Has anyone found a way to disable Windows Defender in Windows 11 ?


It disabled Microsoft Defender Antivirus in the Windows Security app at the time the tutorial was created.
Ok. That doesn't work for me. The two applications that remain continuously running in the background in W11 Home 21H2 are:
MsMpEng.exe
MsMpEngCP.exe

Additionally, I don't want to have to go to the Group Policy Editor (which doesn't natively exist in Windows Home) each time I want to enable it. This is why I liked using Defender Control v2.0. You can enable and disable it completely on demand, until it became broken after reinstalling Windows.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDA 1650 Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Lenovo C32q-20
I just disabled it :ROFLMAO:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro Beta, 11 Dev, W11 Canary
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Alienware M15 Ryzen Edition R6
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 8GB GDDR6
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
    1 x Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1TB
I am running Windows 11 Version 21H2 Build 22000.527.
This is what I get when I disable Windows Defender using Sordum Defender Control.

Virus & Threat Protection.png

It appears to completely disable it for me and never bothers me anymore and no more intensive resource usage.
I am baffled why some of you are saying that it doesn't work.

In the past I've used registry edits and removing services and files, but this is such a simple and effective fix.

If you have Sordum Defender Control sitting on your C: Drive, you have to ensure that it has full control permissions.
Save it in a sub-folder and the give the sub-folder full control permissions. Make sure there isn't another copy in another location.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
Is there a bat file for this and a reversal too?

Could it be because your're using Windows 11 Pro and not Home?

I noticed that many existing features (mods) continue to work after upgrading from W10 to W11 but won't necessarily work with a clean installation of W11?
I'm using a fresh install of Windows 11 Pro
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64 23H2 v22631.3374
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built Myself in 2013
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 1800X 8-Core @ 3.60GHz
    Motherboard
    Asus Crosshair VI Hero
    Memory
    16GB G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB GDDR5
    Sound Card
    On Board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" , PLANAR 22", eMachine 22"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080
    Hard Drives
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    ~ P34A60 512GB NVMe PCIe Gen3x4 M.2
    ~ 3TB WD Red HDD (extra storage)
    ~ SanDisk 250GB SSD
    ~ 2 X 1TB HDD
    ~~~~~~~~~~
    PSU
    Corsair RM850 Fully Modular (850watts)
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 630 CA-PH630-W1
    Cooling
    CORSAIR iCUE H100i RGB PRO XT
    Keyboard
    Logitech K860
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master
    Internet Speed
    752Mbps (Download) / 537Mbps (Upload)
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    *This is my Main Computer That I use*
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD A10-5700 APU @ 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Asus CM1745
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R7 350x GDDR5 4 GB
    Sound Card
    On Board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual Monitor Setup ONN 22" Monitors
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080
    Hard Drives
    ~~~~~~~~
    250GB SSD

    500GB HDD
    ~~~~~~~~
    PSU
    350Watt PSU
    Cooling
    Air Cooling
    Mouse
    MX Master
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Ergonomic 4000
    Internet Speed
    752Mbps (Download) / 537Mbps (Upload)
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    *Computer for Weather Software*
Sordum Defender Control is still working for me.
You can turn off Windows Defender by using the Group Policy Editor (Windows Pro). I don't think Windows Home as GPEditor
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro x64 23H2 v22631.3374
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built Myself in 2013
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 1800X 8-Core @ 3.60GHz
    Motherboard
    Asus Crosshair VI Hero
    Memory
    16GB G.Skill Trident Z RGB Series
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB GDDR5
    Sound Card
    On Board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" , PLANAR 22", eMachine 22"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080
    Hard Drives
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    ~ P34A60 512GB NVMe PCIe Gen3x4 M.2
    ~ 3TB WD Red HDD (extra storage)
    ~ SanDisk 250GB SSD
    ~ 2 X 1TB HDD
    ~~~~~~~~~~
    PSU
    Corsair RM850 Fully Modular (850watts)
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 630 CA-PH630-W1
    Cooling
    CORSAIR iCUE H100i RGB PRO XT
    Keyboard
    Logitech K860
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master
    Internet Speed
    752Mbps (Download) / 537Mbps (Upload)
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    *This is my Main Computer That I use*
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD A10-5700 APU @ 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Asus CM1745
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R7 350x GDDR5 4 GB
    Sound Card
    On Board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual Monitor Setup ONN 22" Monitors
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1080
    Hard Drives
    ~~~~~~~~
    250GB SSD

    500GB HDD
    ~~~~~~~~
    PSU
    350Watt PSU
    Cooling
    Air Cooling
    Mouse
    MX Master
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Ergonomic 4000
    Internet Speed
    752Mbps (Download) / 537Mbps (Upload)
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    *Computer for Weather Software*
I am running Windows 11 Version 21H2 Build 22000.527.
I am baffled why some of you are saying that it doesn't work.

I have the same build and the same Sordum Defender Control, and it no longer works. Maybe I have a newer version of Defender than you. Here's what the Sordum site has to say (and this appeared after the last Defender update):
warning.png
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GBDDR4 @ 2666MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG E2442
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 500GB NVMe SSD, 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    250GB NVMe SSD (OS and programs), 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    500GB NVMe SSD (Data)
    Case
    Lenovo SFF
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome, sometimes Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium & Defender (working together beautifully!)
  • Operating System
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3374
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 @ 2600MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG FULL HD (1920x1080@59Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS NVMe; 1 x Samsung 980 NVMe SSD
    Case
    Lenovo Think Centre SFF
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium and MS Defender, beautiful together
I have the same build and the same Sordum Defender Control, and it no longer works. Maybe I have a newer version of Defender than you. Here's what the Sordum site has to say (and this appeared after the last Defender update):
View attachment 22848
Hi Wisewiz.

Mine is still working.
Did you try what danrevella posted in the comments section? 👇
For me it does work in this fashion:
1) Go to settings windows defender and turn off potentially unwanted application (PUA).
2) Restart your computer and run defender control, it will disable Windows defender.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
I have permanently disabled Defender in both win 10 and 11 with the use of Take Ownership utility, safe boot and in Win 11 pro gpedit.msc.
It has never ever come back and I have deleted all the folders too other than c\program files\windows defender where only 2 dll's would not go but I have renamed them also used autorun organiser excellent program.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
It was just pure experimentation and general there must be away it does involve repetition but it has not let me down but in all honesty I will be typing for ever if I fully run through it and life a bit short at 70plus for that guys !!
It has worked as I said in both Win 10 and 11 and to be fair that last folder can be deleted again in Safe Mode but yawn there's more to life !!
Bye............

Thanks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
Hi Wisewiz.

Mine is still working.
Did you try what danrevella posted in the comments section? 👇
@Stigg : No need. The Sordum people in Germany re-worked it and released v 2.1 yesterday. Once you get through all of the unzipping and use the password Sordum has provided on the site to get to the final naked files, you can replace the exe and ini in your Program Files (x86)\Defender Control folder with those for 2.1, and it's all joy from there on out.

I did find that I had to restart Windows to get the Defender icon back in the tray after using the utility to disable and then re-enable Defender, but no hiccups aside from that.

Works perfectly, and lets me use Disk Cleanup to wipe the ever-growing pile of files Defender stores.

Clipboard01.jpg
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GBDDR4 @ 2666MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG E2442
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 500GB NVMe SSD, 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    250GB NVMe SSD (OS and programs), 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    500GB NVMe SSD (Data)
    Case
    Lenovo SFF
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome, sometimes Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium & Defender (working together beautifully!)
  • Operating System
    11 Pro 23H2 22631.3374
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 @ 2600MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG FULL HD (1920x1080@59Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS NVMe; 1 x Samsung 980 NVMe SSD
    Case
    Lenovo Think Centre SFF
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium and MS Defender, beautiful together
No need to use any proprietary software.
Restart in safe mode and rename the files within these folders:
%Programfiles%\windows defender
%Programfiles%\Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection
%Programfiles% (x86)\Windows Defender
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows Defender
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Platform
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection

regedit, set the key "Start" to 4 in all these:
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WdBoot
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WdFilter
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WdNisDrv
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WdNisSvc
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinDefend
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wscsvc
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SecurityHealthService
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Sense
SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\WinDefend

some may require take you take ownership of the registry, i think it only this one:
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinDefend

Restart the pc in safe mode - AGAIN
do everything again
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    I7 6700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z170
    Memory
    2X 8GB FURYX
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 2060 SUPER
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ACER X34
    PSU
    CORSAIR RM 750X
    Cooling
    GENERIC TOWER
    Keyboard
    RAZER ORNATA CHROMA
    Mouse
    LOGITEC PRO WIRELESS
No need to use any proprietary software.
Restart in safe mode and rename the files within these folders:
%Programfiles%\windows defender
%Programfiles%\Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection
%Programfiles% (x86)\Windows Defender
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows Defender
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Platform
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection
That's a lot of file renaming to do inside those folders.
Could you not simply just rename the folders?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
That's a lot of file renaming to do inside those folders.
Could you not simply just rename the folders?
No, specially on the first pass there will always be some files locking most folders. Renaming the files will break several defender modules and kernel-level drivers until it wont work anymore but will not break the OS. Microsoft design it to be impossible for the user to disable, even with another AV running, the defender will still consume several cpu and disk cycles.
My method is probably the only one that complete removes defender, even the kernel-level drivers.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    I7 6700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z170
    Memory
    2X 8GB FURYX
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 2060 SUPER
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ACER X34
    PSU
    CORSAIR RM 750X
    Cooling
    GENERIC TOWER
    Keyboard
    RAZER ORNATA CHROMA
    Mouse
    LOGITEC PRO WIRELESS
No, specially on the first pass there will always be some files locking most folders. Renaming the files will break several defender modules and kernel-level drivers until it wont work anymore but will not break the OS. Microsoft design it to be impossible for the user to disable, even with another AV running, the defender will still consume several cpu and disk cycles.
My method is probably the only one that complete removes defender, even the kernel-level drivers.
I used to manually disable it a while back.

I'd delete all the Services and loading points in the Registry and scheduled tasks.
I think I may have even documented it myself on the Windows 10 Forums, but Sordum Defender Control made me lazy.

Where I really found the need to disable it was on older computers that I used to work on.
For some reason, it can be a HUGE resource hog on some older computers.
The only solution I found to make them usable was to disable it.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
@Stigg : No need. The Sordum people in Germany re-worked it and released v 2.1 yesterday. Once you get through all of the unzipping and use the password Sordum has provided on the site to get to the final naked files, you can replace the exe and ini in your Program Files (x86)\Defender Control folder with those for 2.1, and it's all joy from there on out.

I did find that I had to restart Windows to get the Defender icon back in the tray after using the utility to disable and then re-enable Defender, but no hiccups aside from that.

Works perfectly, and lets me use Disk Cleanup to wipe the ever-growing pile of files Defender stores.

View attachment 23391
I can confirm this works; however, my PC randomly behaves "weird" after I enabled it.

For instance, when I restarted my PC, I had an odd screen come up instead of my desktop after I entered my PIN. It took a long time to appear when normally it's almost instant to get to my desktip. The screen can be described similar to the old W10 widget screen showing apps like Office, Edge, and more. In my case, I have those Windows Store apps uninstalled and the icon shouldn't appear. I went ahead and disabled and uninstalled WD 2.1 and performed a restore point which seemed to fix the problem.

I installed it again earlier today and my PC lost it's Ethernet connection, and it returned on its own after I disabled WD 2.1 (enabled Windows Defender).

I suspect Windows Defender in W11 is similar to Microsoft Edge WebView2, and it needs to be enabled and running all the time.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDA 1650 Ti
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Lenovo C32q-20
Restart in safe mode and rename the files within these folders:
That is a bit streching it, it might result in BSOD Critical Process/Service died.
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Sense
This service no longer exists on 11.
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wscsvc
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SecurityHealthService
This will disable security center and notification center. It has nothing to do with Defender.
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WdBoot
Disabling WdBoot.sys and WdFilter.sys is not necessary, they will stop automatically, Windows is touchy if drivers are disabled.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 3600 & No fTPM (07/19)
    Motherboard
    MSI B450 TOMAHAWK 7C02v1E & IFX TPM (07/19)
    Memory
    4x 8GB ADATA XPG GAMMIX D10 DDR4 3200MHz CL16
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI Radeon RX 580 ARMOR 8G OC @48FPS (08/19)
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster Z (11/16)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" AOC G2460VQ6 (01/19)
    Screen Resolution
    1920×1080@75Hz & FreeSync (DisplayPort)
    Hard Drives
    ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro SSD 512GB (07/19)
    PSU
    Seasonic M12II-520 80 Plus Bronze (11/16)
    Case
    Lian Li PC-7NB & 3x Noctua NF-S12A FLX@700rpm (11/16)
    Cooling
    CPU Cooler Noctua NH-U12S@700rpm (07/19)
    Keyboard
    HP Wired Desktop 320K + Rabalux 76017 Parker (01/24)
    Mouse
    Logitech M330 Silent Plus (04/23)
    Internet Speed
    400/40 Mbps via RouterOS (05/21) & TCP Optimizer
    Browser
    Edge (No FB/Google) & Brave for YouTube & LibreWolf for FB
    Antivirus
    NoAV & Binisoft WFC & NextDNS
    Other Info
    Headphones: Sennheiser RS170 (09/10)
    Phone: Samsung Galaxy Xcover 7 (02/24)
No need to use any proprietary software.
Restart in safe mode and rename the files within these folders:
%Programfiles%\windows defender
%Programfiles%\Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection
%Programfiles% (x86)\Windows Defender
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows Defender
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Platform
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection

regedit, set the key "Start" to 4 in all these:
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WdBoot
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WdFilter
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WdNisDrv
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WdNisSvc
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinDefend
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wscsvc
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SecurityHealthService
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Sense
SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\WinDefend

some may require take you take ownership of the registry, i think it only this one:
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinDefend

Restart the pc in safe mode - AGAIN
do everything again
This actually works, but I did not rename anything just set the regedit keys to 4.
Finally no more windows defender uselessly slamming my hard drives. I actually got a popup in the notification center telling me to turn defender back on so you know it works. I wish I would have screenshotted it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Myself
    CPU
    AMD 7800X3D
    Motherboard
    Aorus Master X670E
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 Gskill 6000
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC
    Sound Card
    what is this 1995?
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS XG27UQ
    Screen Resolution
    4k
    Hard Drives
    14 of them
    PSU
    EVGA 1600w Gold G+
    Cooling
    Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360
This actually works, but I did not rename anything just set the regedit keys to 4.
Finally no more windows defender uselessly slamming my hard drives. I actually got a popup in the notification center telling me to turn defender back on so you know it works. I wish I would have screenshotted it.
Great, i would keep monitoring because i think that if you dont rename the files, some defender applications may be called in a very specific situations like after a browser download.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    I7 6700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z170
    Memory
    2X 8GB FURYX
    Graphics Card(s)
    RTX 2060 SUPER
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ACER X34
    PSU
    CORSAIR RM 750X
    Cooling
    GENERIC TOWER
    Keyboard
    RAZER ORNATA CHROMA
    Mouse
    LOGITEC PRO WIRELESS

Latest Support Threads

Latest Tutorials

Back
Top Bottom