What is Msseces.exe & How to Fix its High Memory Usage?

Performing a malware scan should fix this issue quickly

3 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

The msseces.exe process is part of the Microsoft Security Essentials, the built-in antivirus program for Windows 7, and some of the later builds. This process runs in the background when the built-in antivirus is active.

However, some users complain that this processconsumes high memory. If you are also experiencing this issue, this guide will help restore normalcy on your PC.

What is msseces.exe?

The msseces.exe process is essential to the effortless running of the Microsoft Security Essentials user interface. If this process is not running, you might be unable to change anysecurity softwaresettings.

Also, you might not get new malware threat alerts if the process is inactive. So, it is pretty important to the security of your PC.

However, it should be noted that the Microsoft Security Essentials can work in the background without msseces.exe just that you will not be able to control its interface.

How can I fix msseces.exe if it is causing high RAM usage?

1. End the process in Task Manager

If you are not running MSE and the msseces.exe process is registering high memory usage on your PC, you can disable it in Task Manager. If there are multiple instances of the process running, make sure to close all of them.

2. Uninstall third-party software

If you have a third-party antivirus on your PC, it might cause msseces.exe to use too much of your PC resources. What you have to do here is to uninstall the antivirus software temporarily.

3. Scan for malware

The presence of malware on your PC can cause msseces.exe to use too much memory. This is because the virus can disguise itself as using your PC resources.

The solution is to perform a deep malware scan on your PC using the built-in antivirus.

4. Uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials

If this msseces.exe process keeps consuming your PC memory, you might need to uninstall the Microsoft Security Essentials. You can use another antivirus software instead.

There you have everything you need to know about the msseces.exe process. While this process is crucial to the security of your PC, it can sometimes cause issues.

But you should be able to fix its excessive memory usage with the solutions in this guide. In the same, if you want to know about thewinvnc.exe process, check our detailed guide for the information you need.

Feel free to share your experience with this process with us in the comments below.

What is Msseces.exe & How to Fix its High Memory Usage?#

What is msseces.exe?#

How can I fix msseces.exe if it is causing high RAM usage?#

1. End the process in Task Manager#

2. Uninstall third-party software#

3. Scan for malware#

4. Uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials#