Deactivating antivirus software

If you want to enable the real-time antivirus protection again, you can restart your computer or follow the same operation above to turn on the option. If you want to enable Windows Defender antivirus again, you can follow the same instructions above and select the Not Configured option. Learn how to enable or disable automatic driver updates in Windows 11 in this tutorial.

Check how to uninstall antivirus program on your Windows 10 computer. If you need to disable antivirus on Windows 10, you can follow the guide above. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Reddit Summary : If you want to disable antivirus programs on your Windows 10 computer, you can check the ways below. The only caveat is that you also need to disable the "Tamper Protection" feature before the policy can apply. On Windows 10, Tamper protection is a feature designed to protect Windows Security against unauthorized changes from outside the app.

Since the Local Group Policy Editor modifies the security settings from outside the app, the antivirus will restore any changes you may have made the next time the computer restarts.

After you complete the steps, continue with the below instructions to disable Microsoft Defender using Group Policy. Once you complete the steps, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will disable permanently on the computer, but the "shield" icon will remain in the taskbar because the icon is part of the Windows Security app, not from the antivirus program. You can always revert the changes to enable the protection again using the same instructions, but on step No.

In addition to enabling the antivirus, it is also a good idea to turn on the "Tamper Protection" feature again using the same steps outlined above, but on step No.

If the plan was to disable the built-in antivirus because you want to install another anti-malware software, you do not need to look for ways to disable Microsoft Defender Antivirus permanently since installing another antivirus software will disable the default protection automatically.

Quick note: In this guide, we will be installing Bitdefender, but the instructions will be similar for any other solution.

However, it is recommended to check the software documentation for more specific details as necessary. After you complete the steps, Windows 10 will automatically detect the new protection and disable Microsoft Defender Antivirus. However, Microsoft has removed the option, making it more difficult to get rid of the antivirus program.

Although you can use multiple methods to disable the Windows 10 antivirus, we do not recommend using a computer without anti-malware protection. However, there might still be some situations where disabling the security feature could make sense.

If you want an alternative solution to Microsoft Defender Antivirus, you should consider these options:. For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:. Gallego says it's 'past time' Sinema, Senate protect voting rights. To temporarily turn off the default antivirus protection on your Windows 10 computer, use these steps: Open Start.

Search for Windows Security and click the top result to open the app. Additionally, the answer to this question varies from one antivirus program to another, so you may have to use some intuition. However, nearly all antivirus protection programs can be temporarily disabled by following the steps below. For help with uninstalling an antivirus, see: How to remove or uninstall an antivirus program. In the previous section, we mentioned how to disable many third-party antivirus programs and that some of them require more than a few clicks in the Windows notification area.