When and why you might disable antivirus protection

You may need to turn off your antivirus software temporarily when installing legitimate programs that the antivirus flags incorrectly, running older software that conflicts with modern protection, or troubleshooting whether the antivirus itself is causing a performance problem. The key word is temporary — disabling antivirus protection leaves your computer vulnerable to actual threats, so you should re-enable it as soon as you finish what you needed to do.

Before you disable anything, make sure you trust the source of the software you're about to install or run. If you're disabling antivirus to install something from an unknown website or email attachment, stop and reconsider. Legitimate software from known publishers rarely requires you to turn off protection.

Key Takeaways

  • Disabling antivirus protection should be temporary — turn it back on immediately after you finish what you needed to do.
  • The steps to disable antivirus differ by program: Windows Defender, Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky, and third-party options each have their own menus.
  • Some antivirus programs let you disable just real-time scanning while keeping other protections active, which is safer than turning everything off.
  • If you cannot find the disable option in your antivirus settings, restart your computer in Safe Mode, which runs Windows with minimal protection.

How to disable Windows Defender on Windows 10 and 11

Windows Defender is built into Windows and is the default antivirus if you have not installed a third-party program. To turn it off temporarily, open the Windows Security app by typing "Windows Security" into the search box and pressing Enter. Click "Virus & threat protection" on the left side, then click "Manage settings" under "Virus & threat protection settings."

Toggle off "Real-time protection." Windows will ask you to confirm. After you do, the protection turns off — but only until you restart your computer. If you need it to stay off longer, you can toggle it back off after restart, but this is not recommended for extended periods. To turn it back on, follow the same steps and toggle it back to on.

How to disable Norton, McAfee, and other paid antivirus programs

Paid antivirus programs vary in where they hide the disable option. Open your antivirus program and look for a menu labeled "Settings," "Preferences," or a gear icon. Inside, search for "Real-time protection," "Active protection," "Threat prevention," or "Scanning."

In Norton, open the program, click the settings gear icon, go to "Antivirus," and toggle off "Real-time Threat Protection." In McAfee, open the program, click the menu icon (three horizontal lines), select "Settings," go to "Real-Time Scanning," and toggle it off. Kaspersky uses a similar path: open the program, click the menu, go to "Settings," then "Protection," and toggle off "Real-time file protection." If you cannot find the option, check your program's help menu or search the vendor's website for your specific version.

Disabling antivirus in Safe Mode

If your antivirus program will not let you disable it through the normal menu, or if the program itself is causing problems, you can restart your computer in Safe Mode. Safe Mode runs Windows with only essential drivers and services, which disables most antivirus protection without requiring you to change any settings.

On Windows 10 and 11, hold the Shift key and click the power button in the Start menu, then select "Restart." When your computer restarts, you will see a menu with options. Click "Troubleshoot," then "Advanced options," then "Startup Settings," and finally "Restart." After restart, press the number for "Safe Mode" (usually 4). Your computer will boot with minimal protection. When you are done, restart normally to return to full protection.

Re-enabling your antivirus after you finish

After you have installed the program or completed the troubleshooting you needed to do, turn your antivirus back on immediately. If you disabled it through the settings menu, open the antivirus program again and toggle the protection back on. If you used Safe Mode, simply restart your computer normally and your antivirus will resume automatically.

Do not leave your antivirus disabled for longer than necessary. Every minute without protection increases the risk that malware can infect your system. If you find yourself needing to disable antivirus frequently, the program may be conflicting with other software on your computer — in that case, consider switching to a different antivirus or contacting the vendor's support team.

What to do if a program keeps triggering false alarms

If a legitimate program keeps being blocked by your antivirus, you have options other than disabling the entire program. Most antivirus software lets you add files, folders, or programs to an "exclusion list" or "whitelist," which tells the antivirus to skip scanning that item. This is safer than turning off protection entirely.

In Windows Defender, open Windows Security, go to "Virus & threat protection," scroll down to "Exclusions," and click "Manage exclusions." You can then add the program's folder or executable file. In Norton, McAfee, and Kaspersky, look for "Exclusions," "Whitelist," or "Trusted files" in the settings menu. Adding a program to the exclusion list keeps your antivirus active for everything else while preventing false alarms for that one item.

Antivirus performance and system slowdown

If your computer feels slow and you suspect the antivirus is the cause, disabling it temporarily can help you confirm that. Run the program or task that feels slow with antivirus off, and note whether performance improves. If it does, your antivirus may be scanning files too aggressively or conflicting with other software.

Before you disable antivirus long-term, try adjusting its settings instead. Most antivirus programs let you schedule scans for times when you are not using the computer, reduce the frequency of real-time scanning, or exclude certain folders from scanning. You can also try switching to a lighter antivirus program — Windows Defender itself is designed to be less resource-intensive than many paid options. If you do switch programs, make sure to completely uninstall the old one before installing the new one, because running two antivirus programs at once will slow your computer down even more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my computer get infected if I disable antivirus for 10 minutes?

Probably not, but the risk exists. Malware can infect your system in seconds if you visit a compromised website or run an infected file. Disabling antivirus for a short, specific task is usually safe if you know exactly what you are doing and trust the source of the software. Avoid browsing the internet or opening email while antivirus is off.

Can I disable antivirus just for one program?

Yes — use the exclusion list or whitelist feature instead of disabling the entire antivirus. This keeps protection active for everything else while preventing false alarms for that one program. Every antivirus program has this option, usually in the settings menu under "Exclusions" or "Trusted files."

Why does my antivirus keep turning back on after I disable it?

Windows automatically re-enables Windows Defender if no other antivirus is running, and some paid antivirus programs do the same for security reasons. If you need it to stay off temporarily, disable it right before you start the task you need to do, then re-enable it immediately after. If a program keeps re-enabling itself, check the program's settings for an option to stay disabled.

Is it safe to disable antivirus to install a game or software from Steam?

Steam's software is scanned by Valve before it is published, so disabling antivirus to install from Steam is usually safe. However, you should not need to — Steam games rarely trigger antivirus false alarms. If one does, add the game folder to your antivirus exclusion list instead of disabling protection entirely.