My Windows Defender won't turn off when i need it too. - Microsoft Q&A (2024)

FAQs

My Windows Defender won't turn off when i need it too. - Microsoft Q&A? ›

Open the Start menu, type "Windows Security," and open the Windows Security app. b. In the app, go to "Virus & threat protection" > "Manage settings." c. Scroll down to the "Tamper Protection" section and toggle it off.

Press Win + R to open the "Run" dialog, type services. msc, and press Enter. In the "Services" window, find and double-click on "Security Center" (or "Windows Defender Security Center" in newer versions). In the "Properties" window, set the "Startup type" to "Disabled," then click "Apply" and "OK."

Disabling Windows Defender using Group Policy Editor

Open a command prompt by pressing the Windows + R keys on the keyboard, type cmd in the search box, and click OK. Type gpedit. msc at the command prompt and press Enter. Confirm the UAC prompt to continue.

By default, it is on to keep your PC safe from malicious programs. But Windows Defender may automatically turn on when your PC is idle or when an external malware threat inbreaks your machine.

Usually, Microsoft offers an update to fix known issues. So if Windows Defender won't stay on or Windows 11 virus and threat protection keeps turning off due to current security intelligence, try to update Windows Defender to its latest version.

In your System tray click on the ^ to expand the running programs. If you see the shield your Windows Defender is running and active.

Windows Defender can also be permanently disabled, but Microsoft may reserve the right to reinstall it through Windows updates. Please be aware that disabling it is a very deep and justified intervention in the operating system.

Can I remove Microsoft Defender? ›

You can delete the application using standard Windows tools. See the instructions on the Microsoft support website in the To uninstall Defender section. If you cannot remove the application using the standard tools, use the Microsoft tool for solving installation and removal issues.

To turn off Windows Defender: Navigate to Control Panel and then double click on "Windows Defender" to open it. Select "Tools" and then "Options". Scroll to the bottom of the page of options and uncheck the "Use Windows Defender" check box in the "Administrator options" section.

Disabling Windows Defender Manually

If you have PowerShell, run the following command: Uninstall-WindowsFeature -Name Windows-Defender.

You can perform various functions in Microsoft Defender Antivirus using the dedicated command-line tool mpcmdrun.exe. This utility is useful when you want to automate Microsoft Defender Antivirus tasks. You can find the utility in %ProgramFiles%\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe . Run it from a command prompt.

Windows Defender unable to stop service

Start Task Manager on Windows 10. Find the Windows Defender service that is running. Search for the task name Antimalware Service Executable and the service Windows Defender Antivirus Service. Right-click the Windows Defender Antivirus Service and click Stop.

Run the Windows Security Troubleshooter: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot. Find and run the Windows Security troubleshooter. Reset Windows Security app: Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features. Find Windows Security, and click Advanced options.

Open Windows Defender Service

To fix this issue, make sure this service is enabled. Step 1: Enter services into the search box and press Enter to open this app. Step 2: Locate the Windows Defender service and double-click on it to open the Properties tab. Step 3: If it is not running, click Start.