I got Windows Server 2025 Standard running in a VMware virtual machine (Legacy / No TPM / No Secure Boot / MBR) and I am happy to report that this same procedure also works to completely disable Defender AntiVirus on Windows Server 2025 Standard. I guess I should expect this to work the same since Windows Server 2025 Standard is basically the same build as Windows 11 24H2.
Without me going back and reading the entire thread... In Server 2025.. .you can just uninstall Windows Defender , as in "Server" uninstalling the role/feature has been allowed without all the same trickery that has to be done on clients. (e.g. 10, 11)
Thanks for your information. However, there are 2 things I want to verify and do on Windows Server 2025 Standard : (1) Whether the same method I use to disable Defender on Windows 11 24H2 IoT LTSC will also work on Windows Server 2025 standard. (It does.) (2) Most importantly, I want to completely disable Defender, but I do not want to remove it from the system. Not at this time, anyway. I might try to do as you suggest by trying to remove Defender on Windows Server (if I decide to do this I will try first in a VMware virtual machine). I know it can be removed, say, by using this command in Windows Powershell : I already have Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2022 on my computer and I similarly disabled Defender on them. And my experience on 2019 and 2022 told me once it is disabled Defender will no longer interfere with me. So I am quite satisfied in disabling it but not removing it outright.
After using DISM to remove these components offline from the ISO, Defender still persists when booting into the system after installation. Code: Windows-Defender-Client-Package Windows-Defender-Group-Policy-Package Windows-Defender-ApplicationGuard-Inbox-WOW64-Package Windows-Defender-ApplicationGuard-Inbox-Package Microsoft-Windows-SenseClient-Package Microsoft-Windows-HVSI-WOW64-Package Microsoft-Windows-HVSI-Package