Windows Defender High CPU Usage


Subscriber43

Subscriber43

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Sorry if this has been asked and answered.
Windows Defender, specifically msmpeng.exe, is using on average 20% CPU. This spikes to 50% briefly. This is even when the system has been completely idle for a while.

My system started lagging, especially when launching programs, and especially slowing down file copy operations.
A web search gives me the same set of solutions from various sites, but none, except disabling real-time protection helps. Even this is temporary, since it apparently re-enables itself after a while.

Windows 11 Dev 25163.1010, Ryzen CPU.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
It’s a known problem with build 25163. Some of my apps take 1-2 min to start when normally they initialize in seconds
 

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Windows 10 , Windows 11i7-970032gbRTX2060S
OS
Windows 10 , Windows 11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
CPU
i7-9700
Motherboard
Asus ROG Strix Z-390e
Memory
32gb
Graphics Card(s)
RTX2060S
Some discussion here:
www.elevenforum.com

Windows Defender can Significantly Impact Intel CPU Performance

Kevin Glynn, aka "Uncle Webb," our associate software author behind popular utilities such as ThrottleStop and RealTemp, developed a new utility named Counter Control, which lets you monitor and log the performance counters of Intel Core processors since 2008 (Core "Nehalem"). During development...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computer My Computer

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Windows 11 ProAMD 9700X32 gb5050
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
CPU
AMD 9700X
Motherboard
ASUS B650E
Memory
32 gb
Graphics Card(s)
5050
Sound Card
On-board realtech
bncz135 said:
It’s a known problem with build 25163. Some of my apps take 1-2 min to start when normally they initialize in seconds
Click to expand...
Thanks for the heads up.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
Gramps said:
Some discussion here:
www.elevenforum.com

Windows Defender can Significantly Impact Intel CPU Performance

Kevin Glynn, aka "Uncle Webb," our associate software author behind popular utilities such as ThrottleStop and RealTemp, developed a new utility named Counter Control, which lets you monitor and log the performance counters of Intel Core processors since 2008 (Core "Nehalem"). During development...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
Click to expand...
My CPU is Ryzen, but the article was enlightening. Thanks for this.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
I believe this is an old problem that has reared its head off and on since the windows 7 days. Defender tries to scan itself for some crazy reason. Try putting an exception in Windows Defender.
Open settings-privacy and security-click open windows security-virus and threat protection-under virus and threat protection click manage settings-scroll down to exclusions-add an exclusion-file-browse to C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.9457i9-10900 10 core 20 threads32 gbnone-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.9457
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2x1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+2tb Kingston m2.nvme
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.9457AMD Ryzen 7 6800U32 gbintegrated
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.9457
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink Mini PC SER5
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics card(s)
    integrated
    Sound Card
    integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Crucial nvme
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    still too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
  • System 3 is non compliant Dell 9020 i7-4770/24gb ram Win11 PRO 26200.9457
glasskuter said:
I believe this is an old problem that has reared its head off and on since the windows 7 days. Defender tries to scan itself for some crazy reason. Try putting an exception in Windows Defender.
Open settings-privacy and security-click open windows security-virus and threat protection-under virus and threat protection click manage settings-scroll down to exclusions-add an exclusion-file-browse to C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe
Click to expand...
Okay, tried this. Doesn't seem to make a difference. If I sort Task Manager processes by CPU, Antimalware service executable is always at the top. Doesn't move from there.
For now, then, I'll continue to disable real-time protection, the only thing that seems to make a difference.

In this heat, my CPU fans need all the help they can get.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
Check details in task manager to see how many instances of MsMpEng you have. I have two, MsMpEng.exe and MsMpEngCP.exe.

Might be worth downloading free Malwarebytes and cancel the free 14 day trial then updating and run a manual scan. Turn on 'scan for rootkits' under Security tab first. Worth checking out.

1658781066182.png

Download Free Antivirus & Virus Scan | 100% Free & Easy Install

Download free antivirus: easy install for all devices. Remove unwanted malware like viruses, ransomware, spyware & more.
www.malwarebytes.com www.malwarebytes.com

At least then, if nothing found, you'll know it's probably a Defender issue.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • 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
Fabler2 said:
Check details in task manager to see how many instances of MsMpEng you have. I have two, MsMpEng.exe and MsMpEngCP.exe.

Might be worth downloading free Malwarebytes and cancel the free 14 day trial then updating and run a manual scan. Turn on 'scan for rootkits' under Security tab first. Worth checking out.

View attachment 34973

Download Free Antivirus & Virus Scan | 100% Free & Easy Install

Download free antivirus: easy install for all devices. Remove unwanted malware like viruses, ransomware, spyware & more.
www.malwarebytes.com www.malwarebytes.com

At least then, if nothing found, you'll know it's probably a Defender issue.
Click to expand...
Malwarebytes came up clean, so, as you said, it's probably a defender issue.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
I followed the registry method in this site, and the high usage disappeared.
However, this is not a solution, merely a band-aid. Problem is still there.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
Gramps said:
Some discussion here:
www.elevenforum.com

Windows Defender can Significantly Impact Intel CPU Performance

Kevin Glynn, aka "Uncle Webb," our associate software author behind popular utilities such as ThrottleStop and RealTemp, developed a new utility named Counter Control, which lets you monitor and log the performance counters of Intel Core processors since 2008 (Core "Nehalem"). During development...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
Click to expand...
This has nothing to do with OPs issue.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ16 GB solderedIntegrated Intel Iris XE
OS
Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
ASUS Zenbook 14
CPU
I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
Motherboard
Yep, Laptop has one.
Memory
16 GB soldered
Graphics Card(s)
Integrated Intel Iris XE
Sound Card
Realtek built in
Monitor(s) Displays
laptop OLED screen
Screen Resolution
2880x1800 touchscreen
Hard Drives
1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
PSU
Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
Case
Yep, got one
Cooling
Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
Keyboard
Built in UK keybd
Mouse
Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
Internet Speed
900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
Browser
Edge
Antivirus
Defender
Other Info
TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

Macrium Reflect Home V8
Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two Other systems

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.9457i9-10900 10 core 20 threads32 gbnone-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.9457
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2x1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+2tb Kingston m2.nvme
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.9457AMD Ryzen 7 6800U32 gbintegrated
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.9457
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink Mini PC SER5
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 6800U
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics card(s)
    integrated
    Sound Card
    integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Crucial nvme
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    still too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
  • System 3 is non compliant Dell 9020 i7-4770/24gb ram Win11 PRO 26200.9457
glasskuter said:
I'd try a repair install. Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade Tutorial
Click to expand...
According to that article:
"The Windows 11 installation media (ISO or USB) must be the same edition, same version, and same or higher build as the currently installed Windows 11."

The latest ISO from Microsoft is 25158. I am on 25163.
I know I can get 25163 from UUPDump, but lately, I have always had problems with Windows 11 after using their ISOs.

I downloaded the 25158 ISO from Microsoft, and am now going to do a clean install.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
So, I did a clean install of Dev 25158. Did not install anything else (hid ALL updates using wushowhide2).
Used the PC for an hour. No issues. Msmpeng did not even show up in Task Manager. System ran a little cooler.
Then, installed office 365, Vmware Player, Firefox and a couple apps from the Microsoft Store.
Used it for another hour. No sign of CPU spikes or other overusage like before.
Updated to 25163. Typing this on the PC right now, humming along with no problems. All of my software re-installed and working properly.
PC seems snappier than before.
I have not install a single driver update offered in Windows update except for the Radeon GPU driver (WDDM 3.1).

Ergo, I suspect the culprit was one of those many Intel or Realtek drivers. Not about to find out which one, though. System is working nicely as is.

Edit: Still no msmpeng.exe in Task Manager.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 RPAMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)AMD Radeon Vega 11
OS
Windows 11 RP
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75Q-1
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3400GE @3.30 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard
Lenovo 3151
Memory
20 GB DDR4 2666 (1x16GB + 1x4GB)
Graphics Card(s)
AMD Radeon Vega 11
Sound Card
Integrated
Monitor(s) Displays
AOC 2369
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
WD 512 GB NVME + SPCC 240GB SATA SSD
PSU
External 65W
Case
Mini (1L)
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