Windows Defender is actually an anti-malware engine that comes along with your Windows 10 operating system. The Defender protects your data against viruses ransomware, spyware, and many other security threats just like a good antivirus program. Even though it disables itself automatically when third-party antivirus software is detected, some people search for How to Disable Windows Defender, and for those, I have provided a permanent solution; check out below.

So, let me take you through some easy steps of permanently disabling Windows Defender from your Windows 10 system. And the method will follow these two processes-
- Disable Windows Defender using Local Group Policy
- Disable Windows Defender Security Center app
- How to Disable Windows Defender from Registry
Don’t waste any more time, and get straight down to the solution methods.
How to Disable Windows Defender from Local Group Policy
If you are running Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, you follow these steps to disable Defender from your computer using Local Group Policy Editor.
- Press Windows key + R keys together and the Run box will appear
- Then type gpedit.msc in the box, and then click OK and the Local Group Policy Editor will be opened
- Then navigate to the Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Antivirus path
- From the right, you have to double-click on the Turn off Windows Defender Antivirus policy option
- Here, you have to click on the Enabled option to disable Windows Defender
- Next, you have to click the Apply button
- Then click OK
Once done with the steps, restart your computer to save and apply the changes. In the below section I have mentioned another way to disable Defender from your Windows 10 computer, check it out. We have a very structural troubleshooting solution to help you Disable Superfetch and more. Take a look at our posts to know more.

How to Disable Windows Defender from Security Center App
These steps will help you disable Windows Defender temporary. Check them out if you are looking for the same.
- First, you need to open Windows Defender Security Center
- Then you have to click on Virus & threat protection.
- From there, click on Virus & threat protection settings option
- Find the Real-time protection option and toggle off the switch
After completing all these steps, Windows Defender will disable its real-time protection for temporarily. As this solution is only for temporarily, the next time you restart your computer, the Defender will be started automatically.
How to Disable Windows Defender from Registry
These steps are for permanently disabling the Defender. But before performing these steps, you should always make a full back up of your PC.
- Open the Run box by pressing Windows key + R from your keyboard
- Then type regedit and click OK to open the Registry option
- Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender then right-click on Windows Defender
- Then select New and click on the DWORD (32-bit) Value
- You have to name the key DisableAntiSpyware then press Enter
- Do a double-click on the DWORD and set the value from 0 to 1 then click OK
Restart the computer to see the changes. And do not forget to leave us a comment below in case you need any help with the disabling of Windows Defender process.