Msmpeng.exe is an antimalware service executable that is part of Windows Defender formally known as Microsoft security essential, which is a default antivirus program from Microsoft in Windows 10. The purpose of this process is to provide real-time scanning, scanning files as and when they are copied to your computer, and notifying the user when it detects a suspicious file. This process is also designed to detect and remove spyware, adware, worms, and Trojan horse viruses. This process is usually around 14,100 bytes in size, occupying a minimal amount of your hard drive space. Msmpeng.exe is also a digitally signed file, which means it has been verified and tested to work correctly in Microsoft Windows.
Sometimes Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 users Reported “Msmpeng.exe” process eating up their CPU process, RAM, and sometimes hard drive resources and usage reaching 100%. Some users have specially reported that when running antimalware service executable, their machine starts unusual high usage, antimalware service executable using High memory, antimalware service executable high CPU usage And 100% Hard disk.
Before heading over to solving msmpeng.exe high usage problem first read a few things about this process to understand your problem.
What is MsMpEng.exe
MsMpEng.exe is an executable file (a program) for Windows. The .exe extension file name is an abbreviation of executable (executable). Executable files can change settings on your computer. It makes your system slow. It scans all of your files repeatedly and thus your system gets slow and sometimes doesn’t respond to anything.
There is multiple reasons behind this high CPU, Disk, Memory usage issue caused by “msmpeng.exe“, it can be for scanning its own directory, low hardware resources, old antivirus registry files, the malware installed on your computer, etc.
Why It Takes High Computer Usage
The most common reason for it to be Antimalware Service Executable High CPU Usage is the real-time feature which is constantly scanning files, connections, and other related applications in real-time, which is what it is supposed to be doing (Protect In Real Time). Whenever we download new files or any software it keeps scanning everything to check whether it is malicious or not. It takes action quickly and that leads us to the problem of too much system usage. Whatever you do it starts scanning files, connections, and other related applications in real-time that annoys you by consuming your CPU storage.
Disable antimalware service executable
If you are also suffering from antimalware service executable high CPU usage, Disk, Memory Usages problem on your windows system here fallow bellow tips to fix it permanently.
Prevent Windows Defender from scanning its directory
antimalware service executable Msmpeng.exe is not a virus, spyware, or does not relate to anything harmful; it is related to Windows Defender, so Preventing Windows Defender from scanning its directory can fix this issue by excluding Windows Defender from scanning itself.
For Windows 10 and 8.1 users
First open Windows Defender from the start menu search type Windows Defender in the search bar > double-click Windows Defender. This will open the Windows Defender application. Now click on Settings. Here in Settings select Add an exclusion (the option is located at the bottom of the page). Select Exclude a folder and paste the following path -> c:\program\files\windows defender.
Now Validate by clicking on Exclude this folder.
For Windows 7 Users
Go to Windows Defender > Tools > Advanced options Open Excluded files and locations Copy and paste the following path -> c:\program files windows defender.
Start Windows into Safe Mode
Safe mode is an inbuilt troubleshooting feature that disables unnecessary and programs during the startup process. windows 10 safe mode loads the operating system with a minimal set of system device drivers just enough to boot windows os and in safe mode, the startup programs, add-ons, etc do not run.
To Boot into safe mode on Windows 7:
First Reboot your computer. Press F8 as your computer is restarting, during the boot process before the Windows logo appears.
When the Windows Advanced Options Menu appears on the screen, select “Safe Mode with Networking” and press Enter.
To log in to safe mode on For Windows 10:
Go to Settings here Select Update & Security > Recovery Under Advanced startup, select Restart now.
1. When your PC restarts to the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
2. You’ll then see a list of options > press F4 to start your PC in Safe Mode.
Recommended: Different ways to start windows 10 in safe mode
Disable Real-Time Protection Temporarily
In the case, you’re only looking to disable Windows Defender temporarily; you can do the following.
First Open Settings from the Windows 10 start menu. Now look for the option Update & security and click on it. Now select Windows Defender and Turn off Real-time protection.
Disable Windows Defender using Regedit
Defender’s Antimalware Service mainly means that Windows Defender’s real-time protection is Turned ON and if both solutions from above can’t help you then it’s quite possible that your windows defender got corrupted by being overworked due to continuous file scanning. if due to this your system causes 100% usages then disable windows defender can fix this problem.
Sometimes it’s hard to disable our defender because it will start to work again even without turning it ON and start to create that hang problem again and again, and if you really thinking about deleting that defender’s folder, then during your next Windows Updates your OS will bring it back again. But by making some changes in your Windows Regedit you can easily disable your defenders permanently without any problem.
To Disable Windows Defender From Registry
For this first, you have to open the Windows Registry Editor windows.
Press win + R, on the Run window type ‘regedit’ and click on OK to open your Windows Registry Editor.
We recommend to backup Registry database before making any modifications.
After that, Navigate the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender
Now right-click on the blank space and select new and then click on “create the DWORD key”.
and name this to “DisableAntiSpyware”.
After that, just double click on your new key and set the value to 1 and that will disable your Windows Defender permanently:
Click on ok to make the save and Restart the windows. Hope after performing this step you will no more face this High CPU, Disk, Memory usages problem.
Use group policy to disable windows defender
First, open group policy windows by Press Win+R to open the Run dialog box. Now type “gpedit.msc” (without quotation marks) and click Enter. Editor Local Group Policy will be open. In the left pane Editor Local Group Policy, Now navigate to.
Computer Configuration/ Administrative Templates/Windows Components/ Windows Defender
Now you will see many elements on the right side, these are directives. You have to click on a policy called Turn off Windows Defender. Double click it. Now Select the Radio button Enabled on the left side and click Apply.
Windows Defender will be disabled. If you want to re-enable it, simply change the state of the same policy of “Enabled” to “Not Configured” or “Disable” (both do the same work).
Note: You cannot use this group policy method in Windows 10 Home. It is only available on Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise.
Other Solutions
Also, sometimes corrupted system files cause this high system resource usage such as antimalware service executable high disk usage, msmpeng.exe high CPU usage, etc. We recommend running the System files checker utility which scans for corrupted system files. And if found any the SFC utility will restore them itself from a compressed folder located on %WinDir%\System32\dllcache.
Perform A clean boot may also help you find out if any application or program causing the antimalware service executable high CPU usage problem.
These are some best working solutions to fix high CPU memory usages by Antimalware service executable Msmpeng.exe, Remove antimalware service executable virus, Antimalware Service Executable High Memory Usage on Windows 10, 8.1, and 7 computers. Hope After performing these steps your system will run smoothly. Still, have any query Suggestion comment below. Also, Read Fix Windows Explorer Keep Crashing, has Stopped working.
