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Disable Defender Antivirus

Overview​

About this category

This category contains privacy scripts for Windows.

These changes use Windows system commands to update your settings.

This category provides scripts to disable Defender Antivirus.

Defender Antivirus, integrated into Windows, provides protection against viruses, ransomware, and other types of malware 1 2 3.

Disabling Defender Antivirus may improve system performance and privacy by stopping related data collection However, disabling it may severely compromise your system's security if not complemented by proper security practices. Carefully consider the trade-off before proceeding.

Defender Antivirus comes with following concerns:

  • It sends files and personal data 4 to Microsoft's Cloud Protection Service (MAPS) (also known as Microsoft Active Protection Service or Microsoft SpyNet) for analysis 5 6.
  • Recent Windows versions deeply integrate Defender with mechanisms like Early Boot Anti-Malware, Tamper Protection, making it extremely difficult to remove or uninstall 7 8. This means that even if you want to stop using Defender for privacy reasons, these features make it very difficult to do so using standard methods, keeping Microsoft's security and data collection systems in place on your device.
  • In 2020, Defender began flagging modifications to the hosts file that block Microsoft telemetry as a security risk 8 9. This prevents you from easily stopping Microsoft's data collection on your device.
  • It flags privacy scripts as malicious, even though their purpose is to enhance privacy 8 9. This discourages the use of tools designed to protect your personal data.
  • Some reports suggest that Defender may consume significant system resources 10.

Defender Antivirus evolution milestones:

  • Originally launched as Windows AntiSpyware, later renamed to Windows Defender 11.
  • Replaced Microsoft Security Essentials in Windows 8 12.
  • Windows Defender is renamed to Windows Defender Antivirus in Windows 10 version 1703 13.
  • First included in Windows Security Center (WSC) in the 1809 update 14. Later, it became part of the Windows Security suite 1 2 3 7 13.
  • Renamed to Microsoft Defender Antivirus in the 2004 update 15. However, it's still frequently referred to as Windows Defender, even by Microsoft in its current documentation 1.

To check if Defender Antivirus is active, you can use the following commands in a PowerShell prompt:

  • Get-MpComputerStatus: Displays the current state of Defender Antivirus 18.
  • Get-MpPreference: Shows the current configuration settings of Defender Antivirus 19.
Caution

Disabling antivirus protection may significantly reduce your system's security. Consider having alternative security measures in place and practicing safe computing habits.

Caution: Mixed Risk Levels

Be careful running these scripts. This category includes scripts with high impact:

  • 🔴 Some not recommended scripts. They should only be used by advanced users. They may break important functionality.
  • 🟡 Some recommended scripts only if you understand its implications. Some non-critical or features may no longer function correctly after running this this category.
Implementation Details

  • Language: batch

  • Scripts Count: 99 scripts

  • Subcategories: 25

  • Required Privileges: Administrator rights

  • Compatibility: Windows only

  • Reversibility: All changes can be reverted

Apply now​

These scripts are written using Batch (batchfile) scripting language.

Choose one of two ways to apply:

  1. Automatically via privacy.sexy: The easiest and safest option.
  2. Manually by downloading: Requires downloading a file.

Alternative 1. Apply with Privacy.sexy​

privacy.sexy is free and open-source application that lets securely apply this action easily.

Open privacy.sexy

It allows selectively choose parts of this action to conduct. You can fully restore this action (revert back to the original behavior) using the application. Additionally, you can apply only the recommended scripts, instead of applying all of the scripts.

privacy.sexy instructions
  1. Open or download the desktop application
  2. Search for the category name: Disable Defender Antivirus.
  3. Check the category by clicking on the checkbox of the category.
  4. Click on Run button at the bottom of the page.

Alternative 2. Download​

You can choose to apply only scripts with less impact or also those with higher impact:

Strict

Recommended if you understand its implications. It may cause some non-critical features to no longer function correctly.

Scroll

All

Not recommended for daily use as it breaks important functionality. It provides military-grade privacy, for special use-cases. Do not run it without having backups and system snapshots.

Scroll

Consider restarting your computer for all changes to take affect.

Reversible

This action is completely reversible, you can restore your changes to the initial/default state. The restore/revert methods provided here can help you fix issues.

If something goes wrong, use the Revert script provided above.

Strict​

This script includes Standard and Strict recommendation levels.

Use with Caution

This script is only recommended if you understand their implications of every single change. Some non-critical or features may no longer function correctly after running this script.

Download Strict scripts:

Download script

Restore these changes if you decide to revert them by downloading the restore script:

Download restore script

All​

This script includes Standard, Strict recommendation levels along with unrecommended scripts.

Not Advised

This script should only be used by advanced users. Some of these changes are NOT recommended for daily use as it breaks important functionality. Do not run it without having backups and system snapshots.

Download all scripts:

Download script

Restore these changes if you decide to revert them by downloading the restore script:

Download restore script

Explore further​

This category includes total of 99 scripts and 25 subcategories.

Explore its 5 subscripts and 10 subcategories:

Disable Defender Antivirus management

This category contains scripts that disable Defender Antivirus management capabilities. Defender Antivirus uses management features to control how it works, collect system data, and change settings on your device or remotely. These management features let system administrators monitor, configure, and control Defender's behavior across multiple devices. Defender needs these features to perform tasks like automated virus scans. Disabling these management features enhances privacy by: Preventing Wi...

Disable Defender Antivirus scheduled tasks

This category contains scripts to disable maintenance tasks of Defender Antivirus. Scheduled tasks are automated operations that Windows runs at specific times or events. Defender uses these tasks to maintain its antivirus service. Disabling these tasks enhances privacy by: Stopping automatic data collection • Giving you control over data collection and deletion Disabling these tasks can also improve system performance by: Reducing background processes • Decreasing boot time • Reducing resou...

Disable Defender Antivirus file activity monitoring

This category contains scripts that disable various file activity monitoring features of Defender Antivirus. These features are designed to protect your system by monitoring file activities, but they may also compromise your privacy and affect system performance. Disabling these components enhances privacy by limiting the collection of data about your system, usage, and files. These scripts may also improve system performance during file operations. However, disabling these features may redu...

Disable Defender Antivirus license verification

This script disables the license module library of Defender Antivirus. This component is known as the License Module. It is a component of Defender Antivirus service, formerly known as System Center Endpoint Protection. This library manages licensing aspects, such as product validation and configuration management. It is involved in online verification of digital certificates and time stamps. It's also part of Defender Offline's lightweight scanner. By disabling this library,...

Explore Categories​

This action belongs to Disable Defender category. This category offers scripts to disable Windows security components related to Defender. Defender is also referred to as Microsoft Defender or Windows Defender. Although designed to protect you, its features may compromise your privacy and decrease computer performance. Privacy concerns... Read more on category page ▶

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