What is conhost.exe, and is it dangerous?

What is conhost.exe?

Conhost.exe (or Console Window Host) is a key Windows process that helps manage console windows on your computer screen, such as Command Prompt or PowerShell. It’s an executable file that works as a middle layer between traditional console applications and the Windows graphic interface to provide more interaction. To put it more simply, without conhost.exe, you couldn’t resize, dropdown, or drag the Command Prompt window across the screen and would have more difficulty dragging and dropping files into it.

What is conhost.exe used for?

Conhost.exe works mainly as part of your Windows interface. It provides a smooth user experience when using console apps. It also improves your system’s security, replacing csrss.exe (a system-level process) in handling the graphical aspects of console windows. This benefits the system by reducing reliance on the highly privileged csrss.exe process.

Conhost.exe can also indirectly work with other Windows processes, such as svchost.exe. For example, while svchost.exe runs critical system services in the background, it may rely on conhost.exe to display necessary command-line output or handle specific user commands during system tasks.

Finally, conhost.exe allows modern features for your Command Prompt (such as font and theme selection), improving stability and user experience.

Is conhost.exe a virus?

No, conhost.exe is not a virus. However, malicious actors can install malware that mimics conhost.exe files. Upon gaining access to your computer, hackers can place infected conhost.exe replicas in non-standard directories, further sabotaging your system or network.

Knowing this, you might be wondering how to recognize if your conhost.exe file is safe. To get the answer, simply search for the “conhost.exe” file name in your Task Manager or File Explorer. You should be fine if it’s running from the “C:\Windows\System32” directory and doesn’t consume an unusually large amount of resources. However, if one of these criteria doesn’t match, you should start investigating.

How to make sure that conhost.exe is safe to open

If you want to know whether it’s safe to open a conhost.exe file, check its location and the amount of resources it takes while running (to do that, use Task Manager). If the conhost.exe file is in the “C:\Windows\System32” directory and uses minimal resources while running, you have no reason to be worried.

However, suppose you want to be completely sure about the file’s safety. In that case, you can also scan it using your antivirus software and check for a digital signature in the conhost.exe properties tab (right-click on the conhost.exe file > “Properties” > “Digital signatures”). If you see the Microsoft Windows signature, the program is legit. If the signature is missing or the signer is unknown, it could be a fake version.

How to get rid of a malicious conhost.exe file

If you find a malicious conhost.exe file on your computer, you should act immediately. First, test its safety using the file checker and run a full antivirus scan. Quarantine and delete any suspicious files the scan returns. You can also try to delete the file manually by going to Task Manager, ending the running conhost.exe task, and removing the file from the system by deleting it from its location directory.

If the malware prevents you from deleting it, boot your computer into “Safe mode” to remove it without any resistance. After removing the files, run another scan to check if the threat has been eliminated.