Windows 10 V 1703: How to disable Windows Defender in Security Center

In Windows 10 Creators Update some users are facing issues with third party antivirus, antimalware, firewall products conflicting with Windows Defender and the new Windows Security Center. Here are steps to disable Windows Defender and the alerting within Windows Security Center.

Since Microsoft has released the feature upgrade to Windows 10 Creators Update, many users are running into issues, because third party antivirus, antimalware, firewall products are conflicting with Windows Defender. Windows Defender and Windows Security Center isn't able to detect third party firewalls or antivirus products properly.

Microsoft Partner net has fielding tons of calls from clients running 3rd party security products (antivirus, antimalware, firewall) like Symantec EndPoint 14. Windows Defender Security Center is warning about a 'missing network firewall' because it can't detect Symantec EndPoint 14's firewall.

Also Windows Defender should not be running at all, if a 3rd party security tool is installed. A 3rd party security product must disable Windows Defender in a proper way, to avoid these conflicts. If that' not the case, it will be a huge problem, because users can't disable the Windows Defender service. Until 3rd party security tool vendors releases a proper update, users need to disable Windows Defender.

The folks from Microsoft Partner net has published a support article Disable Windows Defender Security Center – Windows 10 Creator's Update with instructions, on how to permanently disable Windows Defender and every notice it may give.

How to disable Windows Defender using Group policy?

In Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise, administrators shall use group policies to disable Windows Defender.

1. Type gpedit.msc in Start menu or taskbar search box and then press Enter key to open Local Group Policy Editor. If you see the User Account Control prompt, please click Yes button to continue.

2. In the Group Policy Editor, navigate in the left pane to: Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows components -> Windows Defender.

(Source: Microsoft)

3. On the right-side, look for the policy named Turn off Windows Defender and double-click the policy entry Turn off Windows Defender.

5. Within the property page choose the Enabled option and then click Apply button.

Afterward, Windows Defender should be deactivated (otherwise run an administrative command prompt and enter the command gpupdate /force).

Disable Windows Defender using Registry

In Windows 10 Home, there is no Group Policy editor at all. You need to disable Windows Defender using a registry entry. Assure that you are logged into an administrator account to process the next steps (or launch Registry Editor with Run as administrator).

1. Open Registry Editor by typing Regedit.exe in Start menu or taskbar search box and then pressing Enter key.

2. Navigate to the following key in the Registry Editor: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender

3. On the right-side, right-click on the empty area, click New, click DWORD (32-bit) value and then name it as DisableAntiSpyware.

(Source: Microsoft)

4. Double-click on DisableAntiSpyware entry and change its value data to 1 to disable Windows Defender.

(Source: Microsoft)

After processing the steps given above, restart the computer. Then Windows Defender should be disabled successfully after next Windows 10 Creators Update boot.

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