How to stop “windows defender antivirus service”?

Macboatmaster · 22 Apr 2020

You are right

It appears that playing with windows policies never get the “windows defender antivirus service” to be permanently disabled.

as I said
3.I would advise you that if you try and disable it through services or some other means you will most likely succeed on the face of it, but you will actually not succeed - as you will find that either your change in the service does not last OR you will begin to receive problem notifications.

This has been the case with 10 for sometime.
Good luck with it.

SIW2 · 22 Apr 2020

You could try changing the start type in the registry. I am not in win10 at the moment, so you will have to look for it yourself. Or you can check how group policy does it.

jamal numan · 23 Apr 2020

SIW2 said:

You could try changing the start type in the registry. I am not in win10 at the moment, so you will have to look for it yourself. Or you can check how group policy does it.

Hi SIW2,

This is what I’m looking for! I need to play with windows settings to get the “windows defender antivirus service” to be permanently disabled.

Could you please help me on that as you get access to Windows 10?

bo elam · 23 Apr 2020

jamal numan said:

This is what I’m looking for! I need to play with windows settings to get the “windows defender antivirus service” to be permanently disabled.

Hi Jamal, to turn off the service, you can use the "Turn On or Off Windows Defender...." tutorial.

Turn On or Off Windows Defender Antivirus in Windows 10

I use Option 2. The tutorial works as is supposed to. It turns off Windows defender, and the Service is Stopped, it doesn't run. I am always looking at Task manager, if it ran, I would see it and know about it. I read your post#10, for me the service shows as Manual, and Stopped.

Bo

jamal numan · 24 Apr 2020

bo elam said:

Hi Jamal, to turn off the service, you can use the "Turn On or Off Windows Defender...." tutorial.

Turn On or Off Windows Defender Antivirus in Windows 10

I use Option 2. The tutorial works as is supposed to. It turns off Windows defender, and the Service is Stopped, it doesn't run. I am always looking at Task manager, if it ran, I would see it and know about it. I read your post#10, for me the service shows as Manual, and Stopped.

Bo

Hi bo elam,

I tried it but never worked as the “windows defender antivirus service” fails to be permanently disabled. It keeps running!
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender
DisableAntiSpyware
DWORD = 1

TairikuOkami · 24 Apr 2020

Fully disabled Defender but "Windows Defender Antivirus Service" runs

bo elam · 24 Apr 2020

jamal numan said:

I tried it but never worked as the “windows defender antivirus service” fails to be permanently disabled. It keeps running!
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender
DisableAntiSpyware

Jamal, I think you should go back to point 0. And start again.

My W10 is Home. So, I used Option 2 (the reg file) in the tutorial I linked. Running the reg files changes the registry keys for WD. Personally, I haven't changed anything in the registry myself. Take a look at my registry keys for WD. Like I told you earlier, the tutorial has worked for me now for about 3 years. My reason for using the tutorial was to turn off completely the AV in WD since I don't use ant kind of scanners, achieving this was important to me, and this was the way to get it done without having to install third party programs (something I don't want to do). In addition to doing this, I disable everything in WD Security via Settings (perhaps you need to do this also). To this day, after doing all of that, WD is like it doesn't exist. It doesn't bother me and it doesn't run.

I suggest you try Option 2.

Macboatmaster · 24 Apr 2020

jamal numan

As I said on my first reply I have never on 10 used any reg changes via regedit, or GP changes implemented through the GUI
I say that because of course changes made in settings are made by the system in the registry.

I have therefore a very limited knowledge of registry changes in this regard, so to bo elam, please accept my aplogies for coming back in on the topic

Could it be that Tamper Protection needs turning off BEFORE the system will allow the regedit. etc, as my understanding is
that tamper protection prevents many changes NOT made by way of settings - using available changes there.

From a Microsoft article on tamper protection

Tamper Protection blocks attempts to modify Windows Defender Antivirus settings through the registry. To help ensure that Tamper Protection doesn’t interfere with third-party security products or enterprise installation scripts that modify these settings, go to Windows Security and update security intelligence to version 1.287.60.0 or later. Once you’ve made this update, Tamper Protection will continue to protect your registry settings and will log attempts to modify them without returning errors.
If the Tamper Protection setting is On, you won't be able to turn off the Windows Defender Antivirus service by using the DisableAntiSpyware group policy key.

That all said - I do not know if this is still applicable to all versions - one struggles to keep pace with the changes introduced in new versions of 10
1909-OS Build 18363.815

zbook · 24 Apr 2020

To turn off Microsoft Defender see these tutorials: (temporary or permanent options) (group policy or registry options)

Turn On or Off Windows Defender Real-time Protection in Windows 10
Turn On or Off Windows Defender Antivirus in Windows 10

Macboatmaster · 24 Apr 2020

zbook
I may be wrong but I think the first of your links was sent in post 2
and the second in post 14.