How to Disable Microsoft Defender on Windows Server 2019
Microsoft Defender (formerly known as Windows Defender) is a built-in antivirus and protection system developed by Microsoft for Windows operating systems. Windows Server 2019 also includes this component to prevent and detect malware. However, in some situations, administrators may want to disable Defender due to conflicts with other antivirus software or to optimize server performance.
In this article, we will discuss how to disable Microsoft Defender on Windows Server 2019.
Method 1: Disabling Microsoft Defender via Group Policy
Open "File Explorer" and right-click on the "This PC" icon. Then select "Manage".
In the opened "Computer Management" window, navigate to "Services and Applications" and select "Services".
Find and double-click on the "Windows Defender" service to open its properties.
In the "General" tab, change the startup type to "Disabled" and click the "OK" button.
Now open "gpedit.msc" (Local Group Policy Editor) using Windows search or the command line.
In the Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the following path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender.
Find and double-click on the "Turn off Windows Defender" setting.
In the opened window, select "Enabled" and click the "OK" button to save the changes.
Restart the server to apply the changes.
Method 2: Disabling Microsoft Defender via Registry
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Open "regedit" (Registry Editor) using Windows search or the command line.
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In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender.
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If the "Windows Defender" key is missing, create it by right-clicking on "Microsoft" and selecting "New" > "Key". Name the new key "Windows Defender".
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Next, right-click on the "Windows Defender" key and select "New" > "DWORD (32-bit) Value".
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Name the new value "DisableAntiSpyware" and set its value to "1".
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If you also want to disable cloud protection, create another DWORD (32-bit) value named "DisableCloudProtection" and set its value to "1".
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Close the Registry Editor and restart the server to apply the changes.
Note: Editing the registry can lead to system instability if done incorrectly. It is recommended to back up the registry or create a system restore point before making changes.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed three methods to disable Microsoft Defender on Windows Server 2019 for beginner users. Disabling Defender can be useful for improving server performance or resolving conflicts with other antivirus solutions. However, before disabling Microsoft Defender, ensure that you have installed and configured alternative antivirus software to protect the server from malware and other threats.
We also recommend considering other useful articles:
- How to provide access to Windows Server by IP or IP range
- Why disable UDP for RDP connections to Windows Server
- How to add a rule to the Windows Server 2012, 2016, 2019 Firewall