How to Permanently Disable Windows Defender on Windows 10

In this article, we will examine the steps to disable the Windows Defender antivirus service with built-in application features in Microsoft Windows operating systems.

How to Disable Windows 10 Defender

Some Win10 users complain that Windows Defender consumes too much RAM. That’s why they want to shut it down.

Windows Defender runs as a service in the background of the operating system. If this service is enabled on your computer, it intervenes when you try to install a malicious program.

If you do not want the Defender to perform automatic actions, you can change these settings. Or, if you have purchased a quality Antivirus program, we recommend that you turn off this service, which consumes more RAM on your computer.

If you do not have an Antivirus program installed on your computer, it may be helpful to activate the Defender.

There are 2 ways to disable Windows Defender on your computer. However, because it runs automatically in the background of your computer, sometimes you cannot turn it off. To solve this problem completely, follow the steps below.

How to Turn Off Defender Step by Step

To thoroughly delete or disable Windows 10 Defender on your computer, follow these steps in order.

   Step 1

When you look at the Defender service from the task manager, you can see that it uses a lot of RAM.

   Step 2

You need to go to the settings to disable the Windows Defender service. Click the right button/settings on the taskbar.

   Step 3

In the window opened, click Home.

   Step 4

In Windows Settings, continue by selecting the Update and Security option.

   Step 5

After clicking on Defender, there will be a few settings on the right. On that screen, turn all the settings off.

   Step 6

Scroll down the window slightly and close the rest of the services.

   Step 7

When you click Win Defender on the taskbar, you can see that it is disabled.

   Step 8

Hold down the Windows Key + R, open Run, and open the services by typing services.msc.

   Step 9

Scroll down the Services window, locate the Defender service, and double-click it. If you cannot perform any operation in the window that opens, go to the next step.

How to Disable Defender using Regedit

If you still cannot disable Defender, you must configure the Regedit settings for your system. By default, the Regedit setting for Defender is as follows;

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender]
"DisableAntiSpyware"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Real-Time Protection]
"DisableBehaviorMonitoring"=dword:00000000
"DisableOnAccessProtection"=dword:00000000
"DisableScanOnRealtimeEnable"=dword:00000000
Copy

To close Defender by changing the Regedit settings, click the button below and download the related files to your computer.

Download Regedit File

   Step 1

After downloading the Regedit file by clicking the button above, extract the compressed file from the folder, open the folder, and double-click the “Disable Windows Defender” file.

   Step 2

Press the OK button in the info window.

   Step 3

You have disabled the Defender completely.

   Step 4

Restart your computer for the changes to take effect on your computer.

   Step 5

You can re-check whether the Defender service is running.

How to Enable Defender using Regedit

Re-enabling the Defender service is simple. You can re-enable the Defender using the file Restore.reg in the file you downloaded from the button above.

   Video

Conclusion

In this article, we have examined how to turn off the Windows Defender service that is running automatically in Window