What is conhost.exe and Why is it Running?

Some Windows users wonder what is conhost.exe and Why is it running in their operating systems. Details about the conhost.exe and its purpose are explained in this article. Sometimes the high CPU and memory usage of this process called conhost.exe worry the windows users the most.

What Is conhost.exe?

The conhost.exe process goes with the full form of the Console Windows Host, which is shown in the task manager of the Windows 10 OS. The conhost.exe program is mostly seen after you open the command prompt in the Windows 10.

The legitimate and genuine conhost.exe process is an essential windows service. Its execution is somehow related to cmd.exe and csrss.exe (ClientServer Runtime System Service). The Console Windows Host increases the features of the command prompt by providing some extra functionalities. Some Console Windows Host features include allowing to drag and drop a file directly into the command prompt window.

Is Conhost exe a virus?

A genuine and legitimate conhost.exe process is not actually a virus, and you should allow it to run by not disabling it from the task manager. But if you find Multiple Console Window Hosts.exe or facing a problem of Console Windows Host high CPU usage, then you should consider checking for duplicate conhost.exe processes and eliminate them.

How to Delete Conhost.exe Viruses?

Before coming to a conclusion whether the running conhost.exe is a virus and an unwanted file or not, you should perform some Console Host Process verification checks.

1 ) Open the Console Windows Host’s file location by right-clicking on its name and then selecting the option of Open file location in the Task Manager.

2 ) You can conclude that the running conhost.exe or the Console Host Process is a legitimate and genuine process if you find its location directory as C:\Windows\System32. It is because the original conhost.exe process always runs from a specific folder or directory on your windows.

But if you find the Console Windows Host process’ directory other than the C:\Windows\System32, then you should be aware that it may be a fake conhost.exe process or it can be a potential virus.

If you find the process of the conhost.exe running on the Windows XP or Windows Vista, then it certainly is an unwanted file and a potential threat because these Windows versions don’t need to run the conhost.exe process.

Also Read: How to Set a Static IP on Windows

Remove conhost.exe and its process

To remove the conhost.exe viruses from your computer, you can use your inbuilt windows defender or Microsoft essential security programs. Note: To successfully quarantine or delete the Windows Console Host viruses these antivirus versions should be updated to the latest ones. Also, you should try killing the parent process of the duplicate conhost.exe process by using a program called Process Explorer.

1) Download and open the Process Explorer and find the duplicate conhost.exe process which you want to remove.

2) Opt for the option called Kill Process, which you can find under the Image tab.

3) Select the OK button to kill the unwanted Console Host process.

4) Now exit the Image’s property window by pressing the OK button.

These above steps will kill the parent process or program, which might have started the fake conhost.exe process on your computer.

Remove the Console Window Host Miner

If the fake conhosts.exe program is a miner, it can utilize your computer’s RAM and CPU power to mine the XMR(Monero) crypto or digital currency with some hashing algorithms. This Windows Console Host Miner can eat up most of your hardware resources and make your pc vulnerable to some information leaks. You can notice that the running conhost.exe process on your pc is a trojan if it consistently uses more than 80 percent of your CPU power.

To successfully remove the Console Window Host Miner from your computer, you can use some free as well as premium malware and adware removal tools available on the internet.

How do I get rid of Conhost EXE?

If the original conhost.exe is taking to much space and CPU power of your computer or you are getting an error called console window host has stopped working, then you can try removing all the conhost.exe files from its leading directory to get rid of the Conhost EXE process.

If you still get the error of the console window host has stopped working, you can try the bellow methods on to see if the conhost.exe problem is solved or not.

Solution 1: Try performing the Clean Booting of your pc

1) Open or invoke the run dialogue box on your windows OS by either pressing the Windows Logo key and the “R” key simultaneously from your keyboard or by typing “Run” in the Start menu and pressing the enter key.

2) Type in the word msconfig and press the Enter key.

3) From the various System Configuration tabs, under the tab called General, make sure the option called Load startup items is unchecked.

4) Now under the Services tab, check the Hide all Microsoft services box, and then click on the Disable all button.

5) Now under the Startup tab, click on the Open Task Manager option.

6) Now from the Startup tab under the Task Manager, disable each and every startup item which i set to be enabled by right-clicking on them.

7 ) Under the System Configuration’s startup tab, click on the OK button.

8) Restart or Reboot your pc to perform a clean booting of the Windows OS.

Solution 2: Run the System File Checker(SFC) scan

The SFC or System File Checker scan will check for missing or corrupt files on your computer and help you troubleshoot the problem of the stoppage of this conhost.exe process.

Solution 3: Perform a full system scan with Microsoft Safety Scanner

Microsoft Safety Scanner is a handy utility program provided by Microsoft which not only scans your full windows system for any malware or adware, it also detects any missing files and folders which are necessary for the windows to work with all its features.

Note: Microsoft Safety Scanner may delete the complete file and folder if it finds it a dangerous virus or a potential threat to your system. So you may face a problem of some data loss while solving the conhost.exe.

Final Words

We hope this article about What Is conhost.exe and How to Delete Conhost.exe Viruses has resolved all your queries about the Windows Console Host process and its pros and probable cons.