Windows Defender is a reliable antivirus program pre-installed on Windows 11. A lot of people might prefer to keep it enabled on their PCs. However, you might want to disable it if you are using a third-party antivirus already. You can easily do that from your device’s Settings in such cases.
Many Windows 11 users have complained that their PC keeps re-enabling the Windows Defender. This issue is not as complex as it might seem and has several possible explanations. So, you can usually find its cause and fix the problem all by yourself. Try out the tricks listed below if you need help.
8 Solutions to Windows Defender Enabling Automatically on Your PC Error
Windows Defender is the default antivirus for your PC and that might explain why it keeps re-enabling. You can stop it by using the following methods:
-
Turn Off Tamper Protection
Tamper Protection is a security feature enabled by default on Windows 10 and later systems. It must protect your device from malware or attempts to steal the data. Tamper Protection will enable Windows Defender whenever you install suspicious software. So, it might help you detect and remove malware from your device in many cases.
The Tamper Protection feature might cause quite a lot of inconvenience to users. It sometimes enables the Windows Defender even when you already have a third-party antivirus. In such cases, you must disable this feature for an effective solution.
Launch your Settings menu, open Privacy & Security and click on ‘Virus and threat protection’. Then, click on Manage Settings given and disable Tamper Protection. Check whether the Windows Defender re-enables again once you are done.
-
Disable Real-Time Protection
Do you have the Real-Time Protection feature enabled on your PC? Check whether it is running if you are unsure, and disable it if required. You must take this step after trying out the previous one to get an effective solution.
Go to your Settings and navigate to the Privacy & Security section. Then, opt for managing the settings under the ‘Virus and threat protection settings’ section.
Toggle off the Real-Time Protection before exiting the Settings if you find it running. This trick can be quite effective in preventing automatic Windows Defender activations. However, after taking this step, you must ensure optimal protection for your device.
-
Use Group Policy Editor to Disable Windows Defender
Using the Group Policy Editor is the most effective way to disable Windows Defender on PCs. So, it is worth trying despite even if it seems to be complicated for most users. Open the Run dialog box and enter “gpedit.msc” to bring up the Group Policy Editor. Provide admin rights to the User Account Control to proceed with this method.
View the Windows Defender Antivirus file contents in the Local Group Policy Editor window. Double-click the ‘Turn off Microsoft Defender Antivirus’ option to change its settings. Then, select the Enabled option on the new window and click on Apply at the bottom-right corner.
Exit the Local Group Policy Editor once you are done checking on the issue. If Windows Defender keeps re-enabling, you must try disabling it with the Registry Editor.
-
Install Another Antivirus Software
Windows Defender might keep re-enabling because your current antivirus app is not good enough. In that case, you should get another antivirus software for an effective solution. Go to the app store and install any reliable antivirus software that you prefer. Then, launch it on your device after disabling the older antivirus software.
Microsoft Store might not feature some antivirus apps, which you must get from their official websites. In any case, changing your antivirus software might stop the Windows Defender from re-enabling further.
-
Renew Your Antivirus Program’s License
Some antivirus apps might require regular license renewals to keep working on your PC. They would stop working if you miss a renewal, making your device vulnerable. So, check whether your antivirus app’s license has expired. If it has, then that explains why Windows Defender keeps re-enabling on your device.
The procedure for license renewal might differ with each antivirus app. Launch the software and take the required steps to renew its license. Make sure to perform the renewals on time to prevent Windows Defender from re-enabling.
-
Use Registry Editor to Disable Windows Defender
Not all Windows 11 editions might have the group Policy Editor on them. If that applies to your system version, open the Registry Editor to disable Windows Defender. Bring up the Run box, enter “regedit” and click on OK to proceed. Grant admin access to the User Account Control if prompted before entering the Registry Editor.
Right-Click the Windows Defender file on the window that opens and click on New. Select ‘DWORD (32-bit) Value’ to create a new DWORD value and name it “DisableAntiSpyware”. Then, double-click on DisableAntiSpyware, change the Base setting to Hexadecimal, and set the value as 0.
Click on OK and exit the Registry Editor after taking the aforementioned steps. Make sure the Windows Defender does not re-enable once you are done. If it does, it might have something to do with Windows updates.
-
Uncheck Windows Defender Antivirus Service in Autoruns
Your PC runs many automatic Windows Services that you can disable using the Autoruns file. Make sure to disable the Real-Time Protection and Tamper protection before proceeding with this step. Then, open the Run dialog and enter ‘msconfig’ to open the system configuration window.
Go to the Boot tab under System Configuration and check the Safe Boot option. Click on OK and confirm your decision to boot your PC in Safe Mode. Your PC does not have the Autoruns file by default, and you must download it. Also, make sure to download it only from the official Microsoft website.
Extract and launch the Autoruns file to view the Service section in it. Click on Options at the top-left and select ‘Hide Windows Entries’. Then, uncheck the Windows Defender Antivirus Service given there before booting your PC in Normal Mode. Look for Windows Defender among the running programs in Task Manager after rebooting.
-
Disable Automatic Windows Updates
Automatic updates can make it easier for you to get the latest system versions on time. All you need to do is connect your PC to the internet with this setting enabled. However, automatic updates will re-enable Windows Defender after each update since it is the default antivirus program. So, you might want to disable this feature to prevent the issue you are facing.
Automatic updates are enabled by default on your PC if you use Windows. In this case, you must delete it from the Services section on your device. Click on the Windows update service listed there and opt for stopping it. This might stop your PC from re-enabling Windows Defender further.
Contact Customer Support
The automatic activation of Windows Defender usually does not indicate a problem. You should be able to stop it with the aforementioned steps. Contact the customer support team if you fail to do so all by yourself. They should be able to help you stop the Windows Defender re-enabling.
