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.

3] Using Registry Editor

The third way to disable Windows Defender in Windows 11 is to use the registry editor. This method is also permanent and requires administrator privileges, but it is riskier than the previous method. Editing the registry can cause system damage or data loss if done incorrectly. Therefore, it is recommended to back up the registry before making any changes. Here are the steps:

1. Open the Start menu and type regedit in the search box. Click the search result to open the registry editor.
2. In the Registry Editor window, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender.
3. On the right pane, right-click on a space and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name the new value DisableAntiSpyware and press Enter.
5. Double-click on the new value and change the data to 1 . Click OK to save your changes.
6. Close the registry editor and restart your computer.

You have successfully disabled Windows Defender in Windows 11 using the registry editor. However, this method is very risky and can cause system problems or data loss if done incorrectly.

If you want to re-enable Windows Defender, you can repeat the steps above and delete the DisableAntiSpyware value or change its data to 0 in the last step.

Conclusion

Windows Defender is a built-in antivirus provided by Microsoft to protect your computer from malware, spyware, ransomware, and other threats. However, there are several reasons why you might want to disable Windows Defender in Windows 11, such as using a more reliable third-party antivirus, improving your computer’s performance, testing some programs or files that Windows Defender might consider malicious, or avoiding conflicts between Windows Defender and other programs you use.

There are several ways to disable Windows Defender in Windows 11, namely using the application settings, using the local group policy editor, or using the registry editor.

However, before you do so, there are a few things you need to pay attention to, such as the risk of being infected with malware or viruses, the temporary or permanent nature of the way you choose, and the impact on the security or licensing policies of some programs or services you use.

I hope this article was useful to you and can help you disable Windows Defender in Windows 11 easily and safely. Thank you for reading this article and good luck!