The Conhost.exe utility is part of the Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11 system files. This utility is essential for running CMD applications on Windows PCs. However, some variants of the Conhost.exe utility can cause your CPU usage to spike to 100%. What is Conhost.exe? Is it a virus or malware?
Have you ever encountered the Conhost.exe utility on the Task Manager console? You can find several instances of the Conhost.exe utility running on your PC. The utility can skyrocket your CPU usage, leading to speculation about its authenticity. Understanding the role the Conhost.exe utility plays is the first step in learning how to deal with high CPU usage. What is Conhost.exe? Is it a virus or malware?
What is Conhost.exe?
Conhost.exe is a utility that you can find on all Windows operating systems. Conhost.exe is an acronym that stands for Console Application Host Program. The Conhost.exe program is responsible for kernel calls to send messages to [CSRSS.exe] process.Malware programs are easy to attack [CSRSS.exe] process, the Conhost.exe utility acts as a buffer to prevent such attacks. Conhost.exe and [CSRSS.exe] Every time you start a CMD application, the process runs on your PC. Other programs that rely on the Conhost.exe utility include:
- NVIDIA Web Helper.exe process.
- The PlexScriptHost.exe process.
- Adobe Creative Cloud’s Nnode.exe program.
- Dell’s DFS.Common.Agent.exe program.
Is the Conhost.exe utility a virus/malware?
The legitimate version of the Conhost.exe program is not a virus/malware. Legitimate utilities are Microsoft Inc. certified operating system programs. Removing the Conhost.exe utility from your operating system may cause your system to crash while using your PC. However, the illegitimate Conhost.exe program is a cryptocurrency miner that utilizes up to 100*% CPU usage to mine Bitcoin and Monero cryptocurrencies. The illegal version of the Conhost.exe program is hosted in a temporary folder, while the legal version of the Conhost.exe program is located in [C:\Windows\System32] flyer.
How to check if the Conhost.exe program is legitimate
You can check if the Conhost.exe program is legitimate by looking at the file location or by looking at the program’s copyright information.
1. Check the file location of the Conhost.exe program
You can check the file location of the Conhost.exe utility by following the steps below.
step 1: Launch the Command Prompt application on your PC and press CTRL + transfer + ESC key to open task manager comfort.
Step 2: click detail Find the tab before the Conhost.exe program. You can run multiple instances of the utility, and you can check the file location of each program.
Step 3: Right-click the Conhost.exe program, and then click Open file location options.
Step 4: Check and confirm that the file path of the Conhost.exe program is [C:\Windows\System32].
2. View the copyright information of the Conhost.exe program
You can check the copyright information for the Conhost.exe utility by following the steps below.
step 1: Make sure the command prompt terminal is running before proceeding to the next step.
Step 2: Press CTRL + transfer + ESC key to launch the Task Manager console on your PC.
Step 3: click detail Find the tab before the Conhost.exe utility.
Step 4: Right-click the Conhost.exe program, and then click characteristic options.
Step 5: click detail While checking whether the copyright of the utility belongs to Microsoft Corporation.
How to troubleshoot problems with the Conhost.exe utility
You can fix problems with the Conhost.exe utility by following the solutions below.
1. Download the Process Explorer tool
You can use the following steps to terminate the illegal Conhost.exe program from your PC.
step 1: Install the Process Explorer tool before finding the illegal Conhost.exe program.
Step 2: Double-click the Conhost.exe program, and then click picture Label.
Step 3: click kill process Click on the previous option OK button.
2. Manually delete the Conhost.exe program
The file location where you can open the fake Conhost.exe program before pressing transfer + delete key to delete the program.
3. Install comprehensive antivirus software
You can install a comprehensive antivirus/malware removal software to help you get rid of fake Conhost.exe programs. Make sure you scan your PC to remove and prevent any attacks from illegal Conhost.exe programs.
in conclusion
You can use the above solution to remove any Conhost.exe program that is consuming 100% CPU resources. Since some viruses or malware may share names with genuine system files, you may need to perform a system scan before choosing to delete or disable the conhost.exe file on your PC. In short, make sure you confirm the legitimacy of the Conhost.exe program before deleting it from your PC.