Quick Fixes for Microsoft Defender Antivirus Service High Memory

Windows Defender High Memory, CPU, and Disk Usage Issues Resolving Guide

You know the role and importance of Windows Defender, but has it ever taken up too much memory, CPU, and disk resources? If so, then you are in the right place! This article will provide some practical tips to resolve the high resource occupancy of Microsoft Defender antivirus services.

Windows Defender Antivirus Service High Memory/CPU/Disk Occupancy

Windows Defender is a built-in utility that helps you protect your system from malware or viruses. However, sometimes it can take up a lot of memory, CPU, and disk resources. Today, we will focus on how to resolve the high memory footprint of Microsoft Defender Antivirus Services. Let’s start now!

How to fix Microsoft Defender Antivirus Services High Memory/CPU/Disk Essence?

Method 1: Disable Windows Defender tasks

Disabling Windows Defender tasks can prevent their high memory footprint. The specific steps are as follows:

Step 1. Enter Task Scheduler in the search bar and press Enter to start Task Scheduler.

Step 2. Navigate to Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Windows Defender.

Step 3. In the right pane, select Disable all Windows Defender tasks, including Windows Defender Cache Maintenance, Windows Defender Cleanup, Windows Defender Schedule Scan, and Windows Defender Verification.

Now, the high memory footprint of the anti-malware service executable should disappear.

Method 2: Disable real-time protection

Typically, real-time protection in Windows security triggers high memory footprint for Microsoft Defender antivirus services. Therefore, disabling it temporarily is a good choice.

Step 1. Click the gear icon to open Windows Settings.

Step 2. Locate and click "Update and Security".

Step 3. In Windows Security, click Virus and Threat Protection.

Step 4. Click "Manage Settings" and then close "Real-Time Protection".

Tip: If Windows Defender cannot be enabled, please refer to "[Solved] Windows Defender cannot start on Windows 11/10/8/7" for more details.

Method 3: Add the anti-malware scanning service executable process as an exclusion

Scans for Windows Defender may scan unnecessary system files, resulting in high memory footprint. Therefore, it is best to add exclusions to avoid wasting resources.

Step 1. Right-click the taskbar and select Open Task Manager.

Step 2. In the Processes tab, locate Anti-Malware Scan Services and right-click it.

Step 3. In the drop-down menu, select "Open File Location" and copy its full path in the navigation bar.

Step 4. Navigate to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus and Threat Protection > Administrative Settings > Add or Remove Excludes > Add Excludes > Files.

Step 5. Paste the path you just copied to find the executable file and click Open.

Step 6. Reboot the device and see if the high memory footprint of Microsoft Defender Antivirus Service disappears.

Method 4: Disable Windows Defender and try other antivirus software

If none of the above methods work, the last method is to permanently disable Windows Defender. It is important to note that it is recommended to install other reliable antivirus software before this, as your system will become vulnerable. Here is how to permanently disable Windows Defender:

Step 1. Press Win R to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2. Enter "regedit" and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

Step 3. Copy the following path in the navigation bar and press Enter to find Windows Defender:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender

Step 4. If you find "DisableAntivirusSoyware", double-click it and set its "Value Data" to "1".

If the registry key is not found, right-click Windows Defender.

Step 5. In the drop-down menu, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

Step 6. Name the new registry key "DisableAntiSpyware" and set its "Numerical Data" to "1".

Step 7. Restart your computer.

The above is the detailed content of Quick Fixes for Microsoft Defender Antivirus Service High Memory. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!