Windows 10 has a built-in antivirus Windows Defender (“Windows Defender”), which protects your computer and data from unwanted software such as viruses, spyware, ransomware, and many other types of malware and hackers.
And although the built-in security solution is sufficient for most users, there are situations in which you may not want to use this program. For example, if you are setting up a device that will not go online; if you need to perform a task blocked by this program; if you need to meet the requirements of your organization's security policy.
The only problem is that you will not be able to completely remove or disable Windows Defender - this system is deeply integrated into Windows 10. However, there are several workarounds with which you can disable the antivirus - this is using local group policy, the registry or Windows settings in the "Security" section (temporarily).
How to disable Windows Defender through Windows security settings
If you need to complete a specific task and don't need to disable Defender completely, you can do so temporarily. To do this, using the search in the "Start" button, find the "Windows Defender Security Center" section, and select "Virus and Threat Protection" in it.
There, go to the “Virus and other threat protection settings” section and click on the “Real-time protection” switch.
After that, the antivirus will disable real-time computer protection, which will allow you to install applications or perform a certain task that was not available to you because the antivirus blocked the necessary action.
To enable real-time protection again, restart your computer or go through all the settings again, but turn the switch on in the last step.
This solution is not permanent, but is best for disabling Windows 10 antivirus in order to perform a specific task.
How to disable Windows Defender through group policies
In Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise editions, you have access to the Local Group Policy Editor, where you can permanently disable Defender as follows:
Through the "Start" button, run the executable script gpedit.msc. The policy editor opens. Navigate to the following path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Antivirus.
Double-click to open Turn off Windows Defender Antivirus. Select the "Enabled" setting to enable this option, and, accordingly, disable the Defender.
Click OK and restart your computer.
After that, the antivirus will be permanently disabled on your device. But you will notice that the shield icon will remain in the taskbar - as it should, since this icon belongs to the Windows Security application, and not the antivirus itself.
If you change your mind, you can always re-enable Defender by repeating these steps and selecting the "Not Set" option in the last step, after which you will need to restart your computer again.
How to disable Windows Defender through the registry
If you don't have access to the policy editor, or if you have Windows 10 Home installed, you can edit the Windows Registry to disable Defender.
I remind you that editing the registry is risky, and mistakes in this case can cause irreparable damage to the current installed copy of Windows. It's best to backup your system before you start editing.
To completely disable the Defender through the registry, launch the regedit program through the Start button, and go to the following path in it:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREpoliciesMicrosoftWindows Defender
Tip: This path can be copied and pasted into the address bar of the registry editor.
Then right-click on the key (directory) Windows Defender, select "New" and DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the new key DisableAntiSpyware and press Enter. Then double click to open the key editor and set its value to 1.
Click OK and restart your computer.
After that, Windows Defender will no longer protect your system. If you want to undo these changes, repeat all the steps, but at the end, remove this key or assign it a value of 0.
Recommendations
Although there are several methods to disable Windows Defender, we do not recommend using your computer without antivirus software at all. However, you may encounter situations in which disabling this feature would be the best option. And if you're installing a third-party antivirus program, you don't need to disable Defender manually, as it will be disabled automatically during installation.
Source: habr.com