Solved MS Defender performance on Intel platform


eLPuSHeR

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Windows 11 25H2
Good day.

I had to swap MS Defender for anything else because as of latest antimalware platform 4.18.26010.5 I got 100% cpu usage when scanning a folder.

I am pretty fed up with its performance all across the board. I know my Intel i7 7700k is not cutting edge but as soon you swap av, you notice a massive improvement.

With MS Defender, copying, installing software, decompressing and such is slow as molasses.

It has always struck me that MS Defender works a lot better on AMD platform.

I would like to hear opinions on this regard.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 25H2i7 7700k16 GB DDR4nVidia GeForce GTX1070 (Pascal)
OS
Windows 11 25H2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
MSI
CPU
i7 7700k
Motherboard
B250 Bazooka (MS-7A70)
Memory
16 GB DDR4
Graphics Card(s)
nVidia GeForce GTX1070 (Pascal)
Sound Card
Realtek HDA (ALC887)
Monitor(s) Displays
ASUS VG278QR 1920x1080 165Hz 5ms
Screen Resolution
FullHD
Hard Drives
SSD NVMe + Hardisk SATA III
Case
Aerocool
Cooling
Air regular one
Keyboard
Logitech G213
Mouse
Logitech G203 Prodigy
Internet Speed
600Mb/s
Browser
Firefox
Antivirus
Microsoft Defender
With this batch script, you can Change Windows Defender Antivirus Maximum CPU Usage for a Scan in Windows 10 and Windows 11.



Code:
:: Change Windows Defender Antivirus Maximum CPU Usage for a Scan in Windows 10 and Windows 11

@Echo Off

Cls & Color 0E




(Net session >nul 2>&1)||(PowerShell start """%~0""" -verb RunAs & Exit /B)



:_CHOICE

Cls & Mode CON  LINES=14 COLS=130 & Color 0E & Title Created By FreeBooter
Echo.
Echo.
Echo.
Echo         Enter Value of 5 to 100 for Maximum CPU Usage
Echo.       
Echo         Setting a Value of 50 will set the Maximum CPU Usage to Default Value     
Echo.
Echo         Setting a value of 0 will disable CPU throttling allowing Windows Defender Antivirus to use as much CPU as it wants.

Set /p input=:^>


Powershell Set-MpPreference -ScanAvgCPULoadFactor %input%



Cls & Mode CON  LINES=11 COLS=60 & Color 0E & Title Created By FreeBooter
Echo.
Echo.
Echo.
Echo.
Echo          Value of %input% is the Maximum CPU Usage 
Echo.
Echo.
Echo.
Ping -n 4 localhost >Nul
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11AMD Ryzen 7 5700GMicron Technology DDR4-3200 16GBNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
OS
Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
HP Pavilion
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
Motherboard
Erica6
Memory
Micron Technology DDR4-3200 16GB
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
Sound Card
Realtek ALC671
Monitor(s) Displays
Samsung SyncMaster U28E590
Screen Resolution
3840 x 2160
Hard Drives
SAMSUNG MZVLQ1T0HALB-000H1
Just for info you can get a lot more control over Defender with DefenderUI

Snipaste_2026-02-11_11-45-49.webp
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Win 11 ProAMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U24GB Dual-Channel DDR4 @ 1596MHz (22-22-22-52)512MB ATI AMD Radeon Graphics (ASUStek Comput...
    OS
    Win 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U
    Motherboard
    M1605YA
    Memory
    24GB Dual-Channel DDR4 @ 1596MHz (22-22-22-52)
    Graphics Card(s)
    512MB ATI AMD Radeon Graphics (ASUStek Computer Inc)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (1920x1200@60Hz) - P1 PLUS (1920x1080@59Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1200
    Hard Drives
    953GB Western Digital WD
    PSU
    45 Watts
    Mouse
    Lenovo Bluetooth.
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
  • At a glance

    Windows 11AMD Ryzen 7 5800H / 3.2 GHz32 GB DDR4 SDRAM 3200 MHzNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
    Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ACER NITRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800H / 3.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    CZ Scala_CAS (FP6)
    Memory
    32 GB DDR4 SDRAM 3200 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio. NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" LED backlight 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 144 Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB NVMe M.2
    PSU
    180 Watt, 19.5 V
    Mouse
    Lenovo Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
Good day.

I have tried ConfigureDefender to no avail. Trying the proposed script and DefenderUI now.

CPU usage is 100% when scanning a folder, even if Defender was configured to use no more than 20%.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 25H2i7 7700k16 GB DDR4nVidia GeForce GTX1070 (Pascal)
OS
Windows 11 25H2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
MSI
CPU
i7 7700k
Motherboard
B250 Bazooka (MS-7A70)
Memory
16 GB DDR4
Graphics Card(s)
nVidia GeForce GTX1070 (Pascal)
Sound Card
Realtek HDA (ALC887)
Monitor(s) Displays
ASUS VG278QR 1920x1080 165Hz 5ms
Screen Resolution
FullHD
Hard Drives
SSD NVMe + Hardisk SATA III
Case
Aerocool
Cooling
Air regular one
Keyboard
Logitech G213
Mouse
Logitech G203 Prodigy
Internet Speed
600Mb/s
Browser
Firefox
Antivirus
Microsoft Defender
If nothing works try going to settings - system - system components - Windows security - more options - advanced options and do a repair and reset.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Win 11 ProAMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U24GB Dual-Channel DDR4 @ 1596MHz (22-22-22-52)512MB ATI AMD Radeon Graphics (ASUStek Comput...
    OS
    Win 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U
    Motherboard
    M1605YA
    Memory
    24GB Dual-Channel DDR4 @ 1596MHz (22-22-22-52)
    Graphics Card(s)
    512MB ATI AMD Radeon Graphics (ASUStek Computer Inc)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (1920x1200@60Hz) - P1 PLUS (1920x1080@59Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1200
    Hard Drives
    953GB Western Digital WD
    PSU
    45 Watts
    Mouse
    Lenovo Bluetooth.
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
  • At a glance

    Windows 11AMD Ryzen 7 5800H / 3.2 GHz32 GB DDR4 SDRAM 3200 MHzNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
    Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ACER NITRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800H / 3.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    CZ Scala_CAS (FP6)
    Memory
    32 GB DDR4 SDRAM 3200 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio. NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" LED backlight 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 144 Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB NVMe M.2
    PSU
    180 Watt, 19.5 V
    Mouse
    Lenovo Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
Thanks.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 25H2i7 7700k16 GB DDR4nVidia GeForce GTX1070 (Pascal)
OS
Windows 11 25H2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
MSI
CPU
i7 7700k
Motherboard
B250 Bazooka (MS-7A70)
Memory
16 GB DDR4
Graphics Card(s)
nVidia GeForce GTX1070 (Pascal)
Sound Card
Realtek HDA (ALC887)
Monitor(s) Displays
ASUS VG278QR 1920x1080 165Hz 5ms
Screen Resolution
FullHD
Hard Drives
SSD NVMe + Hardisk SATA III
Case
Aerocool
Cooling
Air regular one
Keyboard
Logitech G213
Mouse
Logitech G203 Prodigy
Internet Speed
600Mb/s
Browser
Firefox
Antivirus
Microsoft Defender
OK. I have found out that the cpu usage is due to scanning a folder with a lot of .7z files inside. On other regular folders scanning uses about 15-30% cpu.

Is there any way to tell Defender NOT TO LOOK inside compressed files?
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 25H2i7 7700k16 GB DDR4nVidia GeForce GTX1070 (Pascal)
OS
Windows 11 25H2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
MSI
CPU
i7 7700k
Motherboard
B250 Bazooka (MS-7A70)
Memory
16 GB DDR4
Graphics Card(s)
nVidia GeForce GTX1070 (Pascal)
Sound Card
Realtek HDA (ALC887)
Monitor(s) Displays
ASUS VG278QR 1920x1080 165Hz 5ms
Screen Resolution
FullHD
Hard Drives
SSD NVMe + Hardisk SATA III
Case
Aerocool
Cooling
Air regular one
Keyboard
Logitech G213
Mouse
Logitech G203 Prodigy
Internet Speed
600Mb/s
Browser
Firefox
Antivirus
Microsoft Defender
In DefenderUI under Advanced you can turn off Scan archives. Or right clicking the folder and selecting show more options then selecting DefenderUI add Exclusion
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Win 11 ProAMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U24GB Dual-Channel DDR4 @ 1596MHz (22-22-22-52)512MB ATI AMD Radeon Graphics (ASUStek Comput...
    OS
    Win 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen™ 7 7730U
    Motherboard
    M1605YA
    Memory
    24GB Dual-Channel DDR4 @ 1596MHz (22-22-22-52)
    Graphics Card(s)
    512MB ATI AMD Radeon Graphics (ASUStek Computer Inc)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor (1920x1200@60Hz) - P1 PLUS (1920x1080@59Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 X 1200
    Hard Drives
    953GB Western Digital WD
    PSU
    45 Watts
    Mouse
    Lenovo Bluetooth.
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
  • At a glance

    Windows 11AMD Ryzen 7 5800H / 3.2 GHz32 GB DDR4 SDRAM 3200 MHzNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
    Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ACER NITRO
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800H / 3.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    CZ Scala_CAS (FP6)
    Memory
    32 GB DDR4 SDRAM 3200 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6 GB GDDR6 SDRAM
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio. NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" LED backlight 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) 144 Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 (Full HD)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB NVMe M.2
    PSU
    180 Watt, 19.5 V
    Mouse
    Lenovo Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    500 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
Thank you very much.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 25H2i7 7700k16 GB DDR4nVidia GeForce GTX1070 (Pascal)
OS
Windows 11 25H2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
MSI
CPU
i7 7700k
Motherboard
B250 Bazooka (MS-7A70)
Memory
16 GB DDR4
Graphics Card(s)
nVidia GeForce GTX1070 (Pascal)
Sound Card
Realtek HDA (ALC887)
Monitor(s) Displays
ASUS VG278QR 1920x1080 165Hz 5ms
Screen Resolution
FullHD
Hard Drives
SSD NVMe + Hardisk SATA III
Case
Aerocool
Cooling
Air regular one
Keyboard
Logitech G213
Mouse
Logitech G203 Prodigy
Internet Speed
600Mb/s
Browser
Firefox
Antivirus
Microsoft Defender

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