Perhaps you figured your computer probably has a high CPU usage and have gone to fish out possible causes of the situation. You also tried closing background programs, restarting your PC to clear the RAM, and running systems diagnostics to determine what’s happening. But no culprit seemingly came into plain sight –- until you checked the Task Manager and found a service code-named ‘MsMpEng.exe’ gulping so much memory you wonder what it’s about. MsMpEng.exe is a part of Windows’s Malware Protection Engine. It may also be labeled as antimalware service executable. It lies at the core of Microsoft’s Windows Defender antivirus service.
This service consumes so much CPU because it constantly runs in your PC’s background. It offers real-time protection, almost always scanning your entire system, encompassing files, folders, registry entries, system memory, and internet activity to identify known malware signatures. This proactive approach enables it to intercept and neutralize the most common threats, ensuring your system’s security at no cost. But, these activities could, in turn, lead to frequent lagging or hanging on your device.
Other potential reasons why msmpmeng.exe could use a high CPU include outdated Windows Defender versions, Windows components/software conflicts, low hardware resources, or corrupt/misconfigured Windows system files.
