How to Enable Windows Defender if Turned Off after 1803 Update?

With the Fall Creators update there are certain new changes.

Windows Defender may be turned off by thegroup policy editor options.

Though it may not occur to everybody, but if you have another antivirus, this can happen.

Anyhow having two security mechanisms on the same machine is not a good choice.

It can slow down your system.

Windows Defender Security Center is your first-line of defense against any kind of attack to your Windows 10 PC.

This includesransomware attackor any kind of pop-up ad nuisance.

It is far more sophisticated than the Windows Security Essentials of Windows 7 and Vista.

It has several layers of defense in the form of Firewall and connection protection.

One of the prominent features are like gear security and family options.

It also has a cloud based protection to preserve your from the danger of new viruses.

Open theSettingsapp by pressingWin + I.2.

Navigate toUpdate & Securityand choose it.

On the left hand side, selectWindows Security.

Then on the right side, clickOpen Windows Defender Security Center.5.

Click onVirus & threat protection.

In the next windows, click onVirus & threat protection parameters.

Next window, checkReal-time protection.

If it is on, with blue color, then your Windows 10 is protected.9.

Otherwise, if it is switched off somehow, toggle to make it on.

Sometimes that above steps can be simple enough.

But if there is some virus, you oughta do more than that.

Local Computer Policy > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Antivirus.

On the right hand side, there is an option calledTurn Off Windows DefenderAntivirus.

Now double-click it and snag the option that says Not Configuredand press OK.

This is set it to Enabled if some setting has been changedby another software.

Note:This group policty setting by default is turned off.

It means Windows Defenderis allowed to scan your setup and protect it from virus vulnerabilities.

But somehow if itsenabled, that means Windows Defender is turned off.

You will not be protectedfrom threats and cloud protection.

There is another group policy setting under the same navigation path.

Local Computer Policy > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Antivirus > Real-time Protection.

This will confirm that your pc is protected from latest and live threats.

As soon as any virus is detected, the Windows Defender Security Center will take appropriate action.

Restart the computer if everything is working perfectly or not.

How to Edit the Registry to Enable Windows Defender?

This will fire up the regsitry editor.Navigate through the following path.