Whenever a Windows system slows down, the first approach should be to check the status of resource usage in the Task Manager. Usually, it shoots up to even 100%, thus causing the system to hang or freeze with some program using the major chunk of system resources. Such is the case with the process msrtn32.exe. If you see msrtn32.exe under the Processes tab of your Task Manager, there are a few things you need to do right away.
What is msrtn32.exe
MSRTN32.EXE is a malicious file that may attempt to steal your digital currency. It may install when you install a browser plugin and can alter the content of web pages, search results, and display invasive ads. This executable is usually found in the following location:
C:\Program Files(x86)\msrtn32\
If you see this folder on your Windows computer, the chances are high that your computer has been infected.
So the first thing you want to do is to run your antivirus software.
- If you use Windows Defender, we recommend that you schedule a boot-time scan of Windows Defender for the best results.
- If you use third-party antivirus software, we suggest that you boot Windows in Safe Mode and then full-scan your computer with your antivirus software.
If the antivirus software is able to successfully detect & remove it, restart your computer to complete the cleaning process.
You may also open File Explorer and delete this folder if you see it – C:\Program Files(x86)\msrtn32\. If you are unable to delete this folder, use a free file & folder deleter software to delete it.
Fix msrtn32.exe error or high CPU usage
Now it may happen that on restart, your Windows may throw up an error message – Windows cannot find MSRTN32.exe.
If you see this error message, it is quite possible that the cleaning process is incomplete and there may be some startup Registry key related to msrtn32.exe that may be throwing up this error. It could possibly be:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon\
In this case, we suggest that you go a step further and additionally use a free portable standalone antivirus or an online malware scanner and scan your Windows with it, just to get a second opinion. You can download it to your USB, plug it into the infected system and use it to scan your PC. Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool or Dr.WEB CureIt are good ones we recommend as you do not have to install them.
You may use a free Registry Cleaner like CCleaner to clean up residual registry junk. This will remove the orphaned startup registry location which is causing the error to occur. You may also use CCleaner to clean up all junk files including browser cache.
How do I disable MsMpEng.exe and reduce high CPU usage?
In order to disable the MsMpEng.exe on your Windows 11/10 computer, you need to disable Windows Security. For that, you can use the Windows Security panel, which is the easiest method. However. You need to turn off all the corresponding services from the Services panel as well.
How to stop high CPU disk usage from antimalware service executable on Windows?
In order to fix the high CPU usage by Antimalware Service Executable on Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC, you need to disable a few services. For example, you can disable msrtn32.exe, msmpeng.exe, etc., on your computer. For your information, you can get it done with the help of the Task Manager.
This should help you resolve the issue – It should remove the msrtn32.exe error as well as fix high CPU usage by msrtn32.exe.
