How to Turn Windows Defender On or Off

Several years ago Windows Defender was released in order to anticipate the growing threat of spyware. In Windows 8 and 10, Windows Defender comes in an extended version which also provides PC protection from malware attacks. This version is part of the Security Essentials package.

Also read: Best Antivirus for Windows 10

It’s just that the redesigned Defender turns out to be causing “conflicts” with several types of security applications, where an anti-virus may conflict with the default Windows application, which then causes performance problems. That’s why Microsoft then gave the option to turn off Defender when a trial version of Security Essentials was installed on a laptop or PC.

But if it turns out that you don’t activate the Norton or McAfee trial, or Avast (two antiviruses that are known to clash with Windows Defender), then the Defender software will not activate automatically. So how can we turn Windows Defender on or off? Here’s how.

• Check if Windows Defender is active

Windows Defender has a small shield icon that is clearly visible on the taskbar. Check the taskbar section and check whether this icon is working normally or not. If it is not active, there will usually be a red cross in the upper right corner. Click the icon to open the Windows Defender application. But if you can’t find the icon, type ‘Defender’ in the search field, and then launch the app.

An application page will open. If you see a lot of red on the page – in the red strip above, a red Turn on button, and a small image showing a red screen with a cross – then this means that Defender is turned off. The red colors will turn green when the application is activated.

But if Defender is already enabled, and you still see a lot of red, this is because Defender is asking the user to update its definition.

• How to activate Windows Defender

If Defender is inactive, this could be because you already have another antivirus application in Windows that you are using. Maybe you are not confident in the capabilities of the existing antivirus and have more confidence in the capabilities of built-in software such as Windows Defender. If this is the choice, then you must uninstall the antivirus before activating Defender.

After uninstalling, activate Defender exactly as above. Press the big button that says Turn on, and after that Windows Defender will start monitoring and protecting your computer.

Also make sure that Defender’s real-time protection is working properly. You can activate it by sliding the Real-Time Protection switch to the “On” position.

• How to turn off Windows Defender

Why do I need to turn off Defender? Isn’t this software very useful for computer security? You need to turn off Windows Defender if you have installed another antivirus that you trust more. Under normal conditions, Defender will be disabled when there is another antivirus installed on the same system.

Launch the Defender application in the same way as written above. After that click the Settings icon, and in the window that opens, slide the Real-time Protection switch from the on position to the off position.

Remember one thing: what you are doing is a temporary solution to turn off Defender. This application will run automatically when needed, for example to make your PC more secure.

Share :