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Fix Microsoft Defender High Memory Usage Issue on Windows 10/11 PC

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Microsoft Defender is free malware protection software service on Windows computers. It protects your PC from viruses, malware, and other security or privacy threats. Unfortunately, there are issues where Microsoft Defender antivirus has high RAM and CPU usage.

Windows 10 and 11 users report that the Antimalware Executable Service or Msmpeng.exe has high memory or RAM usage when monitored using the Task Manager. This error typically occurs when Windows Defender is running a full scan on your PC.

Antimalware Executable Service high memory usage Task Manage

How to Stop Microsoft Defender from Using So Much Memory or RAM on Windows 10/11 PC

Several troubleshooting tips can help you fix the high RAM or memory usage problem of Microsoft Defender on Windows PC. You can follow each solution below one at a time and check if it resolves the error or not.

Solution #1 – Run an SFC Scan

  • Click the Start button and go to the Search box.
  • Enter Command Prompt.
  • Right-click Command Prompt from the search results and select Run as administrator.
  • Click Yes.
  • Enter sfc /scannow.

Solution #2 – Perform a DISM Scan

  • Launch the Command Prompt and run it as administrator.
  • Enter the following command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
  • Next, type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth and hit Enter.
  • Lastly, enter DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth.

Solution #3 – Schedule Full Scan on Microsoft Defender

  • Open the Search bar and enter Task scheduler.
  • Go to the left side and look for Task Scheduler Library.
  • Click the down arrow to expand the menu.
  • Select Microsoft.
  • Next, choose Windows.
  • Click Windows Defender.
  • Look for Windows Defender Scheduled Scan and double-click it.
  • Head over to the General tab.
  • Look for Run with the highest privileges and uncheck the box.
  • Go to the Conditions tab.
  • Uncheck all boxes.
  • Navigate to the Triggers tab.
  • Click New at the bottom of the screen.
  • Now, indicate how many times Microsoft Defender performs a scan.

Solution #4 – Turn Off Real-Time Protection

  • Launch the Settings menu.
  • Go to Update & Security.
  • Select Windows Security.
  • On the right side, select Virus & threat protection.
  • Select Manage Settings.
  • Look for Real-Time Protection and toggle the button to Off.

Solution #5 – Create a New Local User Account on your Windows PC

  • Open the Settings menu.
  • Go to Accounts.
  • Choose Family & other users or Other users.
  • Click Add someone else to this PC.
  • Choose the I don’t have this person’s sign-in information option.
  • Select Add a user without a Microsoft account.
  • Enter a new username, password, and security questions.
  • Click Next.

What did you do to fix the Microsoft Defender high RAM issue on your Windows 10 or 11 PC? We are curious to know what works. You can share your solutions with us below.

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Eddie Mendoza Jr
Eddie Mendoza Jr
Eddie has a degree in Information Technology with a natural inclination towards troubleshooting devices. With more than 10 years of blogging experience in different niches, he has found it most satisfying when writing easy-to-follow guides and simplified articles related to computers, smart TVs, mobile devices and Internet-based services.

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