Many Windows 10 and 11 users have reported that the high CPU level of the Antimalware Service executable is causing problems. The anti-malware service executable is also known as the MSMpEng process (MsMpEng.exe) and is used by Windows Defender to perform its function. Therefore, the anti-malware service executable runs in the background and slows down your computer with high CPU usage.
If you notice that the Anti-Malware Service Executable process is taking up a lot of memory on your Windows system, then this article is for you. In this article, you will follow step-by-step instructions to turn off the high disk usage of the Anti-Malware Service Executable process.
Why is Antimalware Service Executable using High CPU/Disk?
High CPU utilization of the anti-malware service is ensured by a real-time protection mode that continuously scans the system, applications and connections.
Also, when you download or access a new file or application, this antivirus service analyzes everything to see if it is malicious or not. Therefore, it runs in the background, consumes a lot of CPU or disk space, and causes large memory or CPU problems.
The program used by the antivirus service uses a lot of CPU or disk space as it analyzes its own folder, C:\Program files\Windows Defender. However, the program executed by the antivirus service uses a lot of CPU for various reasons, e.g. :
software conflicts with Windows components
virus infection
lack of system hardware resources
corrupted system files
use of an outdated Windows Defender setting
And Windows Defender’s automatic scanning feature.
So here is a suggestion on how to stop the anti-virus service scanning and fix the high CPU usage problem.
How To Disable Antimalware Service Executable High CPU Usage?
Solution 1: Disable Windows Defender via Command Prompt
First, it is recommended to disable Windows Defender and check that the problem with the memory-consuming antivirus application has been resolved.
To do this, run the following command:
Open the Windows Search window and type cmd.
Right-click the command prompt in the search results and select Run as administrator.
At the command prompt, type the following command and press Enter:
This command disables Windows Defender on your computer.
You can also use this solution to prevent the antivirus service from running in the background and taxing the processor. If Windows Defender is disabled, this process stops automatically.
Solution 2: Disable Windows Defender Using Registry Editor
If disabling the Antimalware Service executable via the command line does not help block high CPU usage, we recommend disabling it via the Registry Editor.
Follow the steps described above:
Press the Windows key + R to open the Run window.
In the Run dialog box, type Regedit, then presses OK to open Registry Editor.
In Registry Editor, navigate to the path you specified:
Right-click Windows Defender, select New from the list and select DWORD.
Double-click the newly created DWORD and name it DisableAntiSpyware. Now set its value to 1.
Solution 3: Turn off Real-Time Protection
Another way to prevent Antimalware Service X from running on high CPU power is to disable real-time protection, which requires a small change to Group Policy. You can do this easily by following the steps below.
Press the Windows key + R, type gpedit.msc, and click OK or press Enter.
Click or press Enter and then click OK or press Enter to navigate to the path you specified in the Group Policy Editor window:
Now double-click the Disable Real-Time Protection button on the right side of the window.
In the new window that appears, select Enable.
Click Apply and then OK.
After completing these steps, Windows Defender and the Malware Prevention Services executable file on your computer will be disabled. The Malware Prevention Services executable file will no longer use the processor to its full capacity.
Solution 4: Install Third-Party Antivirus for High CPU Usage
The Antimalware Service process to run is bundled with Windows Defender. If the CPU consumption of the Msmpeng.exe Antimalware Service Executable is high, a third-party antivirus tool must be installed.
Windows Defender does not run in parallel with a third-party antivirus program. Therefore, this trick may work. This means that you need to install a third-party antivirus/antimalware program on your computer. If you are looking for a reliable antivirus program, we recommend you try Spyhunter. It is an antivirus program that will protect your computer from virus/malware attacks and keep it running smoothly.
Solution 5: Modify the Windows Defender Scheduling Settings
It is recommended to change Windows Defender settings. This has helped many users to solve the problem of high CPU usage by the executable Anti-Fraud Software service.
To do this, follow the steps below:
Click on the Windows icon and type “Job Scheduler” in the search bar.
Then go to the left side of the “Job Scheduler” screen and double-click on the “Job Scheduler” library.
Now expand the folders in the specified path.
In the Windows Defender folder, find the Windows Defender Scheduled Scan folder and double-click on it.
the new window select the Conditions tab and click OK, then uncheck all checkboxes. This will delete the scheduled scans on your computer.
Next, redirect the Windows Defender scan and double-click the scheduled Windows Defender scans.
Click the Launch tab.
At this point, you should create a new scan schedule (weekly or monthly depending on your needs), select the day of the scan, and click Check if scan is enabled.
Then repeat the procedure for the other three services, Windows Defender Cleanup, Windows Defender Check, and Windows Defender Cache Maintenance.
Now this procedure should reprogram Windows Defender on your computer to work as you specified. Restart your computer and see if the problem with the malware protection service running out of memory is resolved.
Solution 6: Add Antimalware Service Executable to the Exclusion List
To solve the problem of high CPU usage by the Antimalware executable on Windows 10, you need to add this process to the list of banned programs in Windows Defender. To do so, you can follow the steps below:
Press Windows + I to open Windows Settings.
In Windows Settings, click Updates and Security.
In the left pane of the window, click Windows Defender.
Go to the Exceptions tab and click Add Exception.
Click Exclude processes with .exe, .com or .scr extensions.
In the box, type MsMpEng.exe and click OK.
Once the Antimalware Service executable process is added to the exclusion list, the problem should be resolved.
Solution 7: Perform a Clean Boot to Fix High CPU Usage
If none of the above solutions helped prevent the Antimalware executable from using too much CPU, we recommend performing a clean boot.
In some cases, third-party applications may interrupt system processes and start using a large amount of CPU or system memory. Therefore, performing a clean boot can help resolve the issue.
Here is how to do it:
Press Windows+R to open the Run dialog box, type msconfig, and press Enter.
In the System Configuration window, click Services.
Now select the Hide check box next to Microsoft Services and click Disable.
Then save and exit. Press CTRL+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager.
On the Startup tab, select all services one by one and click
FAQ: Antimalware Service Executable (Msmpeng.exe) Process
Is Msmpeng.exe Antimalware Service Executable a virus?
No, Antimalware is not a virus. It is a normal Windows Defender process, and while Windows Defender is running on your Windows 10 PC, it runs in the background. In addition, no reports of viruses pretending to mimic the Msmpeng.exe process have been found. And since Windows Defender itself is an antivirus application, the processes associated with it can never be viruses.
Why is Msmpeng.exe using so much CPU or Hard Disk?
The most common reason for the high CPU and disk usage of Antimalware Service Executable is that it constantly scans files/folders, links and applications for malware. The Antimalware Service Executable process also uses a lot of hard disk and CPU because it regularly installs updates with information about new malware.
Do I need Antimalware Service Executable?
Runnable Antimalware only scans your computer for malware. So if this process takes a lot of CPU power, you can disable it on your computer. You can also use other reliable third-party antivirus tools instead of Windows Defender. So if you have other antivirus tools installed on your computer, the Msmpeng.exe process is not needed.
Can I end Antimalware Service Executable?
Yes, you can disable the antivirus program on your computer. First try to kill it using Task Manager: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Then find the Anti-Malware Service executable process and select it. Then click on “End Task” button. If this does not stop the process, you will need to disable Windows Defender. To do this, you can use method 1 or 2.
How do I stop Windows Defender from running in the background?
To prevent Windows Defender from running in the background on your Windows 10 PC, follow these simple steps.
Click the Windows Start button, then click the Settings icon.
On the Windows Settings tab, select Updates and Security.
Go to the Windows Security tab and select Virus and Threat Protection.
Click Virus and Threat Protection settings.
Turn off real-time protection.
Conclusion (High CPU Usage)
Here you can find out all about Windows Defender Antimalware Service’s runtime and high CPU usage.
We hope this article and the suggested solutions will help you to solve the problem of high CPU usage when running Antimalware Service. If you found this article useful and informative, please share it and help us grow our readership.
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