Can one prevent Antimalware Executable to start hogging CPU for extended periods each time some network adapter gets active?

Anonymous
2013-03-15T20:00:20+00:00

One of the most annoying habits in Windows 8 is, that the built-in "Antimalware Service Executable" (part of "Windows Defender") starts hogging my device's CPU with 60-70% (and 100% disk) for extended periods EACH AND EVERY time after I wake it up.

I wouldn't mind if it starts doing its business IN THE BACKGROUND but when I wake my device up from standby it's usually to get something done NOW and thus I find it increasingly unacceptable, that the system is always taken over by Window's defender exactly then and for up to several minutes! If I don't find a solution soon to throttle this beast, then I will disable Defender altogether!

What I noticed is, that this process seems to be actually triggered not by the system waking up, but by the network adapter becoming active. And actually, this happens each and every time ANY network adapter gets active! E.g. if my system has NO network connection at all and I plugin the network cable the Antimalware Service Executable starts. When - after it has settled again - I additionally enable Bluetooth then the Antimalware Service Executable starts its hogging business again. And if I then additionally enable the WLAN a few minutes later, it will AGAIN start to consume CPU!

So: can one decouple this? Running a scan ONCE after (re-)starting it is definitely enough, especially if Defender hasn't downloaded any new signatures since the last run! And, second, can one make Defender convince to strictly run in the background ONLY?

Michael

[Moved from Windows]

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Security and privacy

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-01-26T04:34:50+00:00

    Windows W does not bring up Task Scheduler in Windows 10 on my Samsung laptop. It brings up "Windows Ink Workspace."

    When I follow the steps above, all the boxes with ticks I need to uncheck are greyed out.

    Therefore, The steps above are useless.

    Would you please provide an alternative way to shut down Windows Defender and all the other MS bloatware that is taking over my machine, including having Cortana also unable to stay shut off and is thus "listening" all the time....

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-08-18T15:53:02+00:00

    you can see, on the right, at Selected Item

    choose Propertiesafter choose Conditions 

    Uncheck all the boxes is ok

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-02-02T15:10:04+00:00

    What's worse is this causes delays during Windows Startup that create a horrible user experience.

    I fully agree! All the cool new tricks of newer Windows versions, eyecandy, new and improved UI, all of it amounts to nothing if resources keep getting eaten by these trivial processes. Even if these processes are improved to work faster, users experience the opposite if their system is not *responsive*. This is pure destruction of an otherwise good user experience. Tweak this, cap it, upgrade it, whatever. Do not let any process that is not the program the user is actively using eat up any performance! Not by 1%, so certainly *never* all of it!

    Apple users are laughing at me for this, fix it! Telling people to go into administrative tools, navigating into tasks and schedules, unchecking settings that are primarily greyed out, is *not* a fix. This is basic stuff!

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-03-18T17:51:05+00:00

    I’m not sure how the upgrade handles things when the old Windows Defender is enabled; but it probably does a better job with the old Windows Defender than it does with Security Essentials: If Security Essentials is installed, you might have to remove it with the Microsoft “Fix it” uninstaller:

    http://support.microsoft.com/mats/Program\_Install\_and\_Uninstall

    ...following the directions provided here:

    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/protect/forum/mse-protect\_start/uninstalling-mse/a63b8c4b-58ed-437e-8086-fa08d80725a4

    GreginMich

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  5. Anonymous
    2013-03-18T14:40:49+00:00

    Ok - I will try to get rid at least of some of these. Can you by chance tell from the above list, which one are the Windows 8 "variants" (my intent is to then delete (or at least disable) the leftover Windows 7 settings)?

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