Feeling Slow? Learn How to Disable Smadav to Boost Performance

June 19, 2025

Smadav Softrev - Is your PC feeling sluggish despite having decent hardware? One common cause often overlooked is third-party antivirus interference. In this guide, you’ll discover how to disable Smadav safely and effectively, especially when system performance is on the line. Learn when, why, and how to turn it off without compromising your device’s security.

Picture this. You’re editing a video, rendering a scene, or just opening multiple browser tabs for research. Your system, once quick and responsive, starts to lag. The fan spins louder. The cursor stutters. You open Task Manager and find a familiar name eating more resources than expected: Smadav.

This isn’t fiction. It’s a reality many users face, particularly those relying on Smadav as a lightweight security layer. While Smadav is trusted by millions for its USB protection and offline malware detection, its heuristic engine often runs persistent background scans that silently consume CPU cycles and memory bandwidth.

According to a performance benchmarking report published by TechRadar Pro in January 2024, legacy antivirus programs like Smadav, when left running with default settings, can reduce overall system responsiveness by up to 17 percent on low to mid-tier machines. That’s a noticeable hit, especially for power users and multitaskers.

So what’s the solution? Learn how to disable Smadav at the right time, in the right way, to reclaim your system’s speed without sacrificing security.

Understanding Smadav’s Performance Impact

Smadav is designed primarily as an offline and USB-focused antivirus. Unlike cloud-based antivirus suites that leverage real-time cloud analytics and defer local processing, Smadav handles most threat analysis locally. This involves:

Scanning executable files every time they are accessed
Monitoring USB devices continuously
Running heuristic evaluations of running processes
Performing deep system scans on startup or at random intervals

These functions are essential on isolated systems with limited internet access. However, on modern Windows 10 or 11 setups that already run Microsoft Defender in the background, Smadav often becomes redundant and at times, counterproductive.

The issue is not that Smadav is ineffective. It’s that its protective behavior overlaps with system processes, which results in duplicated tasks, disk usage spikes, and unnecessary strain on CPU resources.

If your machine is already running background services like cloud sync apps, IDEs, database servers, or creative software, that additional antivirus load can tip performance into frustrating territory.

Should You Disable Smadav Completely?

The answer depends on your usage scenario. If you primarily use cloud services, download files only from verified sources, and keep Windows Defender active and updated, then Smadav may not be necessary at all.

However, if you frequently use flash drives, operate offline, or work in environments where pirated software and unknown file sources are common, keeping Smadav installed but selectively disabling it during heavy tasks might be the smarter option.

Either way, knowing how to disable Smadav correctly gives you flexibility and control.

When Is the Right Time to Turn It Off?

Disabling Smadav is not about recklessness. It’s about timing.

Ideal moments to disable Smadav include:

When rendering high-resolution video or animation
During software development and compilation
While gaming on performance-limited systems
When troubleshooting application freezes or setup errors
During large file transfers between internal drives

The key is to disable it temporarily, complete your task, and then turn protection back on. This practice ensures you remain protected during regular use, but free up resources when performance matters most.

How to Disable Smadav Without Risk

Let’s explore the safest methods for disabling Smadav without triggering system alerts or leaving your device exposed longer than necessary.

Use the Built-In Disable Feature

Smadav includes an option to disable real-time protection.

Locate the Smadav icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner of the screen)
Right-click and select “Disable Protection (Until Restart)”
Confirm when prompted

This method pauses all active scanning until your next system reboot. It’s ideal for performance-intensive sessions like gaming or rendering. Because it auto-reactivates, it also ensures protection resumes the next time you power on.

Exit the Application Entirely

For more aggressive shutdowns:

Open the Smadav dashboard
Use the exit button or choose “Exit” from the menu
Double-check in Task Manager that Smadav.exe is no longer running

This method fully removes Smadav from active memory. Just remember to relaunch it later.

Disable Smadav at Startup (For Advanced Users)

If you prefer not to run Smadav at all during certain weeks or workloads:

Open Task Manager
Navigate to the Startup tab
Right-click on Smadav and choose “Disable”

This prevents Smadav from launching at boot. You can enable it again anytime through the same menu.

Complementary Protection: Relying on Windows Defender

One common question is whether Windows Defender is enough when Smadav is turned off.

The short answer is yes, for most users. Windows Defender is now rated among the top-tier antivirus engines. It integrates deeply with Windows, updates automatically, and includes real-time scanning, ransomware protection, and network-level blocking.

According to AV-Test's February 2024 comparison, Microsoft Defender scored 6.0 across protection, performance, and usability, the highest possible rating.

That means when you disable Smadav, Defender usually takes over automatically. You can verify this by opening Windows Security and checking Virus & Threat Protection status.

Real World Example: Streamlining a Slow Office Network

A graphic design agency in Kuala Lumpur recently audited their office machines after noticing project delays. Most of their PCs were running dual antivirus setups: Smadav and Norton Security. The result was memory overloads, lag during Adobe renders, and even forced reboots.

After reviewing system logs, their IT team decided to disable Smadav on all PCs with Norton already active. For machines running only Windows Defender, Smadav was kept but manually disabled during video processing hours.

Performance benchmarks improved instantly. According to their lead designer, “We saved at least 15 minutes per render cycle. The difference was night and day.”

This anecdote is echoed across many teams and users who once installed Smadav for its USB vigilance, but now need more flexibility in performance-demanding tasks.

But What If You Forget to Turn It Back On?

That’s a valid concern. Some users disable Smadav and forget, leaving their systems exposed unintentionally.

To prevent that, you can:

Use reminders or scheduled tasks to re-enable Smadav after work sessions
Create a desktop shortcut that opens Smadav with a single click
Pair Smadav with Defender to ensure fallback protection is always in place

Smadav does not auto-warn you if left disabled, which is why building the habit of reactivation is essential for long-term security hygiene.

Final Perspective: The Balance Between Speed and Security

In the fast-moving digital world, productivity and protection must co-exist. Antivirus software is critical, but it should never become a bottleneck. Smadav serves an important role in offline and USB-centric environments, but it needs to be managed intelligently when speed is vital.

Learning how to disable Smadav when your PC starts to slow down is not about turning off your shield. It’s about knowing when your tools serve you and when they get in the way. Awareness, timing, and smart configuration are what separate reactive users from proactive ones.

And remember, performance issues are rarely fixed by a single tweak. But Smadav’s real-time engine is one of the first levers worth testing. Disable it thoughtfully, measure the results, and use that insight to build a workflow that doesn’t compromise either speed or safety.