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How to turn on or off Windows Defender in Windows 10

How to turn on of off Windows Defender in

Windows 10 (and 8, XP, Vista and 7)
Windows Defender protects your PC from spyware and other potentially
unwanted programs. Here we explain how to turn it on or off in Windows 10, 8,
XP, Vista and 7.

By Jim Martin | 18 Dec 15

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Microsoft acknowledged the growing threat of spyware with the launch of Windows Defender a
few years ago. Its available for Windows XP through to Windows 7. In Windows 8, Microsoft
provided an enhanced version of Defender which also protects against malware effectively
rolling Security Essentials (Microsofts free antivirus program) and Defender into one. It's the
same in Windows 10. Here's how to turn on or off Windows Defender in Windows 10, Windows
8, 7, Vista and XP.
The revamped Windows Defender rubbed all the security software companies up the wrong way,
so Microsoft provided an option to turn off Defender when a trial version of a security suite was
installed on a new PC or laptop. This is because the two will probably conflict with each other
and cause performance problems.
However, if you don't activate that McAfee or Norton trial, Defender wont automatically enable
itself again, so youre left unprotected from malware. And that's not a good thing. However,

rather than using Defender, there are better free antivirus programs you can install - see the 6 best
free antivirus software for more.

How to check if Windows Defender is running

Its easy enough: simply look for its icon in the Notification area (the space to the left of the
clock to the right of the Taskbar). It might be in the list of hidden icons, so click the little
upward-pointing arrow and look for a castle icon.
Dont worry if you cant find it it may still be running, or your computer might already be
running other security software which is doing a similar job.
If youre still not sure or you know your computer definitely doesnt have an antivirus program
or security suite and you don't want to install one, heres how to enable Windows Defender.
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How to turn on or off Windows Defender

Step 1: In the Start menu (or on Windows 8s start screen) type Defender. Windows Defender
should appear in the list. Click on it to launch the program. If its already running, and you see
the main window, skip to step 5.

Step 2: You might see a message like the one below, showing that Defender is turned off and
isnt protecting your computer. If so, search for Action Center in the Start menu (or screen if
using Windows 8) and run that.

Step 3: In Action Center, click on the Security tab to check which program is handling spyware
and unwanted software protection. If you want to enable Defender in place of another suite such
as McAfee, you should use the Control Panel to uninstall that first.

In Windows 10, Microsoft has moved things around a little, so you need to open the Control
Panel (not the Settings app), and go to System and Security > Security and Maintenance. Here
you can see that AVG Free Edition is installed, and is the reason why Windows Defender is
turned off. Again, you will need to uninstall any such software if you want to use Windows
Defender instead.

Step 4: When you have uninstalled any antivirus or antispyware, type Defender again in the Start
menu and, if its turned off, youll see a message and a link to turn it on. Click it to turn on
Windows Defender.

Step 5: Assuming your computer isnt protected, the Windows Defender main window will open
on the desktop. It's likely that the spyware definitions will be out of date, so nows the time to
update them. Click the Check for Updates button. Here's what it looks like in Windows 7:

Step 6: When updates are downloaded, you should see a nice green bar showing that Defender is
up to date and protecting your computer.

In Windows 10 it looks like this:

Step 7: Click the Tools link at the top and then on Real-time protection in the left pane. Check
that its enabled and then choose options for scanning downloads, attachments and programs that
run on the computer. We advise enabling all the options here.

In Windows 10, the settings are - confusingly - also found in the Settings app under Update and
Security:

If you turn off Windows Defender in Windows 10 using the toggle buttons above, bear in mind
that it's a temporary thing. Protection will be re-enabled to keep your PC secure. Note that the
buttons are greyed out in the image above because third-party antivirus software was installed on
our test laptop. You will only be able to use these controls if you uninstall the other antivirus
software first.
Follow Jim Martin and @PCAdvisor on Twitter and add Jim to your Google+ circles.
Tags:

Security,

Windows

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sarah24 Nov 16, 2015

Dont be dumb, just pay for an antivirus.... look at this report from this year: windows defender
got a 0.6 from 6.0.... how bads that.
Link: http://www.antivirustalk.com/w...

FlagShare
LikeReply

Jimmy Lee Jul 6, 2015

Peep's... use BitDefender Anti-Virus free 2015. Best in it's class & has been no:1 for a few years
straight even among paid programs, Kaspersky being no:2. You cant go wrong with BitDefender,
but if u choose other free ones, it will pop up msg's to upgrade to the paid suite, which is really
annoying. Or the program keeps bugging u for input, like scan this or press that. BitDefender is
made to be as un-obtrusive & silent as possible, working in the background, using little of ur
PC's resources. I would also recommend installing MalwareBytes AntiMalware free, it can work
alongside any antivirus program no problem, and is a favourite 2nd opinion scanner that can act
as a 2nd line of defense. You can get that paid of both which is good, but for those that dont want
to spend the money, the free is good too. Better than windows built in one by a mile...
FlagShare
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Matts Computer Support Jun 8, 2015

Which operating system version are you trying to get MSE to start? Windows 7 or Windows 8.
MSE won't work in Windows 8, Windows Defender is built into Windows8 which is nowadays
the same thing.
FlagShare
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CherryBombpop Mar 29, 2015

I can't get this to work. After I click on the "Turn on now" button, it takes me to a "system32"
folder, which doesn't have anything about Defender in it. I have no idea what to do.
FlagShare
LikeReply

alex12340 Apr 19, 2015

Same for me idk why

FlagShare
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Braden Jul 10, 2015

Ever figure this out?
FlagShare
LikeReply

Adam Mar 15, 2015

Got all the way through step 3, but I do not get the window with the extra link to turn on
windows defender shown in step 4.
FlagShare
LikeReply

mahdi Mar 6, 2015

Really thanks
It was great
Excellent
FlagShare
LikeReply

Eric Martin Mar 6, 2015

only idiots use microsoft products. they stink.
FlagShare
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robwin18 Mar 6, 2015

I have been using Defender with Win 8.1 for almost two years now and never had any problems
at all and I visit extensive sites.
I know many reviews do not rate it but it works for me fine.
I do also run Malwarebytes which is an extra protection which I run every so often and is free.
Only idiots ignore good products.
FlagShare
LikeReply

Eric Martin Mar 17, 2015

Then you're not too bright. Maybe you should check the av reviews of Microsoft products. They
fail!
FlagShare
LikeReply

robwin18 Mar 17, 2015

Like on here pal, don't believe all you read much of it is rubbish.
Never had any trouble and don't expect to either.
Proof of the pudding is in the eating.
FlagShare
LikeReply

Adam Mar 15, 2015

only idiots use McAfee, AVG, etc etc etc
FlagShare
LikeReply

Eric Martin Mar 17, 2015

It's called benchmarking. And Microcrap fails all the time. Just like their operating system.
windows 8 blows!
FlagShare

LikeReply

Pcsoftpro Jan 17, 2015

your mechanism of teaching is very nice
http://fullpatched.com/driver-...
FlagShare
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Pcsoftpro Jan 17, 2015

thanks for sharing a nice information. god bless you always
http://realcracked.com/kmspico...
FlagShare
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sharath Jan 10, 2015

it means should i remove my antivirus first to turn on windows defender??
FlagShare
LikeReply

Matt Egan Jan 10, 2015

Not at all. If you have existing, and up to date, antivirus, you are all good.
FlagShare
LikeReply

Collins King Dec 10, 2014

help PC advisory

FlagShare
LikeReply

Collins King Dec 10, 2014

how should i treat virus that's creates shortcuts in my folder
FlagShare
LikeReply

robwin18 Dec 10, 2014

Simple answer is get rid of it.
Seriously though do a scan with your antivirus software and if that doesn't get rid of it download
Malwarebytes and do a scan with that that should eradicate it.
Get Malwarebytes from here....http://www.malwarebytes.org/lp/lp4/?g...
Download the free version and when installing untick the Free trial option on the last install
screen.
FlagShare
LikeReply

Deihim Nov 14, 2014

Thank you very much !
FlagShare
LikeReply

Utetopia2014 Apr 22, 2014

Great article. Thanks. But I might add to it. My Windows 8.1 did another upgrade recently, (a
week or so ago), and only tonight i decided to eff off McAfee and start with Defender. After i
uninstalled McAfee, Defender - although off before - was on and protecting when i checked.
Perhaps with the latest update, Defender protection was automatic when another AV was
removed? Food for thought

FlagShare
LikeReply

Jack Mar 25, 2014

Thankyou for this!!!! I just got a new laptop and read got rid of Norton, but it left defender
turned off. Thankyou for showing us how to turn it back on. Much appreciated. Jack
FlagShare
LikeReply

Nilesh Shah Mar 16, 2014

I wanted to remove the programs from startup. I had MSE, so it kept on asking me to turn on
Windows Defender before performing the required action. I tried to turn on the Defender but in
vein - it kept giving the error dialogue. This kept me guessing & after many days of this & that,
finally this article helped me turn on & update defender ( after removing MSE ). "THANK YOU
VERY MUCH." Now I'm looking for a free anti-virus software which can run on my laptop
( simultaneously with windows defender being on ) as I'm using Windows Vista on my HP
Laptop.
FlagShare
LikeReply

Matts Computer Support Jun 8, 2015

MSE is a good choice.
But MSE for Windows vista will receive updates until at least 2017 which is when Microsoft
stop making Security updates for Vista.
You can get Windows 7 for free.
I've been helping Vista users for months successfully upgrade to Windows 7 which they prefer
more. They just downloaded the Vista themes from Google and saved them as their Desktop
background.
FlagShare
LikeReply

iqrar Mar 10, 2014

my defendr open but i cant scan my pandrive and memory card any idea solve my problem
FlagShare
LikeReply

kalyan singh Feb 14, 2014

thanks for thies idea today i open my w n d
FlagShare
LikeReply

Nathan Feb 13, 2014

Thank you so much for this article. My Norton had expired and I didn't wanna buy online when i
know Windows defender is free. I have had this problem for months, couldn't get my windows
defender to turn on. It's now working flawlessly!
FlagShare
LikeReply

HEATHER Jan 30, 2014

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. I finally got the answers I needed. Thank You again.
FlagShare
LikeReply

Peter Jan 11, 2014

Works great thank you - As you state, the Important thing is to uninstall Norton first :-)
FlagShare
LikeReply

Jaime Bey Jan 11, 2014

did all the steps. red button wont turn green. still doesn't work. any other solutions?
FlagShare
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Craffidio Jan 7, 2014

i can't turned on my windows defender in windows 8, and it said "this operation returned because
the time period expired" anyone know why? and have you the solution for this problem?
FlagShare
LikeReply

Jaime Bey Jan 11, 2014

same for me!! Help someone?!
FlagShare
LikeReply

edrmill39 Jan 29, 2014

There is a slight chance that you may have a temp. OS. If so ... you must remember that in order
for Windows Defender to work, The OS must be validated. This means that the OS must be "
real" and not a copy or hack version. You WIILL have a problem using it. If you have a original
windows OS and not a fake or hacked version, you should have no problem. However, if you DO
have a " hacked " version... be careful. There's a good chance that Windows Defender will NOT
work!!
FlagShare
LikeReply

Matts Computer Support Jun 8, 2015

I know that installing a crack into Windows 7 before installing MSE worked the same with
Windows 8.
If you have a good enough cracked key that's up to date, and install that first, then you should be
ok.

FlagShare
LikeReply

edrmill39 Jan 29, 2014

Sorry I'm Late. The good news is that you can turn Windows Defender on. But to do that you
must first...UN-INSTALL the old anti-virus. There is no way around this. If you do NOT have an
anti-virus program...and has difficulty accessing Windows Defender...you must first download
it,...THEN install. But make sure that you have no other anti-virus program on. If you do.. It will
NOT...I repeat ... NOT work!!
FlagShare
LikeReply

Leah Jan 5, 2014

I just want to say to whoever posted this...THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH!!! I did exactly what
you said to do and mine is perfect, now! SO STINKIN' HAPPY!!!!
FlagShare
LikeReply

Silas Nelson Dec 18, 2013

THANK YOU! I was so sick and tired of random internet popups from Mcafee and couldn't get
them to stop.
FlagShare
LikeReply

dajhilton Sep 6, 2014

me too . . doesn't mcafee know how annoying that is and how much it turns off potential
customers?
FlagShare
LikeReply

andrew fresno ca Dec 14, 2013

this was a piece of cake for my 1TB comp and thanks for the information and i am running
windows 8.1 btw
FlagShare
LikeReply

VictoriA Dec 9, 2013

Thankyou os much it worked had to remove norton I hate that program
FlagShare
LikeReply

dajhilton Sep 6, 2014

me too!
FlagShare
LikeReply

MiMi Nov 8, 2013

Fab information, thanks so much! I'm finally free of McAfee.
FlagShare
LikeReply

Jaer Zamora Oct 23, 2013

when i was skimming through the action center my virus protection status says it's on snooze. is
it bad for my pc's maintenance ? how do i get it turned on ?
FlagShare
LikeReply

robwin18 Oct 23, 2013

I assume you have no other antivirus installed and are trying to run Windows Defender if so
follow these instructions.
Go to this link http://support.microsoft.com/f...
Then in box 2 click on "fix security,privacy or user accounts"
Then in box 3 click on "Security or virus"
Then in box 3 click on the first green icon
and follow all the prompts this should solve your Windows Defender virus programme and get it
working.
Then reboot and open up Control Panel and then open up Windows Defender and it should be all
green and say it's working ok.
If not repeat the above and then in box 3 click on the second green icon and follow prompts.
This should correct your problem.
If not post post another message on here.
FlagShare
LikeReply

DHEERAJ PREET Dec 12, 2013

Just enable the antivirus from setting
FlagShare
LikeReply

Robert Waitforit Lech Sep 24, 2013

I still can't get MSE to start. I get to step 4 just fine (I uninstalled everything related to Norton
and restarted my computer). In the Action Centre, I see under Virus Protection that "Windows
Defender is turned off". I click the button beside it to "Turn on Now", but it doesn't do anything.
I've also tried going into services.msc and manually starting Windows Defender Services, but
after 3 seconds, a message pops up saying, "The Windows Defender Service service on Local
Computer started and then stopped. Some services stop automatically if they are not in use by
other services or programs." This is REALLY bugging me.
FlagShare
LikeReply

edrmill39 Jan 29, 2014

Hello. I found out the HARD way that MSE and Windows Defender do not work together. I
mean that you can use either one, ... But NOT both!! Believe me when I say that I'd tried this for
at least a few weeks, until I went to MS website and... asked.
FlagShare
LikeReply

SoulDragon Sep 18, 2014

WOW! Thanks. Solved my problem. Stopped that annoying popup that keeps coming up
everytime I fire up saying defender is turned off, but I couldn't turn it on. so, turned out MSE was
the problem. Thats annoying. Thanks
FlagShare
LikeReply
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