Uninstall Windows Defender

Hi. Never used it and prefere Zone alarm anyway. This is a Brand new desktop. I tried to install digigude TV app. Used it for years. Windows defender keeps poping up and saying that it stoped it. I can't be doing with this. There is nothing wrong with digiguide. Windows defender does not give me the opertunity to over rule it.

Hi Pablo, welcome to the Eleven Forums

Have you tried these? I can’t remember which tutorial it is that is relevant to your issue.

Are you saying that you have installed Zone Alarm? If so then WD should not be enabled and it may be ZA that is blocking Digiguide. See: -

I don't think you can uninstall WD or disable it yourself. When you install another AV product it becomes the default AV and WD becomes disabled automatically. When you uninstall the AV product WD becomes enabled again.

It is MSs way of ensuring that you always have AV protection. I believe that WD has a fairly good reputation these days although I use Norton 360 instead.

Okay. went to control pannel and turned defender off. Not put ZA on yet.

In Control Panel I only see 'Windows Defender Firewall' not 'Windows Defender'? Do you mean you have turned off the firewall?

@Pablo56 ......... you can not remove it ! It is part of the system from MS ! But you can disable it !

wiganken said:

Are you saying that you have installed Zone Alarm? If so then WD should not be enabled and it may be ZA that is blocking Digiguide. See: -

Click to expand...

I don’t believe that to be correct. Apps can still be denied. Hence the tutorials by Brink that I posted.

antspants said:

I don’t believe that to be correct. Apps can still be denied

Click to expand...

So, you are saying WD can 'deny' (disable?) the Norton 360 that is installed on my machines and continue running WD alone?

Does one have to 'tell' WD to disable other AV products or is it an automatic process? If so I have never experienced it. I have run N360 for years and installing it has always disabled WD.

wiganken said:

I have run N360 for years and installing it has always disabled WD.

Click to expand...

MS changed Defender's behavior this summer, it runs nonstop, even with 3rd party AV.

Pablo56 said:

Hi. Never used it and prefere Zone alarm anyway. This is a Brand new desktop. I tried to install digigude TV app. Used it for years. Windows defender keeps poping up and saying that it stoped it. I can't be doing with this. There is nothing wrong with digiguide. Windows defender does not give me the opertunity to over rule it.

Click to expand...

Sure it does! Download a fresh copy of the app. Open Windows Security > Virus & Threat Protection > Virus & threat protection settings > Exclusions > Add or remove exclusions > Add an exclusion, and add the folder you have the downloaded fresh copy in, and the folder you're going to install it to. Restart Explorer or restart the computer. Now try opening and using the fresh download and putting it where you want it. WD should leave it alone.

wiganken said:

So, you are saying WD can 'deny' (disable?) the Norton 360 that is installed on my machines and continue running WD alone?

Does one have to 'tell' WD to disable other AV products or is it an automatic process? If so I have never experienced it. I have run N360 for years and installing it has always disabled WD.

Click to expand...

I’m not saying that at all, and I don’t believe the issue has anything to do with 3rd party AV

Pablo said an app is being denied By defender.

Pablo56 said:

Windows defender keeps poping up and saying that it stoped it. I can't be doing with this. There is nothing wrong with digiguide. Windows defender does not give me the opertunity to over rule it.

Click to expand...

This has nothing to do with a 3rd party Antivirus that I am aware of. It’s a built in defence by MS, hence the tutorials.

I could be wrong, but not in my case. I also run a 3rd party antivirus and I have still had to use Brinks tutorials.

TairikuOkami said:

MS changed Defender's behavior this summer, it runs nonstop, even with 3rd party AV.

Click to expand...

I don't think that's true. I recently had a support issue with Malwarebytes Premium on two computers, and had to re-install Malwarebytes a time or two. With each install, WD shut down as soon as MWB opened, and only when I got into the MWB controls and turned OFF the "Always register in the Windows Security Center" control did WD come back to life.

It's true that WD and MWB run happily together and complement each other, but that switch in MWB HAS to be OFF.

I didn’t think that Smart App Control or the PUA Protection had anything to do with running a 3rd party antivirus software? That it would protect the PC regardless until it was switched off?

Ghost Spectre offers Windows 11 without defender. Think 125-130 running processes and 2.9GB at idle, as opposed to 200+ processes and 4.8GB with the typical factory install. Most viruses come being stupid on the internet anyway. If you use Firefox with Ublock origin, don't look at porn or download pirated media, and use a VPN, you don't really need an antivirus.

Pablo56 said:

Hi. Never used it and prefere Zone alarm anyway. This is a Brand new desktop. I tried to install digigude TV app. Used it for years. Windows defender keeps poping up and saying that it stoped it. I can't be doing with this. There is nothing wrong with digiguide. Windows defender does not give me the opertunity to over rule it.

Click to expand...

I use Defender Control to completely disable it. I also have Registry Entries that I add just for extra measures.

5 Ways to Permanently Disable Microsoft Windows Defender

I haven't tried any of these myself.

I use and very much like Defender Control, but always only to turn off WD for a minute or two, while I do something, and then I turn it back on. Unfortunately, Sordum has said that development of the utility has ceased. I think I’ll keep using it until it no longer works.