# Issues with Elastic Agent and Defender?

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/issues-with-elastic-agent-and-defender/269818>\
**Category:** Endpoint Security\
**Created:** [April 11, 2021, 5:32pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/issues-with-elastic-agent-and-defender/269818 "2021-04-11T17:32:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![gabriel.landau](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/gabriel.landau/32/73401_2.png) [@gabriel.landau](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/gabriel.landau)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 2:05pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/issues-with-elastic-agent-and-defender/269818/2 "2021-04-12T14:05:16Z")

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Hello @nemhods. Thanks for reaching out.

> [@nemhods](#):
>
> Elastic Endpoint is not registered as an Antivirus solution in windows (and I'd like to avoid this and keep MS Defender next to Elastic Endpoint).

Running multiple security products simultaneously can create conflicts where the products repeatedly intercept each others' attempts to scan files on the system. This can create feedback loops, spiking CPU and I/O. One way to break such loops is to have the security products ignore each other. Try adding **C:\Program Files\Elastic\elastic-endpoint.exe** as a [Defender exclusion](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/add-an-exclusion-to-windows-security-811816c0-4dfd-af4a-47e4-c301afe13b26). Then, in your Elastic Security app, add Defender (likely **C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe** ) as a [Trusted Application](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/security/master/admin-page-ov.html#trusted-apps-ov).

Hopefully that helps.

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_[View the full topic](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/issues-with-elastic-agent-and-defender/269818)._