andree_gadget AN

How do I turn off Windows Defender temporarily?

Defender keeps quarantining a file from a program I wrote myself. I'd like to switch real-time protection off for a few minutes to install it, but it seems to turn itself back on. What's the right way to do this?
turn off windows
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jay_tech Oct 26, 2026
andree_gadget
Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Manage settings, and switch Real-time protection off. It turns itself back on after a while on its own, so it really is temporary. If you're doing it because it keeps blocking one program or game folder, add an exclusion on that same page instead. Then you don't have to remember to switch it back on.
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