Yes, you can disable Windows Defender for Windows 10 and earlier versions of Windows. The exact steps to do so may vary in different versions of Windows.
For Windows 10:
1. Open “Settings” from the Start menu.
2. Select “Update & Security”.
3. In the left pane, select “Windows Defender”.
4. Click “Open Windows Defender Security Center”.
5. Select “Virus & threat protection”, and then select “Virus & threat protection settings”.
6. Turn off the “Real-time protection” switch.
7. To confirm the action, click “Yes”.
For Windows 8:
1. Open the Charms bar by moving your mouse pointer to the upper-right or lower-right corner of the screen.
2. Select “Search”, type “Windows Defender”, and press “Enter”.
3. In the search results, select “Windows Defender”.
4. On the “Home” tab, select “Options”.
5. Under “Administrator Options”, uncheck the “Turn on real-time protection (recommended)” box.
For Windows 7:
1. Open “Control Panel” from the Start menu.
2. Select “System and Security”, and then select “Security”.
3. Select “Turn Windows Defender on or off”.
4. Uncheck the “Turn on Windows Defender” box, and then click “Save changes”.
If you have enabled any other third-party security software, disabling Windows Defender may interfere with its functioning. You should only disable Windows Defender if you are sure that no other security solution is installed and running. You can always re-enable Windows Defender if you need to.