Windows 10 includes Windows Defender, a built-in antivirus software that's a first line of defense against malware infections. It scans your PC in real-time for malicious software, and it is automatically disabled once you have installed an antivirus software on your system. However, if you find that Windows Defender is preventing you from running/installing programs or downloading files, you can remove it manually.
Disable Windows Defender
Temporarily Disable Windows Defender
To temporarily disable Windows Defender, head to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Defender. Toggle the switch below Real-time protection to the Off position.
Permanently Disable Windows Defender
Right-click on the Start menu > Run. Type
regedit
and open the Registry editor by clicking OK. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Policies \ Microsoft \ Windows Defender.
Click Edit > New > Dword (32-bit) value. Rename the new item as DisableAntiSpyware and set its value to 1 to disable Windows Defender on your system:
Save your settings, and close the Registry editor. Should you ever try to activate Windows Defender on your system, the following message will be displayed:
You can enable Windows Defender back by setting the value of DisableAntiSpyware to 0.
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