How to disable Microsoft Defender on Windows 11

Microsoft Defender is Windows 11’s built-in antivirus software. As a rule, we recommend leaving it active — it’s rarely going to interfere with anything, and as a part of Windows Security, it can not only protect against threats but identify potential vulnerabilities. If you absolutely need to disable Defender, though, here’s how to do it, either temporarily or permanently.

How to disable Microsoft Defender on Windows 11

If you’re going to disable Defender without replacement antivirus software, you should only do it temporarily. Windows is perhaps the most frequently attacked platform due to factors like popularity and the number of potential vectors, so going online with zero protection is a recipe for disaster. That said, Defender can interfere with other apps in rare cases, so here’s how to disable it just far enough to fix or diagnose a problem.

Temporarily stopping real-time protection

• Using the Windows search bar, search for Windows Security and open the app.
• Click Virus and threat protection.
• Under the Virus and threat protection settings header, click Manage settings.
• Toggle off Real-time protection. This is the core Windows component that scans for malware (including viruses) and blocks it.

Whether you like it or not, real-time protection will turn back on automatically after a “short time,” as Microsoft puts it. This does rob you of some freedom, but the feature is just that critical to your security. In fact we’d recommend turning it back on yourself immediately after completing whatever it is that prompted turning it off in the first place.

Disabling the Defender firewall

• Using the Windows search bar, search for Windows Security and open the app.
• Click Firewall and network protection in the sidebar.
• Click Domain network, Private network, and/or Public network and toggle off Microsoft Defender Firewall in each section as needed.

Unlike real-time protection, firewall settings will stay disabled until you switch them back on. We recommend leaving as much of the firewall up as possible — especially the public network component, since that’s the most vulnerable one. If the Defender firewall is interfering with an app, it’s better to use the Firewall and network protection > Allow an app through firewall option whenever possible.

How to permanently disable Microsoft Defender on Windows 11

The only way of permanently disabling Defender’s real-time protection component is installing another antivirus app. One of the most popular options is Malwarebytes, but while its basic version is free, you’ll have to spring for a paid subscription to get full protection. There are plenty of alternative antivirus apps, most of them likewise demanding fees for a complete package.

Note that if a third-party app is missing real-time protection or has it manually disabled, Defender’s own tools will kick in again.

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