Antimalware Service Executable High Memory: How to fix it?
7 mins read

Antimalware Service Executable High Memory: How to fix it?

Are you encountering Antimalware Service Executable high memory usage issues on your Windows system? If it consumes high memory, you will experience a freezing glitch in your CPU processing. However, you can explore different reasons why it happens!

Before we go into how to resolve your problem on Windows 10/11, let’s first understand what it is.

An Antimalware Service Executable (msmpeng.exe) is an essential Windows service process integrated into the Windows Defender Service. It is designed to run system performance tasks in the background because it combines well with Windows security.

Occasionally, the antimalware service takes up about 50% of the system during the security full disk scan, real-time scan, or updating virus definitions on your computer. Once it finishes running security tasks in the background, it should get back to normal and allocate the system resources for apps and programs.

But, if your system undergoes a constant slowdown or freezes abruptly due to an antimalware service executable, it undoubtedly demands some initiative to resolve it.

Get started with a brief introduction of what it’s all about and set it in a few simple steps.

What is Antimalware Service Executable High Memory Process?

It is one of the system processes named Antimalware Service Executable with its “msmpeng. exe“in the Windows Defender that help secure your system files. You can easily find it in the background list of processes. Using “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” or “Task Manager in the Startup Menu, ” navigate the task manager.

Why Do You Need to Fix It?

It potentially helps you monitor your computer system and shield you against threats, malware, and cyber-attacks. However, with relatively high memory usage, you find processes getting slower. A full scan can be another feature that slows down your system while performing a complete check on all the system files. It disproportionately uses the CPU. It involves your CPU’s heavy dependence that utilizes whatever system resource is available. Consequently, your system may face delays, lag, or hanging disruption when it runs your system processes.

Although it is customary to consume system resources whenever you intend to scan your disk, Windows Defender significantly gets used to excessive CPU usage for an extended time. It even interrupts the routine task of corresponding through email or checking the website. That’s quite troublesome. To some extent, a free partition manager tool can greatly assist you if you need to create, resize, copy, move, merge, or format partitions.

Explore Workable Solution on how to fix it.

  • Disable Real-Time Protection
  • Amend your Schedule option in Windows Defender
  • Add Antimalware Service Executable to Exclusion List
  • Disable Windows Defender Registry Permanently
  • Upgrade all device drivers
antimalware service executable high memory usage
antimalware service executable high memory usage

Disable Windows Defenders to Fix Antimalware Service Executable High Memory Usage

One of the main concerns while running your Windows Defenders is high memory usage that restricts or hurdles the system’s other operations due to real-time protection. It instantly scans your Windows while devouring extensive CPU storage leading to high CPU and memory usage.

Switch Off Real-Time Protection

Turning off your Real-Time Protection on Windows Defender can be a temporary option because the inability of your system security might put it in a vulnerable position that causes threats to enter quickly. Let’s begin with how to do it.

  1. Select Settings through the “Start-Up” menu, then “Updates & Security.
  2. Next, navigate “Windows Security,” then look for “Virus & Threat Protection,” then opt for “Manage Settings.”
  3. Finally, toggle off theReal-Time Protection” for the time being as it is always crucial surveillance on system files.

Change Defender Schedule Option

Another useful option in reducing antimalware activity can be deactivating windows defender scheduled tasks on your computer. It can better fix your issue of high disk memory thanks to the antimalware service executable. Let’s begin with it.

  1. Open the “Run dialog box” by pressing Ctrl + R, then type: “msc,” then press “Enter” to execute it.
  2. Once you get into the “Task Scheduler,” then search and select Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows> Windows Defender.
  3. Windows Defender will expand all tasks on the right-hand panel, such as Cache Maintenance, Cleanup, Scheduled Scan, and Verification.
  4. Next, you can select Windows Defender Scheduled Scan and then deselect “Run With Highest Privileges” while navigating its properties.
  5. Then select the “Condition” tab to deselect all the options in its tab. Then select: “OK.”
  6. After you’ve carefully disabled it, it should presumably alleviate high CPU consumption and other complications related to antimalware deactivation.

Remove the Antimalware Service Executable from the Windows Defender Settings.

After going through the Windows Defender settings, you can easily exclude the antimalware service executable high memory usage process.

  1. To launch the Windows Settings menu, press “Windows + I, “opening the “Updates & Security” option.
  2. Then look up Windows Defender> Click exe, .com, .scr process List to Add an Exclusion.
  3. Finally, type “exe” and press “OK” to execute it.

Disable Windows Defender Registry Permanently

It’s advisable to disable Windows Defender permanently via its registry if you are frustrated with its sluggish performance. To do that,

  1. Open a “Run” command using “Windows + R.”
  2. Type: “Reged it” to locate in the system drive by clicking “OK.”
  3. Once the registry editor screen appears on your windows, navigate “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender.”
  4. Then double click” disable Anti Spyware” and change its value data from “zero to 1“.
  5. It will successfully disable Windows Defender in your computer system.

In the absence of “Disable Anti Spyware,” you can select a new file in the main Registry Editor pane, then select: “DWORD (32 bit) Value,” then rename it as “Disable Anti Spyware.” Once you have the registry file, you can change its value data from “zero to 1“.

Upgrade All Device Drivers

After trying the options described above, are you still experiencing your Windows 10 slower performance? Try to upgrade all the available device drivers as the last option because the latest drivers can better accommodate running your computer with stability. However, if your system driver auto-updates are unavailability, you can manually upgrade by navigating through the official website. Then look for an accurate device compatible with the Windows version.

Finally, to summarize our talk, Windows Defender provides vital security to protect against malware, virus assaults, or cyber dangers. Still, it consumes half of the RAM storage in some situations, making other system functions challenging.

Hopefully, by getting through the tricks mentioned above, you will be able to resolve the issue and keep your CPU running efficiently and smoothly at maximum speed.

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