Windows 7 svchost.exe and MsMpEng.exe Hogging Resources

[VicVicVic]

Hello, I hope you are doing well.

Whenever I check my Windows Task Manager's Processes tab, it looks like svchost.exe and MsMpEng.exe are hogging my system's resources. On average, each of those programs are using approximately 50k to 60k of memory.

I know that they are both Windows-related programs (MsMpEng is Windows Defender, right?), but they seem to take up more resources than needed.

Any thoughts on this? Thanks,
Vic

 

[reghakr]

Svchost.exe can run many multiple instances.

I would suggest you get a personal firewall and good anti virus program, disable windows defender and get a free personal firewall and free anti-viruss software here:

PC Tools - Free Download Anti Spyware, Antivirus, Firewall, Internet Security, Registry, Disk Repair software

To turn off Windows Defender, go to Start > Run, and type services.msc. Scrool down to Windows Defenderand set it to disabled.

 

[VicVicVic]

Yeah, my thought was to get rid of Windows Defender as well. There's no way to actually uninstall it, right?

I already have NOD32, so I think that's good enough. Thanks.

 

[reghakr]

The only way to to it is through services as far as I know.

A registry hack may work, but it's dangerous working in the services section of the registry to completely remove it.

 

[VicVicVic]

Thanks again, reghakr. I'd rather not touch the registry for something small this like (though I've tweaked the registry for other purposes).

I was able to disable Defender by searching for "defender" in the Start Menu, starting up the program, then going to Tools and Administration Options to turn it off completely. That, along with disabling it in Services, should be more than enough.

 

[tblount]

Yeah, my thought was to get rid of Windows Defender as well. There's no way to actually uninstall it, right?

I already have NOD32, so I think that's good enough. Thanks.

Just go to the options and uncheck the auto scan box.

..but when you get updates for Windows they will include new Defender defintions... may as well use it and run it manually when you want... easier than keeping a third party scanner up to date.

 

[tblount]

Hello, I hope you are doing well.

Whenever I check my Windows Task Manager's Processes tab, it looks like svchost.exe and MsMpEng.exe are hogging my system's resources. On average, each of those programs are using approximately 50k to 60k of memory.

I know that they are both Windows-related programs (MsMpEng is Windows Defender, right?), but they seem to take up more resources than needed.

Any thoughts on this? Thanks,
Vic

MSASCui.exe in Program files/windows defender

If you want to be sure it doesn't run, just delete the folder... but sfc may bring it back.

 

[VicVicVic]

Just go to the options and uncheck the auto scan box.

..but when you get updates for Windows they will include new Defender defintions... may as well use it and run it manually when you want... easier than keeping a third party scanner up to date.

Actually, once I turn off Windows Defender (not only disable it through Services), then Windows doesn't scan for Defender updates anymore =)

 

[reghakr]

IMHO, it's a useless app.

When was the last time you were notified when a rogue program tried to install itself.

Back to basics, a good anti-virus program, spyware detector (whichis what Windows Defender is), and personal firewall do much better than Windows Defender.

 

[tblount]

IMHO, it's a useless app.

When was the last time you were notified when a rogue program tried to install itself.

Back to basics, a good anti-virus program, spyware detector (whichis what Windows Defender is), and personal firewall do much better than Windows Defender.

All "DETECTOR" type programs look for nasties that are ALREADY installed.... so, NONE will notify you when a rogue program tries to install.

Microsoft SHOULD have a detection mechanism to PREVENT anything from running at bootup UNLESS it is authorized.


I run StartupMonitor and I get alerts every time something tries to load to run at startup.

Here is a short list...

Live Messenger -- every time I run it, Google search bar -- every time IE loaded after bootup (till I figured out how to manually stop that part of it) , uTorrent ... anytime I change options, Ad-Aware --- even sneaks into the Task Manager to load, EVERY new program I install wants to set up itself or part of itself to run when my computer boots. Adobe reader tried to slip McAfee in when I installed it. Many driver programs set themselves up to load some kind of customization menu to run at EVERY startup.

I'll bet that if you asked the average person who reads this board to post a count of the programs they have checked when they run Msconfig and look under startup.... you would find that even the more advanced readers who find this message board have 25 or more programs automatically loading... NONE of them need to run all the time.. they are ALL available on demand. If you see the list on the average person's computer they will be over 50 progams loading automatically at bootup. With all the junk running all the time I'm sure it's easier for Microsoft to convince people they need to buy a new version of Windows.

 

[reghakr]

Every time I install an app, I check msconfig.

For a more detailed view, download Anvir Task manager free
Freeware Task Manager, Windows Task Manager Free | Manager, Task, Processes, Fre

Or Autoruns by Sysyinternals:
Autoruns for Windows

 

[tblount]

Every time I install an app, I check msconfig.

For a more detailed view, download Anvir Task manager free
Freeware Task Manager, Windows Task Manager Free | Manager, Task, Processes, Fre

Or Autoruns by Sysyinternals:
Autoruns for Windows

Great idea. I bet less than 1% computer owners/users do this. There should be a utlity that turns off EVERYTHING that has been added to load on a computer since the os was installed and turn off all scheduled tasks and all BHO's ... it may need to distinguish device drivers and leave them alone since some do load in the autorun areas.

Or a simple option in windows to "reset ALL defaults"

Here is a regfile I have used over the years that knocks out the junk easier than running msconfig... with a reg file I only have to click and let it merge.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
;resets the programs that are set to run at startup
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"IE New Window Maximizer"="C:\\Program Files (x86)\\IE New Window Maximizer\\iemaximizer.exe"

 

[reghakr]

The - will do it, but there are some sneaky programs that re-will create a new key again without th e- in from of the HKCU or HKLM.

I'm curious about you IE maximizer....

When you open a new Window, rather than a tab, another instance IE is created and slows the computer down. I also use the tabs. If you maximize your first IE window, then choose File > Close, all IE Windows become maximized.

Are there any other useful benefits?

 

[tblount]

The - will do it, but there are some sneaky programs that re-will create a new key again without th e- in from of the HKCU or HKLM.

I'm curious about you IE maximizer....

When you open a new Window, rather than a tab, another instance IE is created and slows the computer down. I also use the tabs. If you maximize your first IE window, then choose File > Close, all IE Windows become maximized.

Are there any other useful benefits?

First, I hate tabs and don't use them. I have them turned off. I have never noticed any slowdown opening windows and I sometimes have 15 or 20 open. I usually google something and have my google preferences set to open in a new window.. and click 5 or 10 sites google turned up. By the time I'm finished with checking the first page of matches the sites have loaded. I've opened 35 or 40 ie windows just to watch memory and cpu charts and it didn't make much difference. Running defrag however will slow down a computer and increase the memory and cpu demand.


IE Maximizer just opens windows to maximized the first time they open .... so it saves me the time it takes to position my mouse and click to open to full screen so that I can focus on the web page I'm trying to read. It also has a feature to kill a window if you find something that always pops open that popup killers can't seem to deal with.

Link Removed - Invalid URL

 

[reghakr]

You are sure entitled to your opinion, but I love tabs.

BTW, when you open Task Manager, do you have 20 - 25 iexplore.exe entries in the list?

No offense, but like I said, you just need to open one IE window, drag all sides to maximize it and all windows after that will be maximized as well.

 

[tblount]

You are sure entitled to your opinion, but I love tabs.

BTW, when you open Task Manager, do you have 20 - 25 iexplore.exe entries in the list?

No offense, but like I said, you just need to open one IE window, drag all sides to maximize it and all windows after that will be maximized as well.

I'll try that...

Yes.. task manager list all the iexploer.exe entries. Every 3 instances of explorer take 1% of my memory... So when I'm running at 23% and open 21 ie windows the memory increases to 30% I have several memory tweaks ..


Force Windows to use RAM instead of swapping

In regedit, locate the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\MemoryManagement
DisablePagingExecutive -double-click it and put in 1 in the Valude Data field -
this allows Windows to keep data in memory instead of paging sections of RAM to
the harddrive, which yields faster performance.


Use your memory

You paid for ram memory but you seldom use much of it. These tweaks will tell
Windows to use more:

Run Regedit and go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem\NtfsMemoryUSage

Change it from 0 to 2.

Just below that location is this key, this registry tweak will increase your
hard disk cache size The Large System Cache option is one that can improve your
disk I/O performance up to 50%!

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\MemoryManagement\LargeSystemCache
Change it from 0 to 1.

When you reboot these changes will be applied

 

[reghakr]

Sorry, but I have never believed in speed tweaks through the registry and I've been working with it since 1995.

 

[tblount]

Sorry, but I have never believed in speed tweaks through the registry and I've been working with it since 1995.

I'm the exact opposite... I'll turn off or modify just about everything to get a leaner and faster machine. The less crap that is running the fewer possibilities there are for conflicts/crashes etc.

Here is another speed tweak that will release the baudwidth that windows reserves for services like Internet telephone systems.


Click Start and type and enter "gpedit.msc" without the "
This opens the group policy editor. Then go to:
Local Computer Policy-->Computer Configuration-->Administrative
Templates-->Network-->QOS Packet Scheduler-->Limit Reservable Bandwidth
and set it to 0.
This will ENABLE reservable bandwidth and allow the system to reserve nothing, rather than the default 20%.

 

[tblount]

Sorry, but I have never believed in speed tweaks through the registry and I've been working with it since 1995.

I never have understood why people PAY for memory but don't want to use it. I see many people bragging about how much "free" memory they have available. When someone want's memory they never want to use I also wonder if they want a coffin that is comfortable.

Do you have prefetch enabled? That is a "speed tweak" the preretch "feature" does speed tweeks that some registry tweaks do. Some of the registry tweaks still expands/optimizes the perfomance above and beyond prefetch.
You can even tweak prefetch to work more effeciently if you have a couple gigs of memory.

When you think about it... you know Microsoft can't optimze Windows too much and still have it run on 1 gb ram. Since they don't want to EXCLUDE the huge market of consumers who have bare mimimum resources they have to make compromizes in the default settings. If you have a couple gb memory you can improve the performance quite a bit by tweaking windows to do such things as expand the file allocation table that is saved in memory. Sometimes these "speed tweeks" aren't as much about speed as they are about taking the load off a mechanical device such as a hard drive. A hard drive can make only so many reads in it's lifetime... thus reducing hard drive activity (by storing tables in ram) extends the life.


Tweaking Prefetch
Prefetch is one of the commonly overlooked components that can have a significant impact on system boot time. This tweak allows selection of which components will make use of the prefetch parameters.

Click "Start" type and enter "Regedit"

Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters

Set Value Data: 3 = Prefetch All
Exit and Reboot

Lots more about tweaking here.

Link Removed due to 404 Error

 

[reghakr]

You don't need to down load Windows Defender updates if you have Windows Updates configured to ask before downloading.