Turn off Windows Defender Turns off Windows Defender Real-Time Protection, and no more scans are scheduled. If you enable this policy setting, Windows Defender does not run, and computers will not be scanned for spyware or other potentially unwanted software. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, by default Windows Defender runs and computers are scanned for spyware and other potentially unwanted software. [enable/disable] (1) GPO: Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Defender!Turn off Windows Defender (2) REG: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender!DisableAntiSpyware oval:org.secpod.oval:def:27288 SCAP Repo OVAL Definition 2015-10-08