Windows 11, defender is working even with another AV

Question

Hello,

We have Sophos antivirus installed on a Windows 11 24h2. Why is Antimalware services running ?

When we installed Sophos on a Windows 10 or server 2019, we ran this command to remove windows defender: uninstall-windowsfeature windows-defender and the Antimalware services process disappeared, but this command is not in Windows 11.

Is this behavior normal? Shouldn't Windows Defender be completely disabled by itself?

Best regards,

Answer 1

Hello,

Based on my search, Microsoft seems has made it possible for Microsoft Defender Antivirus to work alongside third-party antivirus software in a limited capacity. This feature, known as “periodic scanning” or “limited periodic scanning,”

If you have another antivirus program installed and you’re concerned that Microsoft Defender is still actively running, you can check its status and configure its settings as follows:

Open the Windows Security app by searching for it in the Start menu.

Navigate to “Virus & threat protection.”

If another antivirus program is installed and running, you should see a message saying that Microsoft Defender Antivirus is turned off and is not monitoring your computer.

If periodic scanning is enabled, you will also see an option to manage or disable this feature in the same section.

If you want to ensure Microsoft Defender is fully disabled or enabled in the presence of another antivirus program, you may need to dig into the settings of your third-party antivirus to make sure it’s set up to take full control of your system’s security, or adjust the settings within the Windows Security app to meet your preferences for periodic scanning.

Best Regards,

Hania Lian

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