Msmpeng.exe what is

If you happened to look at task manager while Windows Defender was performing a scan, it obviously will be taking up a lot of the CPU cycles. Wait until the scan is finished and check your CPU utilization again.

Hopefully, it should be back to normal. It should only perform a scan when the computer is idle and outside of active hours. However, if you turn off your computer, then it might perform the scan while you are using it. This brings us to the next possible solution. The best way to figure out what to exclude is to perform a full scan and watch as it goes through all the items on your computer. When you see that it is taking a long time in a particular directory or when scanning a specific process, you can then add that to the exclusions list.

Once you add the offending items to the list, the amount of time it takes to complete the scan should be cut down significantly. Hopefully this time your MsMpEng. Windows Defender , same as below. Then double-click on Turn off Windows Defender Antivirus. Hope this helps and feel free to comment below if you have any further questions. Enya is a technical writer and one of the main contributors to the Driver Easy knowledgebase. Choose where you want to search below Search Search the Community.

I've also run a full virus scan and there is nothing malicious being detected on my system. This thread is locked. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. I have the same question Report abuse. Details required :. Cancel Submit. Jerico T. Independent Advisor. There are multiple causes for this msmpeng. For instance, the tool may be scanning its own directory.

Other probable causes may be low hardware resources or some old antivirus registry files. Of course, it can also be the case of malware installed on your PC. There are lots of free and paid antivirus programs available, and you can choose at any moment to remove Windows Defender and replace it with a more reliable antivirus. However, before taking such a decision fueled, perhaps by msmpeng.

By performing this procedure, you will prevent Windows Defender from scanning its own files so try that. As this whole issue is most likely produced by Windows Defender, you should consider taking a step up and getting yourself a better antivirus.

Although the Windows 10 built-in defense app is pretty good, you will see a huge difference when you will be protected by a full-fledged antivirus. The solution recommended below employs the latest technologies for identifying and eliminating the latest malware and it will protect all your devices, including your webcam and router.

This is one of the best antiviruses on the market right now, but you can still test it for 30 days before buying so try it now. Get rid of any high CPU usage issues and protect all your devices with this great antivirus. Free trial Visit website 4. Start your computer in Safe Mode 4. We have an excellent guide on how to deal with high CPU usage in Safe Mode so you can also check it out.

As this issue can also be produced by adware, you should also consider using specialized software to remove it.