How to Disable Windows Defender in Windows 11

Windows Defender is a built-in antivirus program that comes pre-installed on Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers. It is designed to protect your computer from malware and other threats, but some users may find that it gets in the way or is not needed.

In this blog post, we will show you how to disable Windows Defender in Windows 11 using different ways.

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  How to Uninstall Windows Defender

Why Do You Need to Disable Windows Defender?

There could be various reasons why users may need to disable Windows Defender.

  • Another Security Program Installed: Some users may have another antivirus program installed and running on their computer, so they will not need two programs competing for resources.
  • Windows Defender Interfering with Certain Programs or Services: Another reason could be that Windows Defender is interfering with specific programs or services, such as gaming applications. In these cases, it may be necessary to disable Windows Defender in order to allow these other applications and services to function correctly.
  • It’s Too Resource-Intensive: Some users may find that Windows Defender is too resource-intensive and is slowing down their computers. In these cases, disabling Windows Defender can help reduce the amount of system resources being used by the antivirus program.

How to Temporarily Disable Windows Defender in Windows 11

If you want to run a program or open a file but Defender is not allowing you to do so, you can temporarily disable Windows Defender to allow the action.

To do this, follow these steps:

  1. On your Windows 11 system, click on the Start button and select Settings from the menu.open windows 11 settings
  2. Switch to the Privacy & security tab on the left and select Windows Security on the right.windows security windows 11
  3. Under the Windows Security settings, click on the Virus & threat protection option under the Protection areas heading.Virus & Threat Protection windows 11
  4. On the next window, click on the Manage settings link under Virus & threat protection settings.manage virus and threat protection settings
  5. Now, one by one, toggle the button to turn off the following components of Windows Defender:
    • Real-time protection
    • Cloud-delivered protection
    • Automatic sample submission
    • Tamper Protectionturn off windows 11 protection
  6. Close the Windows and run the program or file that wasn’t allowed by Windows Defender.

After you finish completing the task you intended, you can either manually turn on every component or simply restart your PC to re-enable them.

How to Disable Defender in Windows 11 through Group Policy Editor

If you want to turn off Windows Defender permanently and for all users, you can do this by editing the Group Policy of your computer. However, this will work only if you have a Pro or Enterprise version of Windows 11.

To turn off Windows Defender through the Group Policy Editor, follow these steps:

  1. First, type “gpedit.msc” in the search bar and click on Edit group policy from the results.gpedit msc
  2. Next, navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Defender Antivirus
  3. On the right side, look for Turn off Microsoft Defender Antivirus and double-click on it.turn off defender antivirus
  4. Select the Enabled option, and click Apply and OK.enable turn off microsoft defender antivirus

Summing Up

In this blog post, we showed you how to disable Windows Defender in Windows 11. We discussed why users might want to disable the antivirus program, and we went through two different methods of doing so: temporarily disabling it or permanently disabling it through the Group Policy Editor. We hope that you found this guide useful and were able to disable Windows Defender successfully.

Is it safe to disable Windows Defender?

If you have another antivirus program installed and running, then yes, it is safe to temporarily or permanently disable Windows Defender. However, if you do not have another reliable security solution, disabling Windows Defender could leave your system vulnerable to malware infections. We recommend only disabling Windows Defender if you are certain that another security program is installed and running.

How do I re-enable Windows Defender?

If you want to re-enable Windows Defender after temporarily disabling it, simply restart your computer, and the program will be automatically enabled. If you have permanently disabled it using the Group Policy Editor, go back to the Turn off Microsoft Defender Antivirus setting and select the Disabled option instead. Then click Apply and OK to save the changes.

Does Windows 11 come with Windows Defender?

Yes, all versions of Windows 11 do come with Windows Defender pre-installed as a built-in security program. It is set to be enabled automatically, but you can choose to disable it if you prefer to use another security solution.

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