Hello users, would like to know if it's possible to totally disable Microsoft Defender (formerly Windows Defender). I don't want any engine scanning my files in the background as soon as I try to read some file and deleting them without further notice.
W10 1909.
I don't think you can as it's part of the OS security. That said you can install a 3rd party AV and that will disable Defender and then disable the 3rd party AV if you want. But that leaves you open to attacks.
Welcome to Ten Forums fortree.
What sort of file do you have that makes you you think yours are likely to be detected as harmful?
False positives are very (very) rare. And even if one should occur (not that I've ever seen one) then the files are not deleted without notice. They are quarantined, you are alerted, then you decide what action to take. One available action will be to restore the quarantined file.
Yes, you can turn it off. Read this tutorial by Brink. If your W10 is Home (like mine), you can use the reg file, Option 2 in the tutorial. If your W10 is Pro, you can do it via Group policy, see Option 1.
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...a.html#option2
After you turn off Windows defender, this is what you get when you click the Antivirus section in Settings, it ll say that your organization is in charge of protection against viruses and threats.
For the rest of options in Windows defender, you can turn those off manually in Settings.
Turning off Windows defender with the reg file is effective, I have been doing it since I got my W10 in mid 2017, don't use any AV, and W10 don't bother me about it.
Bo
If you click on "Real-time protection" toggle on "Virus & threat protection settings" to disable the antivirus, it's just a temporary thing. It's re-enabled automatically after several hours, always less than a day. So if of no real use if you want to keep it permanently disabled.
Also, tested the reg files from the tutorials, that add the dword "DisableAntiSpyware". After running the two regs to turn it off and then on, now can't re-enable Tamper protection. It says "This setting is managed by your administrator". For some reason the reg file didn't leave the settings like they were before and now can't turn on tamper protection. I was able to move the switch before.
To disable Microsoft Defender Antivirus follow bellow steps:
Turn On or Off Windows Defender Antivirus in Windows 10
press: Windows key
type: gpedit.msc
right click on gpedit.msc and run as Administrator
Expand and click on following node:
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus
On the right side double click on:
Turn off Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Click on Enabled radio button and press OK
reboot system for changes to take effect
Last edited by Brink; 22 Jun 2020 at 09:23. Reason: added tutorial link for more info
Fixed it by myself just enabling and disabling from gpedit.msc. Now I can switch again Tamper protection.
False positive I can understand,though I can't remember ever having one with Defender.
Some disk cleanup utility deleting them, that I don't understand. What disk cleanup utility. It wold have had to be something you ran, though I don't know of any that delete quarantined files.
Doesn't matter really. Your system, your choice. I'm just trying to understand, and failing
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