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Windows Defender Exclusions - Add or Remove in Windows 10

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Windows Defender Exclusions - Add or Remove in Windows 10How to Add or Remove Exclusions for Windows Defender in Windows 10 Published by Brink 06 May 2015

How to Add or Remove Exclusions for Windows Defender in Windows 10

Information

Windows Defender helps protect your PC against malware (malicious software) like viruses, spyware, and other potentially unwanted software. Malware can infect your PC without your knowledge: it might install itself from an email message, when you connect to the Internet, or when you install certain apps using a USB flash drive, CD, DVD, or other removable media. Some malware can also be programmed to run at unexpected times, not only when it's installed.

Windows Defender is included with Windows and helps keep malware from infecting your PC in two ways:

Providing real-time protection. Windows Defender notifies you when malware tries to install itself or run on your PC. It also notifies you when apps try to change important settings.Providing anytime scanning options. Windows Defender automatically scans your PC for installed malware on a regular basis, but you can also start a scan whenever you want. Windows Defender automatically removes (or temporarily quarantines) anything that's detected during a scan.

If you like, you can add exclusions to Windows Defender for files, folders (file locations), file extensions (file types), and processes that you are confident are 100% safe and secure to reduce the scan time of Windows Defender.

For example, a sandbox, ISO files, or virtual machines.

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove exclusions to Windows Defender for all users in Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to add or remove exclusions for Windows Defender.

Note

File and file location exclusions are stored in the registry key below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Exclusions\Paths

File type exclusions are stored in the registry key below.

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Windows Defender Exclusions - Add or Remove in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5924-windows-defender-exclusions-add-remove-windows-10-a.html[18-Aug-15 3:20:38 PM]

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Exclusions\Extensions

Processes exclusions are stored in the registry key below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Exclusions\Processes

Warning

Windows Defender won't scan excluded files, so this can make your PC more vulnerable to malware.

CONTENTS:Option One: To Add an Exclusion to Windows DefenderOption Two: To Remove an Exclusion from Windows Defender

OPTION ONE

To Add an Exclusion to Windows Defender

1. Open Settings, and click/tap on either the System or Update & security icon.

2. Click/tap on Windows Defender on the left side, and click/tap on the Add an exclusion link on the right side under Exclusions. (see screenshot below)

Windows Defender Exclusions - Add or Remove in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5924-windows-defender-exclusions-add-remove-windows-10-a.html[18-Aug-15 3:20:38 PM]

3. Do step 4 (file), step 5 (folder), step 6 (file types), or step 7 (processes) below for what type of exclusion you want to add.

4. To Exclude a File

Note

This option is to add a specific file as an exclusion to no longer be scanned by Windows Defender.

A) Click/tap on Exclude a file under Files. (see screenshot below step 9)

B) Navigate to and select a file you want to exclude, click/tap on Exclude this file, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below)

Windows Defender Exclusions - Add or Remove in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5924-windows-defender-exclusions-add-remove-windows-10-a.html[18-Aug-15 3:20:38 PM]

5. To Exclude a File Location

Note

This option is to add a folder as an exclusion to no longer have the folder and the files in the folder scanned by Windows Defender.

A) Click/tap on Exclude a file location under File locations. (see screenshot below step 9)

B) Navigate to and select a folder you want to exclude, click/tap on Exclude this folder, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below)

6. To Exclude a File Extension

Note

This option is to add a file extension as an exclusion to no longer have all files with that file type scanned by Windows Defender.

Windows Defender Exclusions - Add or Remove in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5924-windows-defender-exclusions-add-remove-windows-10-a.html[18-Aug-15 3:20:38 PM]

A) Click/tap on Exclude a file extension under File types. (see screenshot below step 9)

B) Enter a file extension you want to exclude, click/tap on OK, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below)

7. To Exclude a Process

Note

This option is to add a process as an exclusion to no longer have any file associated with it scanned by Windows Defender.

A) Click/tap on [B]Exclude a .exe, .com or .scr process[B] under Processes. (see screenshot below step 9)

B) Navigate to and select a .exe, .com, or .scr process you want to exclude, click/tap on Exclude this file, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below)

8. Repeat step 3 above if you would like to add another exclusion.

9. When finished, you can close Settings if you like.

Windows Defender Exclusions - Add or Remove in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5924-windows-defender-exclusions-add-remove-windows-10-a.html[18-Aug-15 3:20:38 PM]

OPTION TWO

To Remove an Exclusion from Windows Defender

1. Open Settings, and click/tap on either the System or Update & security icon.

2. Click/tap on Windows Defender on the left side, and click/tap on the Add an exclusion link on the right side under Exclusions. (see screenshot below)

Windows Defender Exclusions - Add or Remove in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5924-windows-defender-exclusions-add-remove-windows-10-a.html[18-Aug-15 3:20:38 PM]

3. Click/tap on an added exclusion that you want to remove, and click/tap on Remove. (see screenshot below)

Windows Defender Exclusions - Add or Remove in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/5924-windows-defender-exclusions-add-remove-windows-10-a.html[18-Aug-15 3:20:38 PM]

4. Click/tap on OK to confirm. (see screenshot below)

5. Repeat step 3 above if you would like to remove another exclusion.

6. When finished, you can close Settings if you like.

That's it, Shawn

Related Tutorials

Windows Defender Exclusions - Add or Remove in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

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07 May 2015

@Brink - Shawn, this is a good one to know, and I would add one thing. The "Why would I want to do this?".

Files and folders (including whole external drives or partitions, etc.) may be obvious, but excluding a process may not be.

The process you chose for this tutorial (MBAM) is a perfect example. Malwarebytes scanner is a well used and trusted anti-malware product. I cut the run time of a full scan using MBAM w/Def exclusion by about 50%... 18 mins to 9 mins. Windows Defender did did not have to monitor a trusted process. This can be seen by running Task Manager and monitoring the MsMpEng.exe.

It would be wise to point out, though, to not take this option too far! Only use it in cases where you are comfortable and know the risk level is extremely low. Example: DO NOT add Spartan.exe as an exclusion!

Thanks for the Tut!

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#1

Join Date : Oct 2014Arnold, MD Posts : 3,491

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07 May 2015

@f14tomcat

Good point Dick. I added a note to the tutorial for that.

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#2

Join Date : Oct 2013 Posts : 4,882

64-bit Windows 10 Pro

Brink Administrator

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Windows Defender Exclusions - Add or Remove in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

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