How to Enable Windows Defender on Windows 11/10/8

Windows includes built-in antivirus protection called Windows Defender, or Windows Security on Windows 10 and 11. Windows Defender helps protect your computer from viruses, malware, and other threats. Windows Defender is enabled by default on your computer. If you disabled Windows Defender, you'll need to turn on protection manually.

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Enable Antivirus Protection

This article explains how to enable Windows Defender to comply with your organization's antivirus policy and address accessibility issues.

What is Windows Defender?

Windows Defender is a software program designed to protect your personal computer from viruses and other threats. It functions as an anti-spyware tool aimed at preventing unauthorized access and safeguarding the Windows system from malicious malware. Since its inclusion in Windows Vista, Microsoft Security Essentials has been available for free download. Previously known as Microsoft AntiSpyware, Windows Defender acts as the primary antivirus program on a device when active. It remediates risks, scans files, and lists potential threats.

How to Enable Windows Defender [With Steps]

Windows Defender is a free tool in the Windows 8, 10, and 11 operating systems that helps protect your computer from security threats like viruses, spyware, and malware. It's part of Microsoft Windows' anti-malware program. Unlike third-party antivirus programs, Windows Defender doesn't need to be downloaded or installed separately. You might also see it referred to as Windows Security, Microsoft Defender, Windows Defender Antivirus, or Microsoft Defender Antivirus. Let's go over each method one by one.

1. Enabling Windows Defender on Windows 11

2. Turn on Windows Defender in Windows 10

3. Turn on Windows Defender in Windows 8

1. Enable Windows Defender on Windows 11

Most of Windows 11's settings are centralized in one place. You can configure your system, add new users, and update Windows from the “Settings” panel. If Microsoft Defender is turned off, here's how to turn on Windows Defender:

Step 1: To access System Settings, click the “Start” button, then click “Settings.”

Step 2. In Settings, click on Privacy & security, then select Windows Security from the panel on the right.

Step 3: In the Windows Security Settings pane, click the Open Windows Security Center button, highlighted in the following figure.

Step 4: You can go into each profile and turn the firewall on or off for that particular profile.

Step 5: Make sure "Network Profile" is enabled. If it's disabled, turn it on.

If the profile is enabled, you can “disable” or turn it off.

Step 7: Next, in the left menu, select Virus & threat protection. Under Virus & threat protection, click on Manage settings. Then, turn on Real-time protection and Cloud-delivered protection.

Step 8. You can close or disable the app and browser controls.

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2. Turn on Windows Defender on Windows 10

After several improvements and updates, Windows Defender is now relatively easy to enable or disable in Windows 10, and it comes built-in with the operating system.

Step 1: First, click the “Windows” icon on the taskbar, and then select the “Settings” icon.

Step 2. Click on "Update & security".

Step 3: Click on “Windows Security,” and then choose “Virus & threat protection.”

Step 4: Under Virus and threat protection settings, click on the Manage settings link.

5. Click the toggle under Real-time Protection.

Step 6: When the User Account Control prompt appears, click Yes.

3. Turn on Windows Defender in Windows 8

If you find that Windows Defender is disabled on your Windows 8 computer, you can check its status from the Action Center and re-enable it with these steps.

Step 1: In the search box in the upper-right corner of the Control Panel, type "Action Center," and then click Action Center to open it.

< b > Step 2:< / b > Click the "Turn On Now" button in the box to the right of "Spyware and unwanted software protection."

Click to activate

Conclusions

It's usually unnecessary to install a third-party antivirus program, as Microsoft Defender is the best antivirus option for Windows computers. Switching to a different antivirus just changes where your virus definitions come from. Having multiple antivirus programs installed can cause a variety of issues, ranging from inadequate protection to being unable to boot your Windows system.