How to Enable or Disable Microsoft Defender Real-time Protection on Windows 11?

When you install Windows 11 on your computer, Microsoft Defender’s “Real-time protection” feature protects your computer. When it finds suspicious activity, it immediately blocks them.

What is Microsoft Defender’s Real-time protection?

Real-time protection is a security feature that helps stop malware from being installed on your device. This feature builds into Microsoft Defender, a comprehensive virus and threat detection program part of the Windows 10/11 security system.

On Windows 11, Real-time protection enables by default. It monitors events such as file processes, download files, attached files, and other events on your devices. When it finds suspicious activity, it immediately blocks them.

This article will learn how to enable and disable Real-time protection on Windows 11.

How to Turn On or Off Microsoft Defender Real-time Protection on Windows 11?

To enable or disable Microsoft Defender’ Real-time protection on Windows 11, go for these steps:-

Step 1. Firstly, click on the Search or Start button on Windows 11 taskbar and type  Windows Security. Click on  Windows Security to open it in the available search results.

Step 2. When the “Windows Security” window appears on your computer, choose the Virus & threat protection  option in the left sidebar.

Step 3. Click the Manage settings link under the “Virus & threat protection settings.”

Step 4. You will see a toggle switch under the “Real-time protection” option. Turn it Off or On according to your needs.

How to Enable or Disable Microsoft Defender Real-time Protection in Windows 11 using Local Group Policy Editor?

It is also possible to enable or disable Microsoft Defender Real-time Protection in Windows 11 using Local Group Policy Editor. Before proceeding with this method, you need to enable gpedit.msc on Windows 11 Home edition computers.

Step 1. Firstly, Open the local group policy editor on your computer.

Step 2. Next, navigate to the following path in the left sidebar of the Local Group Policy Editor window:-

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Defender Antivirus > Real-time Protection

Step 3. On the right side of the “Real-time Protection” folder, locate and double-click the setting “Turn off real-time protection.”

Step 4. Select the Enabled  /keybt] option to turn on “Real-time protection.” To turn off “Real-time Protection,” you’ll need to choose the [keybt]Not Configured or Disabled  option.

Step 5. Click  Apply .

Step 6. Click OK .

These are the process of real-time protection enabling and disabling.

That’s it.

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