Uninstall Windows Defender – Disable It in Windows 7/8

Posted on September 2nd, 2012 by Rashad Carnevale

The bundled or newly installed Windows Defender just could not find, stop or remove the baleful application like some newly renewed malware (a.k.a., FakeAlert Trojan horse) on your Vista or 7 OS? Or you just do not know how to upgrade it to enhance its spyware detection? Then you wanna uninstall Windows Defender or disable It in Windows 7/8 program?

I know that some of you may have complained that the above Windows Defender device did not work well as it described: it could not detect, remove computer virus as another (free) antivirus program like avast! Free Antivirus or McAfee Internet Security did; even you may find that it even automatically downloaded or upgraded some “unwanted” application like the Oracle® Java™ or Adobe’s product(s) like Acrobat X Pro, Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash Player and more on your computer. Well, according to Microsoft Malware Protection Center (Threat Research and Response), applying some important or newly released urgent patch(es) or a newer edition for the currently running OS, currently installed programs would help you lower or avoid the risk of malware infection.

Then how to resolve the above issue on your Windows Vista or Windows 7 machine? Please read the following tips: 1) Create a shortcut file for Windows Defender: please click the Computer >> the Local Disk (C:) >> the Program Files folder >> fast locate and enter the Windows Defender file folder in it via pressing [W] key >> right-click on the MSASCui application, move your mouse on the Send to option on the menu >> choose the Desktop (create shortcut) option. 2) Set Windows Defender: run Windows Defender >> click the Tools icon on its right top >> the Options >> enable the option “Check for updated definitions before scanning” for the Automatic scanning; check and enable the suggested options for the projects like the Severe alert items listed on the Default actions. Learn more details below. And if you wanna run a more effective anti-malware solution, you could follow the below steps to (completely) disable or uninstall Windows Defender program and please note that you just could not uninstall Windows Defender from your Vista/7 computer.

How to Stop or Uninstall Windows Defender Program from Running on Your 7/Vista Computer?

  1. When you find the below MSASCui application, to uninstall Windows Defender or disable it, you then run it as administrator. Learn more details about it below.
    • Type of file: Application (.exe) / Win32 EXE
    • Description: Windows Defender User Interface
    • Size: 645 KB (660,480 bytes)
    • Size on disk: 648 KB (663,552 bytes)
    • File version: 6.1.7600.16385
    • Product name: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
    • Original filename: MSASCUI.exe
    • SHA256: 3838c421c0d46bf808ab752ec93ea0bc9c41e5145d6efc99b0f41b9fc5566187
    • SHA1: d29bec31a640c96cc7b2a9e4cb1f09e5a750cb8f
    • MD5: b888c567e8247e780d6a7e8bfd75c775

    Note To view some more details about Windows Defender, you then visit the About Windows Defender in the Help menu. See more information below.

    • Copyright: Copyright © 2008, Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
    • System information:
      • Client Version: 6.1.7600.16385
      • Engine Version: 1.1.8704.0
      • Antispyware definitions: 1.135.203.0

  2. To uninstall Windows Defender on your Windows 7 system, you then click on the Tools, “Protection against spyware and potentially unwanted software.”.

  3. In the Settings sections, you then click the Options, “Choose how you want the program to run.”.

  4. Now, please locate the Administrator entry on the left pane to be ready to uninstall Windows Defender.

  5. Then you cancel the option “Use this program” to disable or partially uninstall Windows Defender on your Windows 7 computer, “When the setting is on, this program will alert all users if spyware or other potentially unwanted software attempts to run or install itself on this computer.”. And then you hit the Save button with Microsoft logo.

  6. Click the Close button on Windows Defender to go on disable or uninstall Windows Defender, “This program is turned off. If you are running another program that checks for harmful or unwanted software, use the Action Center to check that program’s status. If you would like to use this program, click here to turn it on.”.

  7. Then you can try to re-run Windows Defender, you would be able to read the above information again. At this point, you uninstall Windows Defender with success.

  8. And if you wanna completely disable or uninstall Windows Defender program, follow the below methods.

    9. METHOD ONE to uninstall Windows Defender

    • Right click on Computer, choose the Manage option then

    • When you see the Computer Management window, please click the Services on left pane; then press [W] key to fast locate the Windows Defender on the list; press Enter key

    • Then you will see the below details, apply the Disabled option for the Startup type to completely disable or uninstall Windows Defender.
      • Item: Windows Defender Properties (Local Computer)
      • Service name: WindDefend
      • Display name: Windows Defender
      • Description: Protection against spyware and potentially unwanted software
      • Path to executable: C:\Windows\System32\svhost.exe -k secsvcs
      • Startup type: Manual\Automatic (Delayed Start)\Automatic\Manual\Disabled
      • Service status: Stopped
      • Info: You can specify the start parameters that apply when you start the service from here.

    • Click the Apply button and the OK button.

    • Save and reboot your computer to check the changes you made to system.

    METHOD TWO to uninstall Windows Defender on your Windows Vista/7 computer

    • Start >> Control Panel >> System and Security
    • Administrative Tools

    • Open up the Services
    • Repeat the above steps detailed in METHOD ONE to complete the process to uninstall Windows Defender.

Tip For XP users, you can automatically uninstall Windows Defender application from the Currently Installed Programs. Review the following video demo for more tips; and download the uninstaller, which can help you cleanly uninstall Windows Defender by removing its program remains.

Related Tips on How to Use Windows Defender Properly

Note When you run the Windows Defender for the first time on your computer, please check the below secure options for it to make it work better. You need to enter the Tools, and then read below tips about it.

  1. In the Options, you can refer to the below tips
    • For the Automatic scanning, you enable the “Automatic scan my computer (recommended)” option, the “Check for updated definitions before scanning” and the “Run a scan only when system is idle” for it.

    • For Default actions, you can read the below guide “Choose the action that you want to display or apply when items with these alert levels are detected. What are actions and alert levels?”, then you check and apply the option “Recommended action based on definitions” for the Severe/High/Medium/Low alert items. Moreover, you check the Apply recommended actions (Help protect this computer by applying recommended actions after items are detected.).

    • For Real-time protection, you check and apply the below three options for it, they are: “Use real-time protection (recommended) (Info: Choose which security agents you want to turn. Understanding real-time protection)”, “Scan downloaded files and attachments” and the “Scan programs that run on my computer”.

    • To speed the virus scan, you can select some large movie, MP3 files; or some file extensions to the list of the Excluded files and folders and Excluded files types.

    • To enhance your PC security, you check and enable the below options for the Advanced: “Scan archive files (Scan for malicious or unwanted software in archive files such as .ZIP or . CAB.)”, “Scan e-mail (Scan for malicious or unwanted software in the contents or attachments of e-mail.)”, “Scan removable drives (Scan for malicious or unwanted software in the contents of removable drives such as USB flash drives.)”, “Use heuristics (Detect malicious or unwanted software by looking at items that partially match an existing definition.)”, “Create restore point (Create a restore point before applying actions to detected items.)”.

    • To prevent some unauthorized users from changing your Windows, you disable the option “Display items for from all users of this computer (When the settings is on, this program will allow you to see the History, Allowed items, and Quarantined items from all users. Items are hidden by default to protect user privacy.)” for the Administrator.

  2. In the Microsoft SpyNet, you then would read the below info, “Join the online community that helps identify and stop spyware infections.”, click it, you can apply the option “Join with an advanced membership”. Read the below details about the SpyNet
    • Info: Microsoft SpyNet is the online community that helps you choose how to respond to potential spyware threats. The community also helps stop the spread of new spyware infections. You can choose to send basic or additional information about detected software. Additional information helps Microsoft create new definitions to better protect your computer. It can include, for example, the location of detected items on your computer if harmful software has been removed. The information will be automatically collected and sent.
    • Option 1: Join with a basic membership – Send basic information to Microsoft about software it detects, including where the software came from, and actions that you apply or the program applies automatically. The program also reports if the actions were successful. In some instances, personal information might unintentionally be sent to Microsoft; however, Microsoft will not use this information to identify you or contact you.
    • Option 2: Join with an advanced membership – In addition to basic information, the program sends more information to Microsoft about spyware and potentially unwanted software, including the location of the software, file names, how the software operates, and how it has impacted your computer. In some instances, personal information might unintentionally be sent to Microsoft; however, Microsoft will not use this information to identify you or contact you.
    • Option 3: I don’t want to join Microsoft SpyNet at this time – No information will be sent to Microsoft.

  3. You can review the below info for the Quarantined items, “Remove or restore software that was prevented from running.” – this would help you restore some accidentally blocked application(s) from it. Similarly, you can try or learn to modify the program(s) listed in the Allowed items (Info: “View software that you have chosen not to monitor”), which would help you free up some more system resources. Furthermore, you may need to learn more tips about Windows Firewall, see it in Study Center

  4. For more recent news and security tips on how to prevent and stop malware infection, you click on the below two entries:
    • Windows Defender website: Get more tools and the latest security information online
    • Microsoft Malware Protection Center: Get information on definition updates and up to date information on malware

  5. For more tips, you click on the Help, scroll down its expand menu, choose the View Help option in it. Moreover, you can first launch the Check for updates and then the Scan (Tip: you can select the Quick scan, the Full scan or the Custom scan… .) to detect and remove newly released spyware application(s) in a more effective way.

If you still wanna change or completely uninstall Windows Defender for another antivirus software, you can do so following my video guide below. And for XP guys there, please download the smart uninstaller to help you effectively clean its left over files and registry entries on your computer to fully uninstall Windows Defender.

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How to Uninstall Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2012/2013
How to Uninstall McAfee Antivirus Plus 2012
How to Uninstall ESET Smart Security 5

Recommended networks, your study center

3 things you can do right now to limit your exposure to malware – © 2012 Microsoft
Windows Firewall – © 2012 Microsoft
“How do I uninstall Windows Defender?” – Microsoft Answers
Microsoft Windows Defender – CNET Download.com
How to Speed Up a Slow Windows Computer for Free – wikiHow
Microsoft SpyNet – From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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