I am using windows 11 pro. Been faffing about for hours

 

ionuttbara/windows-defender-remover

A tool which is uses to remove Windows Defender in Windows 8.x, Windows 10 (every version) and Windows 11.

https://github.com/ionuttbara/windows-defender-remover

 

How does you turn it back on if one wishes to do so after using this tool?

 

Good question, @Lois Lane. I don't know.

I just had a Trojan infection, so I did some research and installed the free Bitdefender.
I can also recommend permanently uninstalling Windows Defender and using Bitdefender instead.

Excellent real-time protection: Bitdefender detects real-time threats better than Microsoft Defender. Less impact on your PC: Bitdefender is more efficient and doesn't slow down your PC as much as Microsoft Defender.

Link: www.bitdefender.com/en-us/consumer/free-antivirus

 

Last edited: Jan 4, 2026

im using winaero tweaker for this on my offline music pc
https://winaerotweaker.com/

 

Why the f do you want to switch off defender?

 

I tried all tools and gpedit and registry and what not.
(whatever I did, It came back after a reboot)
Thats the only thing that helped: (there is an enable script as well, in case you need that)
https://github.com/TairikuOokami/Windows/blob/main/Microsoft Defender Disable.bat

 

Last edited: Jan 4, 2026

There are soooo many reasons... It is a pain in the ass, it only throws false positives at you.
And besides that, if your malware programmer / ransomware guy is that bad at his job that windows defender finds it, he's probably such an stupid idiot that you won't need protection at all because his files are named "m4lw4re.exe" and "r4nsom3ncryptor.dll".
After that stupid thing deleted a keygen again and again years ago I removed it completely and never missed it.
I use Jottis malware scanner if I need something like that. and yes, I know, I could tell defender to leave my keygens alone, but first I have to find out what it likes and what not and I have better things to do than to babysit ms tech.

 

If I really wanted to do this, I'd go with a dummy anti-virus that does literally nothing except for telling Windows that it has an AV running.

https://github.com/es3n1n/defendnot
https://github.com/electroglyph/anti_defender

More technically sound than yanking out system files/touching the registry and trivially revertible - if it works that is

 

"Step aside butch, I am about to get medieval on the Windows OS here"

Make sure your have your OS backed up I claim no responsibility for your own issues.
You should backup your OS drive already every week like I have been doing for many years.

-Install Puppy Linux or any other live distro into a usb flash drive
-boot that flash and REMOVE THAT GARBAGE from windows
from :

C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\ copy this trash to a safe location and then delete the original crap in here
C:\Programdata\Microsoft\Windows Defender\ copy this trash to a safe location and then delete the original crap in here

Every Windows version I have is customized to have all the services non essential disabled or even deleted stubborn services, system prepped with no eye candy nonsense, all tasks from task manager deleted from C:\Windows\System32\Tasks\, firewall garbage disable, updates disabled etc.

Once the system is running as smooth as possible ( zero activity in task manager unless I move the mouse) OOBE image capture is done and this serves as a template for other systems.
I will not accept the system ready until there is absolutely zero CPU, ram, Drive activity, even on my Mac System the same applies.

A computer should be at 0 activity unless the user actually uses it or has running process working and that is how I see OS setups from Unix, Linux, Windows, Mac OS.

 

Last edited: Jan 4, 2026

except in my case I have utilities to remove/reassign permissions & security and get rid of the junk permanently. No need for linsux or other 3rd party removal "tools"..... For offline machines there's no need for firewall, a/v and other b.s.. For internet facing boxen I use third party tools that I can control instead of mickeysoft controlling them. For really pesky stuff there's WinPE to boot to - again no need for linux.

 

Last edited: Jan 4, 2026