Disable Windows Defender on Windows 10

NOTICE: Permenantly disabling Windows Defender is no longer possible in recent Windows 10 versions. Instead, you can only rely on excluding specific folders or disabling it temporarily.

Why?

Windows Defender is infamous for its tendency to monopolize CPU and I/O resources. Moreover, some of its “security” measures are undesirable and may put user privacy at risk. This has many practical consequences, such as:

• slower general operation due to increased resource usage,
• excessive CPU usage while copying files, slowing down the entire system,
• increased heat and noise output, as well as reduced battery life on laptops,
• deletion of files detected as “malware” without the user’s consent, even in ZIP archives or on attached network drives,
• user privacy at risk, due to automatic sending of “malware samples” to Microsoft,
• …

Windows 10 allows you to disable Windows Defender in the Settings, but this is only temporarily effective; it will be automatically re-enabled eventually – the exact timing for this is random and unpredictable.

This repository contains a “disable” .reg file which can be used to permanently disable Windows Defender. But don’t worry, you can revert it using the included “restore” .reg file.

Usage

Disabling Windows Defender permanently

1. Clone this repository or download a ZIP archive.
2. Double-click disable_windows_defender_on_windows_10.reg then accept the administrator and the warning prompts.
3. Reboot your system.

Restoring Windows Defender (in case something goes wrong)

1. Clone this repository or download a ZIP archive.
2. Double-click restore_windows_defender_on_windows_10.reg then accept the administrator and the warning prompts.
3. Reboot your system.

Frequently asked questions

Isn’t it insecure to disable Windows Defender?

With today’s security threats, antivirus software is becoming less relevant over the years. Many antiviruses are now fooled by malware executables, and other forms of malware aren’t detected by most antiviruses. While perfect security doesn’t exist, it still is a good idea to avoid exposing yourself to modern threats such as ransomware.

To make your computing more secure, consider the following options:

• Block tracking and malware scripts using uBlock Origin. This will also make browsing faster and decrease network traffic.
• Block tracking and malware domains using Dan Pollock’s hosts file. This has the upside of working on all software on your computer, not just Web browsers.

License

Copyright © 2017-2020 Hugo Locurcio and contributors

Files in this repository are licensed under CC0 1.0 Universal, see LICENSE.md for more information.