Antimalware Service Executable CPU Problems

Hi John,

Have you tried adding your games folder to Windows Security’s exclusions list? This tells Windows Defender not to scan your game files in real time, which can reduce CPU spikes during gameplay.

To do this, open Windows Security, select Virus & threat protection, and then click on Manage settings under Virus & threat protection settings. Scroll down to Exclusions, click on Add or remove exclusions, and add the folder where your game is installed.

This solution is recommended when you trust the files in that location, and it’s often the easiest way to improve performance while playing.

Hi John, I’m Eric, and I’d be happy to help!

If Antimalware Service Executable (MsMpEng.exe) is causing CPU spikes and frame drops, it’s likely running real-time scanning too aggressively. Since you’ve already tried various solutions, I’d recommend checking if Windows Defender is scanning itself, which happens sometimes. Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Manage settings, scroll down to Exclusions, and add the following folder:

C:\Program Files\Windows Defender

This prevents Defender from scanning its own files, which can reduce CPU usage.

If the issue persists, you can also schedule Defender scans for low-usage times to avoid interruptions while gaming. Open Task Scheduler (Win + R, type taskschd.msc), go to Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Windows Defender, find Windows Defender Scheduled Scan, and adjust the triggers to run scans when your PC is idle instead of during gameplay.

Let me know if this helps! If it does, please mark this reply as helpful or as the answer.

Best,

Eric