How to Disable Windows Defender in Windows 11

Windows Defender is a built-in antivirus provided by Microsoft to protect your computer from malware, spyware, ransomware, and other threats. Windows Defender automatically runs in the background and scans your files, programs, and network activity.

However, there are several reasons disable Windows Defender in Windows 11, for example:

• You want to use a third-party antivirus that is more reliable and has additional features.
• You want to improve your computer’s performance by reducing resource usage by Windows Defender.
• You want to test some programs or files that Windows Defender might consider dangerous.
• You want to avoid conflicts between Windows Defender and other programs you use.

Whatever your reason, there are several ways to disable Windows Defender in Windows 11. However, before you do, there are a few things you need to pay attention to:

• Disabling Windows Defender can increase the risk of being infected with malware or viruses. Make sure you have a trusted third-party antivirus that’s always up to date.
• Disabling Windows Defender is only temporary. Windows Defender will automatically be re-enabled after some time or after you update your operating system.
• Disabling Windows Defender may violate the security or licensing policies of some programs or services you use.

If you’re sure you want to disable Windows Defender in Windows 11, here are some ways you can do it:

1] Using App Settings

The easiest way to disable Windows Defender in Windows 11 is to use the application settings. Here are the steps:

1. Open the Start menu and click the Settings icon.
2. In the Settings window, click Privacy & security.
3. In the Security section, click Windows Security.
4. In the Windows Security window, click Virus & threat protection.
5. In the Virus & threat protection settings section, click Manage settings.
6. In the Real-time protection section, slide the button to the Off position.
7. A confirmation window will appear. Click Yes to continue.

You have successfully disabled Windows Defender in Windows 11 using the app settings. However, as mentioned earlier, this method is only temporary. Windows Defender will automatically be re-enabled after some time or after you update your operating system.

2] Using the Local Group Policy Editor

Another way to disable Windows Defender in Windows 11 is to use the local group policy editor. This is more permanent than the previous method but requires administrator privileges and is only available for Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions of Windows 11.

Here are the steps:

1. Open the Start menu and type gpedit.msc in the search box. Click the search result to open the local group policy editor.
2. In the Local Group Policy Editor window, navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Defender Antivirus.
3. On the right pane, find and double-click on the setting named Turn off Microsoft Defender Antivirus.
4. In the settings window, select the Enabled option and click OK.

You have successfully disabled Windows Defender in Windows 11 using the local group policy editor. However, this may affect the security or licensing policies of some programs or services that you use.

If you want to re-enable Windows Defender, you can repeat the steps above and select the Not Configured or Disabled option in the last step.