Do you need to disable Windows Defender to install a program? Here’s how to do it on Microsoft’s operating systems
If you want to keep the security of your notebook or desktop PC high it is essential to use an antivirus that works well and keep it constantly updated. The Microsoft Windows 10 operating system, like its predecessors, integrates its own antivirus software called Windows Defender. It does its job reasonably well, although there are many better free antivirus programs that you can download.
When you install a third-party one, Windows Defender automatically disables it. However, if you need to disable it without having another security software installed, perhaps to test an application that doesn’t work if Defender is enabled, things get complicated. To manually disable Windows Defender antivirus the procedure is different, depending on the version of Windows installed: on Win XP, Win 7 and Win 8.1 Defender is almost a normal application, while on Windows 10 it is tightly integrated with the operating system and Microsoft, normally, does not allow you to disable it. So here’s how to disable antivirus on every version of Windows.
But first a premise: viruses, malware, malicious and fraudulent codes that try to make you fall for scams and phishing of all kinds are now something you might have to deal with every day, especially if you surf online a lot. So if you need to disable Windows Defender, always remember that if you don’t install another antivirus afterwards, you are at a high risk of infection.
How to disable Windows Defender on Windows 10
This procedure only works with Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise and Educational. Open the Start menu, type “Run” in the search box and hit enter. The name of the program to run is “gpedit.msc”: enter it in the text box and press enter. Now go to Local Computer Policies > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Antivirus. On the right side of the screen double click on “Disable Windows Defender Antivirus”. At this point restart your computer and Defender will be disabled.
A second method to disable Windows Defender, which works on Windows 10 Home instead, is to edit the Win 10 registry. Type “Run” in the Start menu search box and hit enter. Type in “regedit” and hit enter. The registry editor will now open. Look for the string “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows Defender”, click on it and on the right side of the screen right click on it and choose “New > Dword Value (32-bit)” from the menu and name this new key “DisableAntiSpyware”. Assign it the value 1, exit the editor and reboot.
How to disable Windows Defender on Windows 8.1
Disabling Windows Defender on Windows 8.1 is quite easy: press the Windows key and the C key simultaneously. Click on “Search” and type Windows Defender. Open it and choose “Tools > Options” from the menu. On the left side click on “Administrator”, on the right side disable “Use this application” and then click on “Ok”. Done.
How to disable Windows Defender on Windows 7
To disable Windows Defender on Win 7 press the Windows key and search for “Windows Defender”. Open it and go to “Tools & Options”. On the left side click on “Administrator” and on the right side disable “Use this application”. Click on “Ok” and Defender will be deactivated.
How to disable Windows Defender on Windows XP
If Windows Defender is installed on Win XP you can disable it by double clicking on the icon of this application that you will find in the status bar. If you can’t find it, you can open Defender directly from the path “C:Program_Files/Windows Defender” on your hard drive. Once Defender is open, go to “Tools > Options”, on the left select “Administrator” and on the right disable “Use this application”. Click “Ok” and restart your PC.