Users who are running Windows 7 for quite a while know the importance of keeping Windows Defender turned on. That said, there might be times when you want to completely turn off Windows Defender feature.
Windows Defender is an antispyware software included with Windows operating system and runs automatically when it’s turned on. Windows Defender uses definitions to alert you to potential risks if it determines that software detected is spyware or other potentially unwanted software.
Generally speaking, we don’t recommend uninstalling or disabling Windows Defender, especially if your system is connected to the Internet. Still, if you wish to disable or uninstall Windows Defender from Windows Vista or Windows 7, you can follow the procedure below.
Turn off Windows Defender in Windows 7
The best and the easiest way to disable Windows Defender is turning off its service in Windows Services list. To do this:
Method 1 of 2
Step 1: Type in services.msc in Start menu search box and hit enter. Click continue button if you are prompted with a UAC message.
Step 2: Scroll down the services list to you see Windows Defender name. Right-click on the Windows Defender name and select Properties.
Step 3: Under General tab, set the start up type to “Disabled” and click the Apply button to save the changes.
Method 2 of 2
Alternatively, you can also turnoff Windows Defender from right within the program itself. This way is also very easy, but the first one is extremely easy!
Step 1: Open Windows Defender program by typing Windows Defender in Start menu search field.
Step 2: Once the program opens, go to Tools > Administrator. Deselect the option named “Use this program” and click Apply.
