When we are using a computer, and it works slower than normal, we usually go crazy to find the solution. The most common thing is to search for all the programs that are running on the PC, close the ones that are open, and even restart the PC. However, many of the times we run into this problem, it is usually due to a program that we all have and that we tend to overlook: the antivirus.
The job of an antivirus, as its name suggests, is to keep viruses (and other types of threats) out of our computer. This way we will be able to use the PC safely without worrying that a hacker will take control of our PC, steal or hijack the files, and take control of all our personal and sensitive data. To do this, it is necessary that this program is always running in the background.
The antivirus usually analyzes everything that happens on the PC: the new files that arrive on it, the programs that are loaded, the activity of the processes, the Internet connections, etc. In this way, based on a database and analyzing behavior, it is able to decide if something is trustworthy and allow it, or if something is dangerous and block it.
However, there are times when one of the antivirus processes can get stuck using more processor and memory than it should. For example, those who use Windows 10 or Windows 11’s own antivirus will very often come across this.
Why this happens is not very clear. But it can become a major nuisance when working with the PC. Luckily, it is almost always very easy to fix.
Troubleshoot antivirus performance
Obviously, the first thing we have to do is restart the computer to completely unload the antivirus processes from memory and load them again. This can help us to end this problem if it is caused by something specific, but this is not always the case. Another step that can also help us to put an end to this is to update the antivirus, both the database and its engine itself. Thus, if there is a problem scoring with a version, it will be solved.
But, almost always, the reason why the antivirus process is blocked is because it has been analyzing something specific, and it does not finish getting out of there. It can be due to a very large file that we have downloaded from the Internet, to a compressed file with many files inside, or even to a folder with many files inside. Scanning these types of files takes a lot of time for the security program, and makes it consume a lot of resources, making the PC slow down. To solve it, we have two options:
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Scan the folder by hand. In this way, we will launch a manual scan ourselves and all the files will be checked in order to know if they are reliable or not. Once analyzed, they will be whitelisted by the antivirus, and there will be no more problems.
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Delete the problem files. If we have downloaded a very large file from the Internet, or we have a folder with many files, and they are not vital files, we can delete them from the computer.
Finally, performing a complete scan of the PC with the antivirus, to rule out any possible threat, can help, if there is a hidden virus trying to block the antivirus, we can catch it and end the problem.
