The first place you can try to disable and remove Windows Defender is in the Roles and Features Wizard within Server Manager. How To Disable Windows Defender In Roles And Features Wizard Unfortunately, Microsoft decided to remove that API option in Windows Server 2016, so even if you install another antivirus product, Windows Defender will still be enabled. In Windows 10, Windows Defender has an API that allows other antivirus programs to disable it to prevent issues. While this is welcomed by some organizations that may not have another antivirus solution, running multiple antivirus applications has been known to cause issues for a long time and has not been recommended by IT personnel for many years. Microsoft has been including its Windows Defender antivirus software in Windows 10, and now they’re also automatically including it and enabling it in Windows Server 2016.
