How do I disable my antivirus program in Windows?

Root Folder > Network FAQs
How do I disable my antivirus program in Windows?

It should be noted that the instructions in this document are for temporarily disabling an antivirus program, not uninstalling antivirus and other programs in Windows. Additionally, the answer to this question varies from one antivirus program to another, so you may have to use some intuition. However, nearly all antivirus protection programs can be temporarily disabled by following the steps below.
 
1. How to disable in Windows?
  • Locate the antivirus protection program icon on the Windows Notification Area (near the clock).
  • Once the antivirus icon has been located, right-click the icon and select disable, stop, or something similar. In some cases, you may need to open the program control center and disable it using the program's menus.
2. How to disable Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE)?
In the previous section, we mentioned how to disable many third party antivirus programs and that some of them require more than a few clicks in the System tray. MSE is one of the special cases we get asked about frequently.
  • Click the Microsoft Security Essentials Icon in the Windows Notification area and then click open.
  • Click the Settings tab then Real-time protection.
  • Uncheck the box next to Turn on real-time protection (recommended).
  • Save your changes.
Tip: To turn protection back on, follow these steps again and check the box next to Turn on real-time protection.
 
3. How do I disable K7 Antivirus for temporary time of period?
  • Right click the K7 icon in the system tray
  • Select Disable Product Protection, choose 1 Hour when prompted and click Yes.
  • Reverse changes to re-enable before time elapse.
If that does not work, contact their support for help.
 
4. How do I disable Avira Antivirus?
  • Right-click on the icon of Avira Antivirus found in the system tray (near the clock) and uncheck "Activate AntiVirus Guard".
  • To turn it back, simply check the option.
Article ID: 239, , Modified: 11/28/2023 at 4:27 PM

Was this article helpful?

Share this article