How You Fix Your PC If It Runs Slow After Installing an Antivirus

Antiviruses aren’t without their disadvantages, and a prevalent issue users encounter is a decrease in computer performance following installation.

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The Reasons Antivirus Programs Slow Down Computer Performance

In summary, all software on your computer consumes resources, and antivirus systems are no exception.

Frequently, the primary resource consumed by antivirus software is your RAM (Random Access Memory), the "quick access" segment of your computer's memory. When your computer exhausts its memory, it experiences a slowdown as it must "wait" for segments of that memory to become available for additional activities to initiate or finalize. An antivirus scan also utilizes the CPU, resulting in further significant slowdowns throughout a comprehensive scan.

In either scenario, the antivirus consumes all your resources, so allocating insufficient capacity for the other applications you are operating.

Methods to Prevent Your Antivirus from Impeding Your PC's Performance

Several simple solutions can be attempted to rectify the issue.

Conduct a Comprehensive Antivirus Scan and Remediation

This may seem paradoxical, however it should be your initial step.

Contemplate the possibility of having an undiscovered malware infection prior to the installation of the antivirus software. Your recently installed antivirus is malfunctioning and utilizing excessive resources as it addresses a problem. While not assured, checking and fixing your system may assist in determining whether this issue is causing your antivirus to slow down your computer.

Verify Whether It Is Indeed the Antivirus

Numerous factors can significantly impede your computer's performance. For instance, you may be utilizing more memory than is accessible, necessitating the purchase of additional RAM; this is particularly prevalent during resource-intensive tasks such as gaming or maintaining 87 open Chrome tabs.

Temporarily deactivate your antivirus software and subsequently utilize your computer to assess the resources in use. If the sluggishness continues, the antivirus is not the cause. If that is the situation, you want to examine the additional factors that may impede your PC's performance.

Minimize Memory Consumption

Terminate any other applications and background activities, then initiate your antivirus software. Subsequently, locate the memory tab inside your Task Manager:

• Simultaneously press CTRL + ALT + DELETE, then choose Task Manager.

• Click on the Performance tab located on the far left bar, then select Memory.

This will display the total memory utilization of your computer. To ascertain the precise memory consumption of your antivirus, navigate back to the initial interface of your Task Manager (the Processes tab on the left sidebar) and locate the program within the list, as illustrated below.

Currently, Malwarebytes is utilizing 7.4% of my computer's memory while running in the background, which is a significant consumption for a program that is not actively engaged. It is evident that it consumes about three times the CPU capacity of my web browser, but still utilizing a minimal amount.

If your antivirus is causing elevated memory utilization, you may require additional RAM, as previously indicated. If other programs are contributing to performance issues, attempt to reduce the number of concurrently open applications.

Rearrange Scans for Inactivity

An antivirus frequently induces sluggishness not only due to its background operations but also because it initiates a comprehensive scan at inopportune moments. Comprehensive scans consume substantial resources since they examine every file on your computer; an increased number of files correlates with greater resource consumption and duration. Therefore, schedule them during periods when your computer is in sleep mode or when it will not be in use.

Users of Windows Defender should disable the "real-time scanning" option, as it similarly affects speed.

Examine Launcher Configurations

Most antivirus software provides various options to help diagnose issues, such as disabling non-essential features (e.g., graphical enhancements) or addressing memory problems by deactivating auto-startup, real-time protection, or the utilization of supplementary tools like proxy servers and real-time monitoring.

Modify Your Antivirus Software

If all alternatives prove ineffective, it may be necessary to remove your antivirus software. Certain antivirus applications are significant resource consumers, and the value derived from commercial antivirus solutions is debatable.

In head-to-head comparisons with rival antivirus software, Windows Defender demonstrates considerable competence, is available at no cost, is pre-installed on Windows machines, and often exerts low performance impact during real-time operation. Consequently, there is no need for acquiring an additional antivirus, particularly one that incurs a cost.

If you are using a different operating system, it is advisable to prioritize the installation of a new one; but, on Windows, you are likely to seek enhanced efficiency rather than superfluous virus protection.