Why you might need to disable antivirus temporarily
You may need to turn off your antivirus software for a few legitimate reasons: installing software that your antivirus incorrectly flags as a threat, troubleshooting a conflict between two security programs, or testing whether your antivirus is causing a performance problem. The key word is temporarily. Disabling antivirus is not something to do casually or leave running that way.
Before you disable anything, understand what you are losing. Your antivirus is watching for malware in real time—files you download, programs you run, websites you visit. The moment you turn it off, that protection stops. If you visit a malicious website or download an infected file during that window, your computer can be compromised. This is why the goal is always to disable for the shortest time possible, then turn it back on.
Key Takeaways
- Disable your antivirus only when you have a specific reason—installing flagged software, testing for conflicts, or troubleshooting—and only for as long as necessary.
- Most antivirus programs let you disable protection temporarily (for 15 minutes or an hour) rather than permanently, which is the safer choice.
- Disconnect from the internet while your antivirus is off if you can, or at minimum avoid downloading files or visiting unfamiliar websites.
- If your antivirus keeps blocking legitimate software, investigate why before disabling it—the block may be correct and the software may be unsafe.
- Re-enable your antivirus immediately after you finish what you needed to do; do not leave it off and forget about it.
How to disable antivirus in Windows Defender
Windows Defender (now called Microsoft Defender) is built into Windows 10 and 11. To turn it off temporarily, open the Windows Security app by typing "Windows Security" into your search bar and pressing Enter. Click on "Virus & threat protection" on the left side.
Under "Virus & threat protection settings," click "Manage settings." You will see a toggle for "Real-time protection." Click it to turn it off. Windows will ask you to confirm. After you do, the protection stops immediately. A yellow warning icon will appear in your system tray to remind you it is off. Turn it back on the same way—click the toggle again—as soon as you are done with whatever you needed to do.
Windows Defender will automatically re-enable real-time protection after a set period if you do not manually turn it back on, but do not rely on this. Re-enable it yourself right away.
How to disable antivirus in third-party programs
If you use Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky, Bitdefender, or another paid antivirus, the steps vary, but the principle is the same. Look for a menu option called "Disable," "Pause," or "Turn off protection." Most programs let you choose how long to disable for—15 minutes, 1 hour, or until you manually turn it back on. Choose the shortest time that makes sense for what you are doing.
Open your antivirus program and look for a settings or main menu. You should see an option to disable or pause real-time scanning. Click it. Some programs will ask you to confirm and may show you a countdown timer. When you are finished, open the program again and re-enable protection. If you cannot find the option, search the program's help menu or the company's website for "disable protection" or "pause scanning."
What to do before you disable antivirus
Before you turn anything off, ask yourself whether disabling is actually necessary. If your antivirus is blocking a program you want to install, research that program first. Search for the program name plus "malware" or "virus" to see whether other people have reported problems with it. Check the publisher's website to make sure you are downloading from the official source, not a third-party site that may have bundled malware with it.
If the program is legitimate but your antivirus still blocks it, you have another option: add it to your antivirus's exclusion list instead of disabling the whole program. This tells your antivirus to trust that specific file or folder. Open your antivirus settings, look for "Exclusions," "Whitelist," or "Trusted files," and add the program there. This way, your antivirus stays on and protecting you from everything else.
If you are disabling antivirus to troubleshoot a conflict with another security program, make sure you have the other program's protection turned on first. Never run your computer with no antivirus at all, even for a few minutes.
Staying safer while antivirus is off
While your antivirus is disabled, change your behavior. Do not download files from websites you do not trust. Do not click links in emails or messages from people you do not know. Do not visit websites that look suspicious or that your browser warns you about. These are the moments when malware spreads most easily.
If you can, disconnect from the internet entirely while your antivirus is off. If you need to stay online, at least avoid activities that carry high risk—do not download anything, do not open email attachments, do not install software. Just do the one thing you needed to do, then reconnect your antivirus.
What to do if your antivirus will not turn off
Some antivirus programs, especially those installed by your employer or school, cannot be disabled by the user. If you try to turn off protection and nothing happens, or you see a message saying "This setting is managed by your organization," then your IT department has locked it. Contact them and explain what you need to do. They can temporarily disable it for you, or they can add an exclusion for the software you need to install.
Do not try to uninstall your antivirus to work around this. Uninstalling is much more disruptive than disabling, and it leaves you unprotected for longer. Work with your IT department instead.
Signs your antivirus might be the problem
If your computer is running slowly, freezing, or crashing, your antivirus could be the cause—but it is not the only possible cause. Before you disable it, try these steps: restart your computer, make sure your antivirus is up to date, and check whether the slowness happens at a specific time (like when you are downloading files, which triggers a scan). If the problem only happens when your antivirus is actively scanning, you can usually adjust the scan schedule in settings rather than disabling the whole program.
If disabling your antivirus does make your computer noticeably faster, that is useful information. It means your antivirus is using a lot of resources. You can then decide whether to switch to a lighter antivirus program, adjust your current program's settings to scan less frequently, or accept the slowdown as the cost of protection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to disable antivirus for a few minutes?
It is safer than leaving it off for hours, but it is still a risk. The shorter the time, the better. If you can disconnect from the internet while it is off, that reduces the risk significantly. The safest approach is to use an exclusion list instead of disabling.
Will my antivirus turn back on automatically?
Some programs will re-enable after a set time—usually 15 minutes to an hour—but do not count on this. Manually turn it back on yourself as soon as you finish what you needed to do. Relying on automatic re-enabling is how people forget and leave themselves unprotected.
Can I disable antivirus to make my computer faster?
Antivirus does use system resources, but disabling it is not a safe long-term solution. Instead, adjust your antivirus settings to scan during off-hours, reduce scan frequency, or switch to a lighter antivirus program. Running without protection to gain speed trades your security for performance.
What if a website tells me to disable my antivirus?
Do not do it. Legitimate websites never ask you to disable your antivirus. This is a common tactic used to trick people into lowering their defenses so malware can be installed. If a site tells you to disable antivirus, leave the site immediately.
Can I disable just one type of scanning, like email scanning?
Yes, most antivirus programs let you disable specific features while keeping others on. Open your antivirus settings and look for options to disable email scanning, web protection, or file scanning individually. This is safer than disabling everything.