The Windows Defender anti-malware application is included in all versions of the Windows operating system since Windows Vista. Although Windows Defender is highly effective at protecting your computer from malicious programs, you may need to disable it for various reasons.
This article provides step-by-step instructions for disabling Windows Defender on computers running Windows 10, Windows 8 and 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.
How to Disable Windows Defender in Windows 10
1. Right-click the Start menu button and select Settings from the resulting context menu.
2. In the Settings window, click Update & Security.
3. On the left side of the window, click Windows Security.
4. Click Open Windows Defender Security Center in the center of the window.
5. Click Virus & threat protection in the left pane.
6. In the right pane, click Manage settings under Virus & threat protection settings.
7. Turn off the Real-time protection toggle.
8. In the confirmation dialog box, click Yes.
9. A pop-up will appear in the lower-right corner of your screen, notifying you that Real-time protection has been turned off.
10. That’s it! Windows Defender is now disabled.
How to Disable Windows Defender in Windows 8 and 8.1
1. Press the Windows key + I together on the keyboard to open the Settings app.
2. In the Settings app, select Change PC Settings from the bottom of the list.
3. Click Update and Recovery from the left-hand side of the window.
4. Select Windows Defender from the right-hand side of the window.
5. Uncheck the Turn on real-time protection (recommended) checkbox.
6. Select the Save button at the bottom of the window.
7. That’s it! Windows Defender has now been disabled.
How to Disable Windows Defender in Windows 7
1. Click Start, type “defender” in the search box, and then press Enter. The Windows Defender window will open.
2. Click Tools, and then click Options.
3. Click the Administrator tab.
4. Uncheck the Use this program check box.
5. Click the Save button.
6. That’s it! Windows Defender is now disabled.
How to Disable Windows Defender in Windows Vista
1. Click Start, type “defender” in the search box, and then press Enter. The Windows Defender window will open.
2. Click Tools, and then click Options.
3. Click the Administrator tab.
4. Uncheck the Use this program check box.
5. Click the Save button.
6. That’s it! Windows Defender is now disabled.
How to Disable Windows Defender in Windows XP
1. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Security Center, and then click Windows Security Center.
2. In the Security Center window, click Windows Defender.
3. In the Windows Defender window, click the Tools tab.
4. Under Administrator options, uncheck the Use this program check box.
5. Click OK.
6. That’s it! Windows Defender is now disabled.