If you are a Windows user, you must be aware of the built-in antivirus software called Windows Defender. While it is a great tool to protect your system from malware and viruses, some users have reported that it takes up a lot of memory. In this article, we will discuss why Windows Defender Antivirus takes up memory and how you can fix this issue.
What is Windows Defender Antivirus?
Windows Defender Antivirus is a built-in antivirus software that comes with Windows 10. It provides real-time protection against malware, viruses, and other threats. It scans your system regularly to ensure that there are no infections. Windows Defender is designed to work silently in the background and does not require any user intervention.
Why does Windows Defender Antivirus take up memory?
Windows Defender Antivirus takes up memory because it constantly scans your system for threats. It runs in the background and consumes system resources such as CPU and memory. This is necessary to ensure that your system is protected from malware and viruses. However, if you have a low-spec system or if you are running multiple applications simultaneously, you may experience performance issues.
How to fix the memory issue?
If you are experiencing performance issues due to Windows Defender Antivirus taking up memory, there are several solutions that you can try. Here are some of the most effective methods:
1. Disable Windows Defender Antivirus
The most straightforward solution to the memory issue is to disable Windows Defender Antivirus. However, this is not recommended as it will leave your system vulnerable to malware and viruses. If you still want to disable it, follow these steps:
- Open Windows Security by clicking the shield icon in the taskbar or by searching for it in the Start menu.
- Click on Virus & threat protection.
- Click on Manage settings under Virus & threat protection settings.
- Toggle off the Real-time protection switch.
2. Reduce the scan frequency
You can reduce the scan frequency of Windows Defender Antivirus to reduce the memory usage. Here's how:
- Open Windows Security by clicking the shield icon in the taskbar or by searching for it in the Start menu.
- Click on Virus & threat protection.
- Click on Manage settings under Current threats.
- Toggle off the Automatic sample submission switch.
- Click on Manage providers under Virus & threat protection settings.
- Toggle off the Cloud-delivered protection switch.
3. Exclude files and folders from scanning
You can exclude files and folders from Windows Defender Antivirus scanning to reduce the memory usage. Here's how:
- Open Windows Security by clicking the shield icon in the taskbar or by searching for it in the Start menu.
- Click on Virus & threat protection.
- Click on Manage settings under Virus & threat protection settings.
- Scroll down and click on Add or remove exclusions under Exclusions.
- Click on Add an exclusion and select the file or folder that you want to exclude.
4. Use a third-party antivirus software
If you are still experiencing performance issues, you can use a third-party antivirus software. There are many antivirus software available in the market that are lightweight and do not consume a lot of system resources. Some of the popular options are AVG, Avast, and Norton.
Conclusion
Windows Defender Antivirus is a great tool to protect your system from malware and viruses. However, it can take up a lot of memory and cause performance issues. If you are experiencing these issues, you can try the solutions mentioned above to fix the problem. Remember, it is important to have an antivirus software installed on your system to ensure that it is protected from threats.
