Since Windows Defender is an antivirus responsible for constantly scanning your device for suspicious activity and self-duplicating files that could be a sign of malware, it could detect the other antivirus doing its job and interrupt it, and vice versa. Whether it’s free antivirus, like Bitwarden or Avast, or a complete security suite, your new software won't work properly alongside Windows Defender.Īnd while Windows Defender can turn itself off if it detects another antivirus in order to avoid interference, it’s not always reliable. When it comes to security and antivirus software, two are not better than one. So, what are some reasons to turn off Microsoft Defender on Windows 10? And how do you make sure it's safe to do so? It's completely free to use and comes enabled with every Windows device.īut not all default settings and software are necessary or even beneficial.
Windows Defender, now known as Microsoft Defender, is Windows' built-in antivirus software.
