How To Turn On Windows Defender

By Ralph A. Freeman | December 11, 2019

Windows Defender is an anti-malware component that protects your devices from threats like spyware, malware, and viruses due to email, web applications, or cloud-based programs.

To experience its outstanding features and keeping the system protected from such threats, it is necessary to turn it on. Here, we will discuss the detailed procedure of turning on Windows Defender on Windows 10.

How to Turn On Windows Defender on Windows 10

Windows defender can get disabled due to various reasons. This includes situations where you must have recently installed any new antivirus program. Now, to turn it on again, all you need to do is follow any of the methods given below (according to your preference).

Method 1: Using Control Panel

At first, we will be mentioning the process of turning on Windows Defender with the help of the Control Panel. To do so, follow the steps given below:

Go to Start and then open Control Panel.
Now, go to “Administrative Tools” and then select “Edit Group Policy”. After doing so, the Local Group Policy Editor will open for you.
Navigate to Computer Configuration and then Administrative Templates. Once done, click on Windows Components and then select Windows Defender Antivirus.
Now, just below the folder of other settings, you will see an option “Turn on/off Windows Defender Antivirus”

So, select “Turn off Windows Defender Antivirus” and ensure that it is disabled. However, after some time, follow these steps and make sure to turn on Windows Defender this time.

Method 2: Using Command Prompt

Besides the method listed above, you can also turn on Windows Defender by using Command Prompt. To do so, follow the steps given below in sequence:

At first, open Command Prompt with Administrative privileges.
Type the following command to disable Windows Defender:

sc stop WinDefend

To enable it again, type the following command:

sc stop WinDefend

Note: This was a temporary method to enable and disable Windows Defender. Hence, after restarting the system, Windows Defender will return to its initial state.

To disable/enable it permanently, run the commands given below

sc config WinDefend start= disabled

sc stop WinDefend

To enable it, type the following commands

sc config WinDefend start= auto

sc start WinDefend

Hopefully, after executing this command, your Windows Defender will turn on.

So, this was the complete guide following which you should be able to turn on Windows Defender successfully.

Posted in Windows Defender