Enabling or Disabling Microsoft Defender in Windows 11

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The post instructs students and new users on enabling Microsoft Defender, a free anti-malware feature of Windows 11. Steps are provided to access the System Settings, and specific ways to activate Microsoft Defender for different network profiles. Though Microsoft Defender can run alongside other security programs, it can be turned off if it causes interference.…

This post shows students and new users how to turn or enable Microsoft Defender (previously known as Windows Defender) on or off when using Windows 11.

Microsoft Defender (previously known as Windows Defender) is also included in the new Windows 11, part of Microsoft Security.

Microsoft Defender is a free anti-malware software in Windows 11 that helps you protect your computer from viruses and malware. You may want to turn Microsoft Defender on or off in Windows 11 based on your preference or if you have other commercial antivirus or security programs installed on your computer.

If you don’t have other security programs installed, keeping Microsoft Defender turned on is recommended to protect your computer from unauthorized access and malicious software.

How to Enable Microsoft Defender

Below are steps that help you turn on or enable Microsoft Defender if it’s disabled:

Windows 11 has a centralized location for the majority of its settings. Everything can be done, from system configurations to creating new users and updating Windows from its System Settings pane.

To get to System Settings, you can use the Windows key + I shortcut or click on Start ==> Settings, as shown in the image below:

Alternatively, you can use the search box on the taskbar and search for Settings. Then select to open it.

Windows Settings pane should look similar to the image below. In Windows Settings, click Privacy & security, and select Windows Security on the right pane of your screen, as shown in the image below.

On the Windows Security setting pane, click the “Open Windows Security” button as highlighted below,

That will bring you to the Windows Security home settings pane. From the left menu items, go to Firewall & Network Protection.

There, you will see up to three network profiles.

  • Domain network: Network at the workplace that is joined to a domain. This is mostly found in business environments.
  • Private network: Networks are home or work where you know you trust the devices in your network and where devices are set to be discovered via network discovery.
  • Public network: Network in public areas such as airports, coffee shops, and others where devices are not configured to be discovered.

You can go into each network profile above and turn on or turn off the Microsoft Defender firewall for each.

Select a network profile, and turn it on or enable it if it is already disabled.

If the profile is enabled, you can disable or turn it off.

Next, go to Virus & threat protection on the left menu; under Virus & threat protection on the right pane, click the Manage settings link.

Then enable or turn Real-time protection and Cloud-delivered protection. If enabled, you can then disable or turn it off.

App & browser control can also be turned off or disabled.

By all means, Microsoft Defender should be enabled to receive updates on your Windows computer. The only reason you may want to turn it off is when you have other security products installed, and Microsoft Defender is interfering with them.

If Microsoft Defender is not impacting your PC performance or interfering with other security suites installed, you should keep both installed and enabled.

Conclusion:

This post showed you how to enable Microsoft Defender in Windows 11. If you find any error above, please use the comment form below to report.

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10 responses to “Enabling or Disabling Microsoft Defender in Windows 11”

  1. Emilis Avatar
    Emilis

    I get an error saying: “You will need a new app to open this windowsdefender link”. All my options are to open the Microsoft Store which does not give any other options after all.

    1. Sudhir Kumar Yadav Avatar
      Sudhir Kumar Yadav

      I have same issue, and i am still searching solution. I found one more thing Windows defender service is stopped and it is not getting started.

  2. HoangPhi Avatar
    HoangPhi

    Hi .. I can’t open Windows Sercurity .. it doesn’t run any progress … and I don’t see protection arena like pic.2

  3. Moetassem Wehbe Avatar
    Moetassem Wehbe

    i have the same problem i can’t open the windows security

    1. Richard Zayzay Avatar
      Richard Zayzay

      This this post.

  4. Michelle Roy Avatar
    Michelle Roy

    Enable the service 🙂
    Service.msc in the search bar
    Find the windows Defender process and enable is click on start and that problem is gone.

    1. jim Avatar
      jim

      Not true. Mine starts and stops immediately thereafter. An sfc /scannow shows no issues. I also have Malwarebytes installed and I know it likes to disable Windows Defender but that should not stop me from enabling it again.

  5. ME Avatar
    ME

    Windows Defender and Windows Update not working in Windows 11 LITE

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