I'm looking for a simple and effective way to completely turn off the Windows Defender AntiMalware Service Executable (MsMpEng.exe) on my Windows 11 25H2 system. I've tried using Group Policy to enable the 'disable antivirus software' setting, but it keeps reverting to 'not set' after I restart my computer. Is there an easy solution to make this change stick permanently?
3 Answers
You can try going into Group Policy and navigating to Windows Defender settings. Specifically, look for the option that says 'Turn off Windows Defender'. The path you need is: Computer Configuration ➜ Administrative Templates ➜ Windows Components ➜ Microsoft Defender Antivirus.
If you're okay with using third-party software, I found that using Defender Control works pretty well for turning off Windows Defender. You might want to check it out—it could simplify the process for you!
I tried enabling that policy too, but it just switches back to 'not set' whenever I reboot. It's really frustrating! Anyone have a workaround for that?
Have you tried checking if another security application might be conflicting with that setting? Sometimes, other antivirus programs can override changes made to Windows Defender.