The Microsoft Defender is a powerful anti-malware program that comes pre-installed on Windows computers. It is designed to protect your computer from malicious software and other online threats. However, if you don’t need it or you want to free up resources for other applications, you may want to disable it. In this article, we will discuss how to stop Microsoft Defender in a few simple steps. How to Stop Microsoft Defender? Open the Start Menu and type in “Windows Security” in the search bar. Select “Windows Security” and open the App. Click on “Virus & Threat Protection” in the left pane. Under the “Virus & Threat Protection Settings” section, toggle the “Real-time protection” switch to “Off”. language. How to Stop Microsoft Defender? Microsoft Defender is a comprehensive security system that helps protect your computer from malicious software, such as viruses, worms, and spyware. It is included in Microsoft Windows and is automatically enabled when you install Windows. While it is a powerful tool for protection, it is sometimes necessary to disable it. This article will explain how to disable Microsoft Defender. Disable Microsoft Defender via Control Panel The easiest way to disable Microsoft Defender is to use the Control Panel. To do so: Open the Control Panel Click on the “Security” icon Click on the “Windows Defender” icon Click on the “Turn off Windows Defender” button Disable Microsoft Defender via Registry Editor If you do not have access to the Control Panel, you can also disable Microsoft Defender by editing the Windows Registry. To do so: Open the Run dialog (Windows + R) Type “regedit” and hit enter Navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender Create a new DWORD value called “DisableAntiSpyware” Set the value to “1” Restart your computer Disable Microsoft Defender via Command Prompt You can also disable Microsoft Defender using the Command Prompt. To do so: Open the Command Prompt (Windows + X) Type “sc stop windefend” and hit enter Type “sc config windefend start=disabled” and hit enter Type “exit” and hit enter Restart your computer Disable Microsoft Defender via Group Policy If you are using a domain-based network, you can also disable Microsoft Defender using Group Policy. To do so: Open the Group Policy Editor (Windows + R and type “gpedit.msc”) Navigate to the following path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Double-click on the “Turn off Windows Defender” policy Select “Enabled” and click “OK” Restart your computer Disable Microsoft Defender via Local Security Policy You can also disable Microsoft Defender using the Local Security Policy. To do so: Open the Local Security Policy (Windows + R and type “secpol.msc”) Navigate to the following path: Local Policies > Security Options Double-click on the “System Cryptography: Use FIPS compliant algorithms for encryption, hashing, and signing” policy Select “Disabled” and click “OK” Restart your computer Disable Microsoft Defender via Group Policy Editor If you are using a domain-based network, you can also disable Microsoft Defender using the Group Policy Editor. To do so: Open the Group Policy Editor (Windows + R and type “gpedit.msc”) Navigate to the following path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Double-click on the “Turn off Windows Defender” policy Select “Enabled” and click “OK” Restart your computer Disable Microsoft Defender via Powershell You can also disable Microsoft Defender using PowerShell. To do so: Open the PowerShell (Windows + X) Type “Set-MpPreference -DisableRealtimeMonitoring $true” and hit enter Restart your computer Disable Microsoft Defender via Security Center You can also disable Microsoft Defender using the Security Center. To do so: Open the Security Center Click on the “Virus & threat protection” tab Click on the “Virus & threat protection settings” link Turn off the “Real-time protection” toggle Restart your computer Disable Microsoft Defender via Settings You can also disable Microsoft Defender using the Settings app. To do so: Open the Settings app (Windows + I) Click on the “Update & Security” tab Click on the “Windows Security” tab Click on the “Virus & threat protection” tab Turn off the “Real-time protection” toggle Restart your computer Disable Microsoft Defender via Group Policy Editor If you are using a domain-based network, you can also disable Microsoft Defender using the Group Policy Editor. To do so: Open the Group Policy Editor (Windows + R and type “gpedit.msc”) Navigate to the following path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Double-click on the “Turn off Windows Defender” policy Select “Enabled” and click “OK” Restart your computer Disable Microsoft Defender via System Configuration You can also disable Microsoft Defender using the System Configuration. To do so: Open the System Configuration (Windows + R and type “msconfig”) Navigate to the “Services” tab Uncheck the “Windows Defender” option Click “OK” Restart your computer Disable Microsoft Defender via Task Manager You can also disable Microsoft Defender using the Task Manager. To do so: Open the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) Navigate to the “Services” tab Right-click on “Windows Defender” and select “Stop” Right-click on “Windows Defender” and select “Properties” Set the “Startup type” to “Disabled” Click “OK” Restart your computer Related Faq What is Microsoft Defender? Microsoft Defender is an antivirus and antimalware software developed by Microsoft. It is included in Windows 10, 8.1 and 7, and is designed to protect users from malicious software and attacks. Microsoft Defender provides real-time protection against malware and other threats, and scans the system regularly to detect threats and remove them. How do I stop Microsoft Defender? The easiest way to stop Microsoft Defender is to disable it in the Windows Security app. To do this, open the Windows Security app, select the “Virus & threat protection” tab, and then click on the “Manage Settings” option. From there, you can turn off the “Real-time Protection”, the “Cloud-delivered Protection” and the “Automatic Sample Submission” options. Another way to stop Microsoft Defender is to use the Windows Services Manager. To do this, open the Run dialog box ( Windows+R), type in “services.msc” and press Enter. From the list of services, find the “Windows Defender Antivirus Service” and double-click on it. From there, choose the “Stop” option and then click the “OK” button. Can I completely disable Microsoft Defender? Yes, it is possible to completely disable Microsoft Defender. However, it is not recommended as it can leave your computer vulnerable to security threats. If you still want to disable it, you can do so by using the Group Policy Editor. To open the Group Policy Editor, open the Run dialog box (Windows+R), type in “gpedit.msc” and press Enter. From the list of policies, find the “Turn off Microsoft Defender Antivirus” policy and double-click on it. From there, choose the “Enabled” option and then click the “OK” button. Is it safe to disable Microsoft Defender? No, it is not safe to disable Microsoft Defender. Microsoft Defender is designed to protect your computer from malicious software and attacks, and disabling it can leave your computer vulnerable to security threats. If you want to protect your computer from security threats, it is recommended to use other security solutions such as third-party antivirus and antimalware software. What other security solutions can I use? There are many other security solutions available, such as third-party antivirus and antimalware software. These security solutions can provide additional protection against malware and other threats, and can also provide real-time protection and regular scans. There are many different security solutions available, so it is important to research the different options and choose the one that best suits your needs. Best Way To Turn Off or Disable Windows Defender in Windows 10 (2021) By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can now easily stop Microsoft Defender from running on your computer. Remember, it is important to use a reliable antivirus program to protect your computer from malicious software. If you are still having trouble, you can contact Microsoft Support for more assistance. With the help of this guide, you can now confidently stop Microsoft Defender from running on your computer.