Windows 10 came with many surprises. Some of them were pleasant but others, such as its privacy issues or the mandatory updates, were very controversial for the user.
One of the most annoying is the high processor usage that is generated even without running any processes. It is common to find the processor load between 20 to 40%, even when the computer is idle.
Digging a little deeper with the task manager, we discovered that a significant part of this processor usage is due to Windows Defender, the built-in Windows antivirus.
We can stop real-time scanning but, among the surprises that Microsoft has kindly given us, Windows Defender reactivates automatically.
If you find this processor usage annoying, it is possible to disable Windows Defender permanently by modifying a Windows registry key.
To do this, we have to modify (or add if it does not exist) the following DWORD key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\DisableAntiSpywareThe possible values are:
- 0 = To have Windows Defender active
- 1 = To permanently disable Windows Defender
As long as this key exists and has a value of 1, Windows Defender will be permanently disabled and cannot be activated, not even temporarily.
This poses a security risk to your computer, which will have no antispyware protection. Therefore, it is your responsibility to deactivate it.
However, it is always possible to reactivate it, or install other antivirus software that is less intrusive with your processor usage.