Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Endpoint protectionMicrosoft Defender Antivirus Exclusions Windows Server
In brief
The article now provides revised GPMC navigation steps, uses an updated Microsoft Learn link, and notes that older Windows versions may label the policy as Windows Defender Antivirus.
What Defender admins need to know
Administrators can use the clearer navigation steps and recognize both legacy and current policy names. No action is required.
Summaries are generated from the documentation change itself.
Documentation change
View on Microsoft LearnThe comparison below shows only the changed extract. Use the full-page view for complete context.
To disable the automatic exclusions list by using Group Policy, follow these steps:
OnIn Centralized Group Policy, open the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) on your Group Policy managementcomputer, opencomputer.In the
Group Policy Management Console, right-click theGPMC console tree, expand Group PolicyObjectObjects in the forest and domain containing the GPO you want toconfigure,edit.Right-click the GPO, and then select Edit.
In the Group Policy Management Editor, go to Computer configuration > Administrative templates > Windows components > Microsoft Defender Antivirus > Exclusions.
In the details pane ofExclusions, open theTurn off Auto Exclusionssetting. To open the setting, use any of the following methods:Double-click the setting.Right-click the setting, and then selectEdit.
- In the details pane of Exclusions, open the Turn off Auto Exclusions setting. To open the setting, use any of the following methods:
- Double-click the setting.
- Right-click the setting, and then select Edit.
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: Learn which built-in and automatic exclusions Microsoft Defender An ms.service: defender-endpoint ms.subservice: ngp ms.localizationpriority: medium-ms.date: 06/30/2026+ms.date: 08/12/2026 author: chrisda ms.author: chrisda ms.topic: install-set-up-deploy@@ -314,10 +314,17 @@ The following subsections describe how to disable the automatic exclusions. To disable the automatic exclusions list by using Group Policy, follow these steps: -1. On your Group Policy management computer, open the [Group Policy Management Console](/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2008-R2-and-2008/cc731212(v=ws.11)), right-click the Group Policy Object you want to configure, and then select **Edit**.+1. In Centralized Group Policy, open the [Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)](/windows-server/identity/ad-ds/manage/group-policy/group-policy-management-console) on your Group Policy management computer.++1. In the GPMC console tree, expand Group Policy Objects in the forest and domain containing the GPO you want to edit.++1. Right-click the GPO, and then select **Edit**. 1. In the **Group Policy Management Editor**, go to **Computer configuration** \> **Administrative templates** \> **Windows components** \> **Microsoft Defender Antivirus** \> **Exclusions**. + > [!NOTE]+ > Group Policy paths before Windows 10, version 2004 (May 2020) might use _Windows_ Defender Antivirus instead of _Microsoft_ Defender Antivirus. Both names refer to the same policy location.+ 1. In the details pane of **Exclusions**, open the **Turn off Auto Exclusions** setting. To open the setting, use any of the following methods: - Double-click the setting. - Right-click the setting, and then select **Edit**.