How to disable Windows Defender Antivirus permanently

 

What is Windows Defender?

Windows Defender is an antivirus and antispyware from Microsoft, it adopted this name from Windows 8 and in previous versions it was called Microsoft AntiSpyware . Windows Defender will help us keep viruses and spyware away from our Windows operating system, without the need to install any additional software or pay for an annual subscription to protect our PC, but it is not possible to disable it completely from the configuration options.

Microsoft's Antivirus and Antispyware is kept up to date when we install Windows 10 updates, its features are also updated and sometimes it adds new functions. Windows Defender works automatically, without us having to be aware of it, and as it works integrated into the system, when we download a file or install any new software, it analyzes and checks in real time that it is not infected with any virus or software malicious, it even protects us from malware in email.

The Windows Defender Security Center also has protection against ramsonware , thus offering, together with real-time detection, virus and threat database updates from the cloud and without having anything to install, a complete package of security considered the best antivirus on the market , and all this for free.

But if we are brave and we do not want any software to ensure our safety, we can disable it permanently, we are going to show you how to do it following a few simple steps. Windows Defender allows the option to disable real-time protection , in which case the files that we have downloaded or the software installations that we carry out will not be scanned , but the scheduled scans will continue to run normally. From OkayGotcha we will teach you, in addition to this, to deactivate it permanently.

How to disable Windows Defender real-time protection

We just have to look for the Real-time Protection option and deactivate it since it will be enabled by default, for this you have to follow these steps.

1. We open the start menu and click on Settings.
2. We click on Update and security.
3. Then we click on the Windows Security option to open it.
4. Now we click on Protection against viruses and threats. We can also write directly in the search box of the Virus and threat protection magnifying glass.
5. We look for the option Anti-virus and threat protection settings , where we can click on Manage settings.
6. We only have to deactivate the Real-time protection that is active by clicking on the switch, we allow the application to make changes and we have it.  

In this way we will deactivate the protection in real time, but the examinations scheduled in the system will continue. Don't worry, we'll tell you right away how to deactivate it completely, including these scheduled exams.

How to disable Windows Defender permanently using Group Policy editor

If we want to completely disable Windows Defender, so that it does not perform any analysis on our computer, we can disable it completely using the group policy editor. It is necessary to first carry out the previous step and then carry out the ones that come next, so if we decide to deactivate it completely, we must first follow points 1 to 6 above.

1. First of all, and as we have already commented previously, we must perform the previous steps of How to disable Windows Defender real-time protection.
2. We write in the search box of the gpedit magnifying glass and press enter, the group policy editor will open.
3. Now we look for the Microsoft Defender Antivirus options within Computer Configuration , in the Administrative Templates> Windows Components> Microsoft Defender Antivirus section.
4. In the Microsoft Defender Antivirus options we find Deactivate Microsoft Defender Antivirus and double-click on it to enter the configuration of this option.
5. By default it is Not configured we have to change it to Enabled , click on apply and accept and it will appear as Enabled in the state. Now it is necessary to restart our computer for it to take effect.

How to disable Windows Defender Antivirus using the Windows registry

It is possible that you have written gpedit in the search box of the magnifying glass and the Windows group policy editor does not appear, you are probably using Windows Home, which is one of the features that this operating system dispenses.

Don't worry, if you have Windows 10 Home or some variant that the Group Policy editor does not have available, the Windows registry can be used to permanently disable Windows Defender Antivirus.

Remember that Microsoft has disabled the automatic backup of the Windows 10 registry , so it would be advisable to make a manual copy before starting to modify the registry.

1. As with group policies, we must first perform steps 1 through 6 of the first section to disable Windows Defender real-time protection .
2. We open the Windows registry, typing regedit in the search box of the magnifying glass and click on the Registry Editor . Now we allow the application to make changes in order to work with the Registry Editor.
3. We have to look for the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Policies \ Microsoft \ Windows Defender You can also copy the path and paste it at the top of the Registry Editor for direct access.
4. We click with the right mouse button in the blank area of ​​the previously selected path. We select New> QWORD Value (32 Bits).
5. As a name we put DisableAntiSpyware , it is important to respect the capital letters.
6. Now we double click on the newly created record and in the Value information field we change the 0 to 1, we accept to close.
7. Now we only have to restart for the changes to take effect.

Now Windows Defender Antivirus will be disabled forever and will not protect us against threats, if we check its status it indicates Unknown.

An easier way without being unprotected is by installing an antivirus in Windows 10, although we told you a few days ago that Windows Defender is the best antivirus according to an independent laboratory .

If you decide to enable it again, you just have to follow the steps in reverse, in the case of using the Group Policy Editor in step 5, select Not configured again . If you followed the Registry Editor method , in step 6 put 0 in the Value data again . Do not forget to activate the real-time protection again by following the steps in the first section.