How to Close Anti-Virus Software
Anti-virus software is essential on all computers running a Windows operating system, yet there are times that you need to close the anti-virus completely to perform some other computer function, such as installing software or hardware. While all anti-virus programs can be disabled simply, closing them completely is another process.
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Instructions
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Disabling the Anti-Virus From the System Tray
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If you do not need to completely shut down your anti-virus, you can simply disable it. Right-click on the anti-virus icon in your system tray, located in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Hovering your mouse pointer over each icon will give you the program name.
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On the menu, find the option to enable or disable the anti-virus. Different programs have different wording for disabling (see Resources), but it should be obvious.
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Highlight and click the enable/disable option to disable the anti-virus. When you click this, the icon will change in some way to show that the program is disabled. The anti-virus is still running, but it isn't protecting your machine.
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When you have finished performing the function for which you needed to disable the anti-virus, perform the same steps to re-enable it.
Close the Anti-Virus from Task Manager
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Double click the anti-virus icon in your toolbar to open the main program control interface. Leave it running.
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Open the Task Manager. Press "Ctrl"+"Alt"+"Del." Depending on which version of Windows you are using, this will either open your Task Manager or a menu where you can choose to open the Task Manager.
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Click the Applications tab. You should see an entry for your anti-virus that says "Running" next to it.
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Right-click your anti-virus entry and choose "End Task." A confirmation box will appear asking you to "End Task" or "Cancel." Click "End Task."
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When you have finished performing your task, restart your anti-virus by clicking "Start" and clicking "Restart" to restart your computer.
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Tips & Warnings
If restarting your computer does not restart your anti-virus, you will need to open the anti-virus from its desktop icon before you surf the Web.
References
Resources
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