How to disable Microsoft Defender Antivirus

We'll walk you through the various methods for permanently (or temporarily) disabling Microsoft Defender Antivirus on your Windows 10 computer in this guide.

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Windows Security and click the top result to open the app.
3. Click on Virus & threat protection.
4. Under the "Virus & threat protection settings" section, click the Manage settings option.

      5. Turn off the Real-time protection toggle switch to disable          Microsoft Defender temporarily.

After you've completed the measures, Microsoft Defender Antivirus can temporarily disable real-time security, enabling you to install apps and make device changes without the anti-malware solution flagging them.

The antivirus will automatically re-enable the next time you restart the system. You can also follow the same steps as above, but make sure to turn on the Real-time safety toggle switch at step 5.

This isn't a long-term fix, but it's the easiest way to circumvent Windows 10's virus security so you can make device changes or install an app that would otherwise be blocked by the workaround.