender” folder from it, having administrator privileges for this.


Windows Defender is an anti-malware tool that comes with Windows 10 to protect your device and data from viruses, ransomware, spyware and many other security threats.

Although it is an antivirus that provides strong real-time protection and even automatically disables itself when a third-party solution is detected, it is not possible to permanently disable or remove it completely, as in previous versions.

However, there are still a number of scenarios where you may not be able to use your default antivirus. For example, if you set up a kiosk computer that will not connect to the Internet, no one will be able to connect to peripheral devices. Or when performing certain tasks that would otherwise be blocked by a security feature. If you must disable Windows Defender Antivirus even though your computer is vulnerable to threats, there are several ways to permanently disable the antivirus using Group Policy Editor and the Registry.

In this Windows 10 guide, we will show 3 ways to permanently disable Windows Defender Antivirus on your computer. (We'll also show you instructions on how to temporarily disable your antivirus.)

How to disable windows 10 defender permanently

Using Local Group Policy

If you are using Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, ltsb or Education, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor to permanently disable your antivirus Windows protection on your computer using the following steps:

  1. Use a combination Windows keys+ R to open the Run command.
  2. Type gpedit.msc and click OK to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
  3. Follow the following path:
  4. On the right, double-click the “Turn off Windows Defender Antivirus” option.
  5. Select the Enabled option to disable Windows Defender.

  6. Click Apply.
  7. Click OK.

Once you have completed these steps, restart your computer to apply the changes.

You'll notice that the screen icon will remain in the taskbar notification area, but that's because the icon is part of Windows Defender Protection Center and not part of the antivirus.

At any time, you can re-enable Windows Defender through the steps, but in step #5, make sure to select the Not Configured option. Then reboot your device to apply the changes.

Via the registry

If you're using Windows 10 Home, you won't have access to the Local Group Policy Editor. However, you can modify the registry to permanently disable the default antivirus using the following steps:

Warning. Editing the registry is risky and can cause permanent damage to your installation if you don't do it correctly. It is recommended before continuing.

  1. Use the Windows key + R key combination to open the Run command.
  2. Type regedit and click OK to open the registry.
  3. Switch to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender . You can use the arrows on the left.

    Advice. You can copy and paste the path into address bar registry to quickly navigate to your destination.

  4. If you don't see the DisableAntiSpyware DWORD, right-click the Windows Defender icon (folder), select New, and click DWORD Value (32-bit Value).
  5. Name the key DisableAntiSpyware and press Enter.
  6. Change the value data to 1. The initial value will be 0, which means Windows Defender is enabled. Change it to re-enable Windows Defender. You can also simply delete it.

  7. Click OK. Restart your computer. Windows Defender will no longer protect against viruses and threats. It's better to use another antivirus application for protection.

After completing the steps, reboot your device to apply the settings and then Windows Defender Antivirus should now be disabled.

If you no longer want the security feature to be disabled, you can enable it again using the same steps, but in step 6, make sure you right-click on the DisableAntiSpyware DWORD and select the Remove option.

Disable Windows Defender via Command Prompt or PowerShell

  1. Run Command Prompt as Administrator.
    • You can press the Windows + X combination and select Windows PowerShell (Admin)
  2. In the PowerShell window, enter the command
    • Set-MpPreference -DisableRealtimeMonitoring $true
  3. Immediately after it is completed, real-time protection will be disabled.

To use the same command in command line(also running as administrator), just type powershell followed by a space before the command text.

How to disable Windows 10 Defender Center temporarily

How to disable Windows Defender using O&O ShutUp10


Note: After installing Windows updates, system settings may be changed again. We recommend that after installing the updates, run the O&O ShutUp10 program again; the changed parameters will be highlighted and you can change them back automatically.

The latest version of Windows 10 comes with Windows Defender. This Defender is designed to protect your computer from viruses, malware and other threats. Although it may not offer all the features available in other antivirus programs such as Avast Free, it is suitable for many home users.

However, you can better protect your PC by using . Since installing two or more antivirus software on the same PC is not recommended, it is better to disable Windows 10 Defender from Microsoft before installing other antivirus software.

While it is true that most antivirus programs automatically disable Defender during installation, some antivirus programs require the user to manually remove Windows Defender 10 permanently.

In previous versions of Windows, enabling or disabling Defender was not difficult. IN Windows settings Defender There was an option to turn it off or on. In version 10, Microsoft moved Defender settings to Settings.

Select "Open Defender Security Center." Click the "Virus & Threat Protection" tab and then "Virus & Threat Protection Settings."

Switch the "Real-time protection" and "Cloud protection" switch to the "off" position. The Defender will turn off for approximately 15 minutes. After this time, Windows Defender will start automatically.

Complete disabling using Group Policy

Group Policy Editor is part of Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise. To disable Defender, follow these steps:


After making changes, Windows Defender is disabled immediately.

Disabling using the Windows Registry

You can also disable Windows Defender in the registry. This is essentially the same setting that is written to it when you disable an application in the Group Policy Editor.

  • open "Start">"Run";
  • type regedit.exe and press enter;
  • Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender;
    if you see the DisableAntiSpyware preference on the right, double-click on it and set it to 1 to disable Windows Defender;

A fairly large circle of users are thinking about how to disable Windows 10 Defender. This picture is observed only because of the negative reputation of the latter. Windows Defender in Windows 8 and its predecessor Microsoft Security Essentials in Windows 7 and Vista were not the best the best antiviruses. Despite the fact that now, in 2017, “Defender” has become much better and more functional, and the system itself has lost many of its shortcomings, there are few people who want to use the standard tool. Negative advertising played a role, now a significant number of inexperienced users are thinking about how to disable Windows Defender.

Reasons for failure

For a long time, Microsoft Security Essentials, released in 2009, was a pitiful semblance of protection, which blocked only “cracks” and “software crackers,” while rudkits, keyloggers and worms entered the system without hindrance. Over time, it acquired the reputation of being a “slow” antivirus that was unable to protect a PC. And if the situation has changed since 2012, the program has become more reliable, less demanding, users have already switched to other solutions.

Even now, thanks to its former glory, it is disabled on most devices by installing third-party antivirus solutions.

Like Vista SP1, it was unable to overcome the negativity initially created by the release. Despite the fact that Vista SP2 worked quite stably, users abandoned the licensed OS in favor of pirated versions of XP. The same thing is observed with Defender from Microsoft; its use allows you to load your PC less, especially weak ones, but it is not at all popular. A lot of materials on the Internet are devoted to his special shutdown.

It’s easier for users to install Kaspersky and complain about a weak laptop than to use standard protection.

Why disable defender

Users who are accustomed to downloading hacked software from the Internet, sitting on pirated versions OS cannot normally use a computer with Defender, because it will indicate their illegal actions and will block many “crooked” programs. Everyone who creates or uses homemade “assemblies” knows that the “top ten” should only be used with third-party security tools. As a rule, for such purposes, the OS is built into software products from the Chinese (360 antivirus) or free versions Avast, Avira. These programs do not respond to pirated software, so it is necessary to disable Windows Defender in such cases.

However, if you don’t want to reinstall systems once every month or two, then it is better to use proven, licensed software.

Download boot image from the Microsoft website; as a last resort, if there is no license, use the activator. The system will be clean and devoid of “changes” by home-grown domestic underground developers. Often their masterpieces work simply disgustingly, and some even “leak” all the data to the “developer” himself.

Innovations of the “August update”

In Windows 10 version 1607 and newer, Defender is always enabled and starts automatically. It even works in parallel with third-party products.

The corporation tried to promote its product more firmly, so it works constantly in the new version of Windows 10. You can disable it at startup by launching the task manager and checking the Windows Defender Notificationicon item in the Startup tab. After which it will not appear in the startup menu or tray, but it will not stop working. To completely disable Windows 10 Defender, just use a utility like DWS or dig into the registry. You can also disable it from the menu. To do this, click on the “Start” menu, select “Settings”, then “Update and Security”, and then “Defender” and check the box to turn it off. But after a while it will turn back on itself. It would be safer to use the Group Policy Editor (does not work on the Home version) or the Registry Editor.

If you are afraid to delve into such jungle in Windows 10, you can disable protection in one click using the DWS utility or similar programs.

Disabling using OS tools

When you need to know how to disable Windows 10 Defender permanently, the best solution will use the Group Policy Editor: hold down the Win+R key combination, enter in the “Run” line of the window: gpedit.msc. Next, go to: “Computer Configuration” - “Administrative Templates” - “Windows Components” - “EndpointProtection”. On the right side of the editor you will see the EndpointProtection item, double-click on the “Turn off Endpoint Protection” item. Click then "OK" and exit the editor. To enable the function, simply select the appropriate item.

If you are using the Home version of the system Windows is better use registry editor. You can run it using the Win+R combination and the regedit command in the Run window.

To disable Defender through the registry, you need to go to the path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Policies\ Microsoft\ WindowsDefender. If there is no Disable AntiSpyware at this address, create this DWORD value with this name. If you set the parameter to 0, the defender will be disabled, and 1 will be enabled.

Using third-party antivirus programs

If you have installed a third-party antivirus, then you do not need to know how to disable windowsdefender; it will turn off automatically. On the other hand, using a computer without an antivirus at all is extremely dangerous, despite all the perfection of the “ten”.

Remember, in windows 10 there are a lot of others, not really required applications and advertisements that should be turned off, this does not particularly apply to the defender, it can fight viruses quite adequately and already in 2016 it became less intrusive.

If the computer is used exclusively for surfing, then turning off the antivirus without installing an alternative is a huge stupidity.

Modern viruses can penetrate a PC not only with downloaded files, but even directly from Internet pages or when viewing Flash content.

Before completely disabling the protection and opening the gate to your device, you should think several times. If you don’t like the standard antivirus, install any other one, fortunately there are a lot of them now, even in the free version. And remember, as soon as third party program something happens, the computer will be protected by standard protection, which will turn on automatically.

Life without a "Defender"

Even the very first Windows version 10, released in the summer of 2015, was an order of magnitude more insecure than its predecessors 8 and 7 with all the service packs. However, poor optimization with some types of hardware and the lack of many drivers did their job - the system turned out to be not so popular, and many even now prefer to use Windows 7 or even XP. But you should understand that Microsoft is working on bugs and improving its products. Moreover, unlike the Mac, which has several devices, this system is universal and designed for billions of devices. When protection is completely stopped for the sake of a ghostly improvement in performance, the user only gets viruses and problems. And you don’t even need to download something from the Internet; you can infect your PC when visiting the network directly through pages in your browser.

After the “August update,” a lot of useful features appeared in Windows 10 and stability improved. A major Creators Update is expected in mid-April, which will bring changes to the downloading of security updates and change the appearance and functionality of Defender. Don't give up on it prematurely - maybe you'll like it.