Further reading: Windows Security vs. Microsoft Defender A look back at the history of Defender. Defender originated from software developed by Giant, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2004.

Windows Defender is a capable antivirus solution built into Windows itself. Unless you’ve installed a different antivirus program on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC, your PC is using it right now.

All modern Windows PCs come with Microsoft Defender built in. For the unaware, this tool is Windows’ native antivirus. Over time, it has matured into a reliable security tool capable of blocking ...

To permanently remove Windows Security, use Local Group Policy Editor, Windows Registry tweaks, or the Windows Defender Remover tool. Be cautious— removal can leave your PC vulnerable.

Windows Defender has three modes. By default, it runs in active mode. If you have installed another antivirus program, it goes to disabled mode, but you can manually change it from disabled to ...

Windows Defender is the default anti-virus on Windows 11/10. It’s good enough for most major cases. Therefore, you won’t need a third-party option unless for extreme cases which are quite rare.

Windows Defender is enabled in a modern Windows installation by default and scores very highly in independent antivirus testing, and I was happy enough to let it spin away in the background, ...

The downside of Windows Defender. The catch with Windows Defender and the other built-in security tools and features in Windows is that you have to stick to Microsoft products.

When I checked where Windows Defender had actually detected the threat, it was in the Fan Control app I use to intelligently cool my PC. Windows Defender had broken it, and that’s why my fans ...

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender. Right-click in the right pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Double-click the new DWORD to open its properties.

When Microsoft Defender is mentioned, most users think of the antivirus software included in Windows (currently called Windows Security). On the one hand, this is correct, as the antivirus engine ...