Unable to disable Windows Defender on 1909

Suggest you refer to this post in comments under that tutorial.

Should it be the case the tutorial needs updating, that would help.

There are recent threads about registry changes not being retained, if that's your situation. Please have a look at those.

You refer to using Group Policy. Please confirm you have Pro.

@markrobby


Get Autoruns 13.98 from here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sys...loads/autoruns

Scroll to the bottom of the page for the download link.
Install Autoruns, and then run the program.
Go to Options and UNcheck everything except: "Hide Empty Locations"
In the Filter" box type: Windows Defender
You should get about 5 results. UNcheck them all except: Policy Agent
Close Autoruns and reboot the computer.

Now type Services in the taskbar search box. In the Services window Stop and Disable all the Windows Defender entries.



I'm not saying you should or shouldn't do this. I'm just telling you HOW to do it.

IF you do decide to disable Windows Defender, I would make a full OS image backup, first.
Use a program like Macrium Reflect (free) to do that.

Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free

Again: Please post a comment under that tutorial. That way Brink (author) may also be able to respond, and others who have tried to do this who might have relevant experience.

Do you see how that might help you?

markrobby said:

What is the use of Autoruns? Can't I use services.msc only?

Try using Services by itself.
I spent a week trying to disable Defender when I was on 1909. NOTHING worked.

Until I used MS's Autoruns. The Defender Services will be greyed out, even in Safe Mode, etc.

Autoruns isn't permanent. You can just re-enable those entries if you so desire.

In the meantime, have fun trying to disable Defender. I tried EVERYTHING. Autoruns + Services... is what... worked.
And it took all of 2 mins to accomplish.



The reason I disabled Defender was it was conflicting with Bitdefender Internet Security 2020. Once I figured out how to make Bitdefender behave like is was supposed to (about 3 weeks or so), then I realized I could just re-enable Windows Defender, which I did.

There were NO side issues from disabling Windows Defender. But like I said... keep trying. You MAY find a different way, I doubt it, but ya never know.

markrobby said:

Okay, I will try using Autoruns as I too see that the Defender services are greyed out, thanks for the suggestion!

As I mentioned in my first response... using backup software, makes you pretty much boo-boo proof.
I didn't need Macrium Reflect (which I use religiously) in this case. But it never hurts to be one step ahead of things, so to speak.


/edit

Autoruns is by Sysinternals, a company by MS and once MS employees. Autoruns itself is safe as can be. All it does, is give you a secret backdoor to things the "run automatically" on Windows, hence the name.