Trying to install/run a program or change some system configurations on your PC, but Windows Defender keeps getting in your way? Here's how to disable Microsoft Defender Antivirus on Windows 11 to ...

The always-on Microsoft Defender is meant to regularly check your computer for malware and viruses, but you can turn it off.

Namely: How to close Windows 8 Metro apps, and how to work with SmartScreen -- a new feature in Windows 8 that prevents you from installing malicious or untrusted software.

So far, it's looking like the useful phishing protections enabled by a Microsoft Defender SmartScreen capability are just for Windows 11 users, starting with version 22H2.

Microsoft Defender offers solid baseline protection against malware, but sometimes, you might want to disable it. Here's how to do it.