How can I disable Bitdefender antivirus software?

Disabling Bitdefender antivirus software temporarily is a simple process. First, you need to locate the Bitdefender icon in the system tray on the taskbar (usually found at the bottom right corner of the screen). Right-click on this icon; a menu should appear with several options. Look for a toggle or an option labeled “Protection Shields,” “Antivirus Shield,” or similar verbiage depending on the version. Within this submenu, you can choose to turn off the various shields such as the Antivirus Shield, Online Threat Prevention, and Advanced Threat Defense for a specified duration or until the system is restarted. Remember that disabling your antivirus leaves your computer vulnerable to threats, so re-enable protection as soon as you've completed your task. For longer-term or permanent deactivation, you would need to access the main Bitdefender interface, navigate to the Protection Features section and toggle off each module individually or uninstall the program entirely through the 'Add or Remove Programs' feature in your operating system's settings.