Windows 10: Add or Remove Windows Defender Exclusions in Windows 10

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

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


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 Antivirus for all users in Windows 10.

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



Note File and folder exclusions are stored in the registry key below.

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

File type exclusions are stored in the registry key below.

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

Process exclusions are stored in the registry key below.

*Arrow 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 Defender
• Option Two: To Remove an Exclusion from Windows Defender

OPTION ONE [/i] To Add an Exclusion to Windows Defender
1. Open the Windows Defender Security Center app instead, and click/tap on the Virus & threat protection icon. (see screenshot below)



2. Click/tap on the Virus & threat protection settings link. (see screenshot below)



3. Click/tap on the Add or remove exclusions link under the Exclusions section. (see screenshot below)



4. Click/tap on the Add an exclusion plus button, and do step 5 (file), step 6 (folder), step 7 (file type), or step 8 (process) below for what type of exclusion you want to add. (see screenshot below)




5. To Add a File Exclusion to Windows Defender
*note This option is to add a specific file as an exclusion to no longer be scanned by Windows Defender.
A) Click/tap on File under Add an exclusion. (see screenshot below step 4)

B) Navigate to and select a file you want to exclude, click/tap on Open, and go to step 9 below. (see screenshot below)





6. To Add a Folder Exclusion to Windows Defender
*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 Folder under Add an exclusion. (see screenshot below step 4)

B) Navigate to and select a folder you want to exclude, click/tap on Select folder, and go to step 9 below. (see screenshot below)





7. To Add a File Type Exclusion to Windows Defender
*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.
A) Click/tap on File type under Add an exclusion. (see screenshot below step 4)

B) Enter a file extension you want to exclude, click/tap on Add, and go to step 9 below. (see screenshot below)





8. To Add a Process Exclusion to Windows Defender
*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 Process under Add an exclusion. (see screenshot below step 4)

B) Enter a process name you want to exclude, click/tap on Add, and go to step 9 below. (see screenshot below)




9. Click/tap on Yes when prompted by UAC to approve.

10. Repeat step 4 above if you would like to add another exclusion to Windows Defender.

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





OPTION TWO [/i] To Remove an Exclusion from Windows Defender
1. Open the Windows Defender Security Center app instead, and click/tap on the Virus & threat protection icon. (see screenshot below)



2. Click/tap on the Virus & threat protection settings link. (see screenshot below)



3. Click/tap on the Add or remove exclusions link under the Exclusions section. (see screenshot below)



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



5. Click/tap on Yes when prompted by UAC to approve.

6. Repeat step 4 above if you would like to remove another exclusion.

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

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Create a Windows Defender Antivirus Shortcut in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Windows Defender in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Windows Defender Real-time Protection in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Windows Defender Block at First Sight in Windows 10
• How to Create a Windows Defender Settings shortcut in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Windows Defender context menu in Windows 10
• How to Hide or Show Windows Defender Notification Area Icon in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove 'Scan with Windows Defender' Context Menu in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Scan Archive Files by Windows Defender in Windows 10
• Enable or Disable Scan Mapped Network Drives with Windows Defender in Windows 10
• Enable or Disable Scan Removable Drives during Windows Defender Full Scan in Windows 10
• How to Manually Scan Files, Folders, and Drives with Windows Defender in Windows 10
• Hide or Show Virus and Threat Protection in Windows Defender Security Center in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Windows Defender Block Suspicious Behaviors in Windows 10

:)

 

Whitelisting certain items

Please refer to one of the following articles:

Add an exclusion to Windows Defender

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/add-an-exclusion-to-windows-defender

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

Add or Remove Windows Defender Exclusions in Windows 10

How to Use the Built-in Windows Defender Antivirus on Windows 10

How to Use the Built-in Windows Defender Antivirus on Windows 10

Hope this helps.

~

 

How do I REVERSE exclusions from Windows 10 settings?

See if this helps:
How to Add or Remove Exclusions for Windows Defender in Windows 10

You also might want to read
Configure Windows Defender in Windows 8, 8.1 and 10

 

@f14tomcat

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

 

Would anyone know if path exclusion is recursive? Also is there a way to specify wildcards?

 

Hello Biatche, *Smile

If you exclude a "File location", then WD will exclude all files and subfolders on that location.

I don't believe you can use wildcards, but if you add a "File type" exclusion, then all file types with that extension will be excluded.

 

Hello Brink,

I was wondering if you can help me please.

I have selected certain file types / folders and locations in Windows Defender on Windows 10 that were added to the exclusions lists...

Previously I could go to Windows Defender and see what files, folders or extensions I had excluded but now they have disappeared....

All I see is the add buttons which work as intended when I want to add a folder etc etc....
But then they are not listed anywhere so that I can remember what I have excluded or not....

Can some one please help me so that they are visible again, is there a setting in the registry that needs to be fixed?

This is what I should see where, below the red arrows I should see the excluded files/folders including their path etc etc [see image below]



but I see nothing..

Yet if i go to the registry as indicated below...

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

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

File type exclusions are stored in the registry key below.

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

Processes exclusions are stored in the registry key below.

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

they are all listed there....?

I have to say that windows defender is excluding folders/files and etc etc, that I have selected during its scans, but I cant see the excluded items in the Windows Defender as per image of my Exclusions section below...





Thanking you in advance for your support and assistance on this issue....

Cheers

 

Hello Kokakola, *Smile

The only way that I know of to add them back is to delete them in the registry, and manually add the exceptions back in Settings.

I'd recommend to export the Exclusions key first to be able to use it as a reference to help add all of the exceptions back.

 

Hhello BRINK,

I have already done that in the registry and re entered them again but they still refuse to show up in the section under exclusions... is it that the settings in the registry are set wrong?

mine all have value not set? is this the issue...

 

Just to verify, you re-entered them in Settings and not from the registry?

Go ahead and restart the computer, and see if you are able to enter them in Settings and have them show.

Please aslo post a screenshot showing what you see in Settings to see if it may reveal anything.

 

I have done as you advised but still no go...

as you can see from the images attached i see the exclusions listed in the registry but they wont show up on windows defender...

has it anything to do with the fact that the registry values are not set?
as shown in the images attached...
thanks in advance...

 

I'm not sure what you mean by the registry values no being set. It's shown as set in your first screenshot.

Just to verify, did you delete the Path key in the registry? Usually, you'll have to change the owner of the key to "Administrators", and "allow" Administrators "Full control" of the key first, then delete it.

If so, then I'm not sure why they are not being shown in Settings when you added them from Settings.

 

No I did not delete the "Path" key from the registry I just deleted the contents within the "Path" key...

I'll try deleting the "Path" key now and reset and see what happens.....

**EDIT**
Fixed... deleting the "Path" key in the registry as you advised and then resetting the PC brings them back...

thank you so much....

cheers

 

Hi Shawn,
just upgraded Windows to OS build 10586.3 & was attempting to install MBAM alongside Defender & set up the exclusions. I don't see an option to browse to the process that I would like to exclude as before - in Defender.
I can enter the fully qualified path name e.g. C:\Program Files (x86)\Malwarebytes Anti-Malware\mbam.exe but it seems the option to browse the directories should still be there.
Am I missing something?

thanks,
richie

 

Hello Richie, *Smile

Are you using step 4 in OPTION ONE to "Exclude a file" under "Files and folders"?