Turning off Windows Defender - How to get notifications to stop?

I have a Windows 10 version 2004 Build 19041.630 machine where I need Windows Defender turned OFF. It's an air gapped machine, it's not even online.

I am able to turn it off. But that's not the problem.

I ***KEEP GETTING*** the message "Turn on Anti Virus" popping up from the lower right.

NOTHING I do seems to be able to get rid of it.

This is what I have so far:

From Windows 10 settings:


Everything on this page is turned off:




Everything on this page is turned off:




Finally, I even tried disabling Windows Defender via Group Policy:



But this doesn't stick. I enable it, click Apply, OK, close Group Policy Editor, but the setting doesn't get set in the registry. If I start gpedit.msc back up, the setting is back to "Not Configured"


Windows will NOT STOP throwing the "Turn on Anti Virus" popup OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER again.

It's maddening. I ***KNOW*** it's disabled, ***I DISABLED IT***.

Am I really stuck with this, or is there a way to make this go away for good?

Ghot said:

@Ceelix


I would use Autoruns to disable Windows Security Service, which is a Service, but can't be disabled in Services.



Autoruns version 14.09

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sys...loads/autoruns




I like the older version of Autoruns... version 13.98
It seems they're starting to hide a lot of things in the later versions. :/

Download AutoRuns 13.98 for Windows - Filehippo.com

Thanks very much for this, I tried it but it did not work. The constant popups continue.

When I last tried to disable WD (or MD, as it is now), I found that various hints and tips from the past no longer worked, or stuck (registry edits, Group Policy edits etc). I had some success with booting to the command prompt and renaming the executable: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Platform\4.18.2007.8-0\msmpeng.exe - see my post here:
Turn On or Off Real-time Protection for Microsoft Defender Antivirus

Later on I was pointed at Defender Control here Defender Control v2.1 and can confirm that it works fine - it seems to pretend to be an AV solution that MD is happy to defer to - but it does not actually get in your way. There is some discussion on it here:
Permanently disable Windows Defender

I have since disabled it, as I was told (on this forum) that MD was now respecting its 'exclude' settings - but that is only partially, if at all, true. I am currently putting up with MD's occasional but annoying intrusions, but could easily revert to Defender Control.

hth, Martin

Finally got it all completely disabled. System is noticeably faster. In some cases at least by 2X.

Here's what I did, in particular, the bottom registry stuff, which uses a back door of allowing Trusted Installer to write to the needed registry keys (which I guess is necessary if Windows supports the installation of other anti virus software):

Disable Windows Defender / March 2022 - Pastebin.com

Ceelix said:

Finally got it all completely disabled. System is noticeably faster. In some cases at least by 2X.

Here's what I did, in particular, the bottom registry stuff, which uses a back door of allowing Trusted Installer to write to the needed registry keys (which I guess is necessary if Windows supports the installation of other anti virus software):

Disable Windows Defender / March 2022 - Pastebin.com

Are you using another AV ?

Reason I ask, 2X faster seems alot unless you have no AV.

No, not using any AV for this system.