Why can't I close Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Windows?

[Paola Vazquez]

 

Hello,

I'm currently working on a Windows 10/11 device that has Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Windows installed. When I attempt to install or update certain software (or perform system updates), I receive a message from Windows stating that Kaspersky needs to be closed to proceed. However, Kaspersky does not close, even when trying to end the task from the Task Manager.

It seems that Kaspersky's self-defense mechanisms are preventing the process from being terminated manually. I don’t have a clear option to pause or temporarily disable protection either — possibly due to policies enforced by the administrator.

My question is:

• Is there a proper way to temporarily stop or close Kaspersky Endpoint Security in order to complete installations or updates?

• If policies are blocking it, is there a recommended approach (or policy setting) to allow controlled shutdowns for maintenance tasks?

Any suggestions or guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Tahmeed702]

  On 5/19/2025 at 4:56 PM, Paola Vazquez said:

 

Hello,

I'm currently working on a Windows 10/11 device that has Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Windows installed. When I attempt to install or update certain software (or perform system updates), I receive a message from Windows stating that Kaspersky needs to be closed to proceed. However, Kaspersky does not close, even when trying to end the task from the Task Manager.

It seems that Kaspersky's self-defense mechanisms are preventing the process from being terminated manually. I don’t have a clear option to pause or temporarily disable protection either — possibly due to policies enforced by the administrator.

My question is:

• Is there a proper way to temporarily stop or close Kaspersky Endpoint Security in order to complete installations or updates?

• If policies are blocking it, is there a recommended approach (or policy setting) to allow controlled shutdowns for maintenance tasks?

Any suggestions or guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Expand  

You can change policy of keswin from Kaspersky Security Center in the Application settings you can stop self defence and you may stop any protection component from keswin policy , go and check it out

[Paola Vazquez]

  On 5/19/2025 at 5:47 PM, Tahmeed702 said:

You can change policy of keswin from Kaspersky Security Center in the Application settings you can stop self defence and you may stop any protection component from keswin policy , go and check it out

Expand  

Hi ,

I'm not sure I understand why this message is being shown or why disabling self-defense would be necessary.
From my understanding, self-defense is a critical security feature that protects Kaspersky from being modified or disabled by malware or unauthorized users. Disabling it could expose the system to significant risks.

Could someone clarify the reasoning behind this and in what scenarios it's actually recommended to turn off self-defense?

Thanks in advance.

[Tahmeed702]

  On 5/19/2025 at 6:02 PM, Paola Vazquez said:

Hi ,

I'm not sure I understand why this message is being shown or why disabling self-defense would be necessary.
From my understanding, self-defense is a critical security feature that protects Kaspersky from being modified or disabled by malware or unauthorized users. Disabling it could expose the system to significant risks.

Could someone clarify the reasoning behind this and in what scenarios it's actually recommended to turn off self-defense?

Thanks in advance.

Expand  

It will be easier for me if you could give some screenshots of the issue while exiting Keswin, and it is recommended that you always enable self defense. Exiting Keswin is quite easy. If Keswin is still password protected, it can be turned off if you know the password.

[Paola Vazquez]

  On 5/19/2025 at 5:47 PM, Tahmeed702 said:

You can change policy of keswin from Kaspersky Security Center in the Application settings you can stop self defence and you may stop any protection component from keswin policy , go and check it out

Expand  

Hi ,

I will adding this path C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\ClickToRun\Updates\16.0.18623.20208 in exclusions.

Thanks