Advice Request Antimalware core service running alongside 3rd party antivirus

Please provide comments and solutions that are helpful to the author of this topic.
darth said:
No luck

I tried enabling AVG passive mode, reboot, disable AVG passive mode, and reboot. Defender is still running and in passive mode

I've tried uninstalling AVG and installing Bitdefender Free. Defender still running again in passive mode

I've tried uninstalling all 3rd party antiviruses, and installing SEP. Defender still running in passive mode

It's so annoying, even with Defender in passive mode, it's still receiving definition updates and peaks up to 1 GB of memory usage during updates
Click to expand...
Are you using WHHL with WDAC on?
 
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Trident said:
Defender for quite some time has been running in passive mode, as of the last major Windows 11 release. It’s running and it’s installing updates. It also protects the integrity of Microsoft Defender.
Click to expand...

I was reading Microsoft Defender Antivirus compatibility with other security products - Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and it says that Defender is supposed to turn off if there's a "A non-Microsoft antivirus/antimalware solution" and if SmartAppControl is turned off

I am not using WHHL, but I did install it just now, turned it off, and clicked on the restore Windows default settings option just to see if it would do anything. It did not.

Code: 
Get-MPComputerStatus

AMEngineVersion                  : 1.1.25080.5
AMProductVersion                 : 4.18.25080.5
AMRunningMode                    : Passive Mode
AMServiceEnabled                 : True
AMServiceVersion                 : 4.18.25080.5
AntispywareEnabled               : True
AntispywareSignatureAge          : 0
AntispywareSignatureLastUpdated  : 9/18/2025 2:23:19 AM
AntispywareSignatureVersion      : 1.437.25.0
AntivirusEnabled                 : True
AntivirusSignatureAge            : 0
AntivirusSignatureLastUpdated    : 9/18/2025 2:23:19 AM
AntivirusSignatureVersion        : 1.437.25.0
BehaviorMonitorEnabled           : False
ComputerID                       : ********************
ComputerState                    : 0
DefenderSignaturesOutOfDate      : False
DeviceControlDefaultEnforcement  :
DeviceControlPoliciesLastUpdated : 12/15/2022 7:56:43 AM
DeviceControlState               : Disabled
FullScanAge                      : 1457
FullScanEndTime                  : 9/21/2021 7:56:45 PM
FullScanOverdue                  : False
FullScanRequired                 : False
FullScanSignatureVersion         : 1.349.1181.0
FullScanStartTime                : 9/21/2021 7:11:20 PM
InitializationProgress           : ServiceStartedSuccessfully
IoavProtectionEnabled            : False
IsTamperProtected                : True
IsVirtualMachine                 : False
LastFullScanSource               : 1
LastQuickScanSource              : 1
NISEnabled                       : False
NISEngineVersion                 : 1.1.25080.5
NISSignatureAge                  : 65535
NISSignatureLastUpdated          :
NISSignatureVersion              :
OnAccessProtectionEnabled        : False
ProductStatus                    : 524288
QuickScanAge                     : 52
QuickScanEndTime                 : 7/27/2025 3:39:11 PM
QuickScanOverdue                 : False
QuickScanSignatureVersion        : 1.433.102.0
QuickScanStartTime               : 7/27/2025 1:29:43 PM
RealTimeProtectionEnabled        : False
RealTimeScanDirection            : 0
RebootRequired                   : False
SmartAppControlExpiration        :
SmartAppControlState             : Off
TamperProtectionSource           : UI
TDTCapable                       : N/A
TDTMode                          : N/A
TDTSiloType                      : N/A
TDTStatus                        : N/A
TDTTelemetry                     : N/A
TroubleShootingDailyMaxQuota     :
TroubleShootingDailyQuotaLeft    :
TroubleShootingEndTime           :
TroubleShootingExpirationLeft    :
TroubleShootingMode              :
TroubleShootingModeSource        :
TroubleShootingQuotaResetTime    :
TroubleShootingStartTime         :
PSComputerName                   :
 
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darth said:
I was reading Microsoft Defender Antivirus compatibility with other security products - Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and it says that Defender is supposed to turn off if there's a "A non-Microsoft antivirus/antimalware solution" and if SmartAppControl is turned off

I am not using WHHL, but I did install it just now, turned it off, and clicked on the restore Windows default settings option just to see if it would do anything. It did not.

Code: 
Get-MPComputerStatus

AMEngineVersion                  : 1.1.25080.5
AMProductVersion                 : 4.18.25080.5
AMRunningMode                    : Passive Mode
AMServiceEnabled                 : True
AMServiceVersion                 : 4.18.25080.5
AntispywareEnabled               : True
AntispywareSignatureAge          : 0
AntispywareSignatureLastUpdated  : 9/18/2025 2:23:19 AM
AntispywareSignatureVersion      : 1.437.25.0
AntivirusEnabled                 : True
AntivirusSignatureAge            : 0
AntivirusSignatureLastUpdated    : 9/18/2025 2:23:19 AM
AntivirusSignatureVersion        : 1.437.25.0
BehaviorMonitorEnabled           : False
ComputerID                       : ********************
ComputerState                    : 0
DefenderSignaturesOutOfDate      : False
DeviceControlDefaultEnforcement  :
DeviceControlPoliciesLastUpdated : 12/15/2022 7:56:43 AM
DeviceControlState               : Disabled
FullScanAge                      : 1457
FullScanEndTime                  : 9/21/2021 7:56:45 PM
FullScanOverdue                  : False
FullScanRequired                 : False
FullScanSignatureVersion         : 1.349.1181.0
FullScanStartTime                : 9/21/2021 7:11:20 PM
InitializationProgress           : ServiceStartedSuccessfully
IoavProtectionEnabled            : False
IsTamperProtected                : True
IsVirtualMachine                 : False
LastFullScanSource               : 1
LastQuickScanSource              : 1
NISEnabled                       : False
NISEngineVersion                 : 1.1.25080.5
NISSignatureAge                  : 65535
NISSignatureLastUpdated          :
NISSignatureVersion              :
OnAccessProtectionEnabled        : False
ProductStatus                    : 524288
QuickScanAge                     : 52
QuickScanEndTime                 : 7/27/2025 3:39:11 PM
QuickScanOverdue                 : False
QuickScanSignatureVersion        : 1.433.102.0
QuickScanStartTime               : 7/27/2025 1:29:43 PM
RealTimeProtectionEnabled        : False
RealTimeScanDirection            : 0
RebootRequired                   : False
SmartAppControlExpiration        :
SmartAppControlState             : Off
TamperProtectionSource           : UI
TDTCapable                       : N/A
TDTMode                          : N/A
TDTSiloType                      : N/A
TDTStatus                        : N/A
TDTTelemetry                     : N/A
TroubleShootingDailyMaxQuota     :
TroubleShootingDailyQuotaLeft    :
TroubleShootingEndTime           :
TroubleShootingExpirationLeft    :
TroubleShootingMode              :
TroubleShootingModeSource        :
TroubleShootingQuotaResetTime    :
TroubleShootingStartTime         :
PSComputerName                   :
Click to expand...
Did you try using Defender Control?
 
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lokamoka820 said:
Yes this is because it will disable MSD it is mentioned in the video tutorial, but it is a known software and used by many users.
Click to expand...
I prefer to stay away from any software with security concerns.
Abandoned all the programs relying on Librehardwaremonitor.sys as it is labelled as vulnerable driver by MSD and Avast.
 
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