What does the helper.exe file do?
The helper.exe process is also known as Synaptics.exe or, as the case may be, Firefox Helper and is a part of Surfacewere or, as the case may be, System Cleaner (Version 7). This software is produced by Synaptics (www.synaptics.com) or, as the case may be, Pointstone Software (www.pointstone.com). An obsolete or defective version of helper.exe can cause problems for your computer that can range from slowness to error messages such as these:
- Synaptics.exe has stopped working. Windows is checking for a solution to the problem... (Windows 10, 8, 7)
- Synaptics.exe has stopped working. A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available. (Windows 10, 8, 7)
- helper.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. (Windows XP)
- Access violation at address FFFFFFFF in module helper.exe. Read of address 00000000.
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What you should know about helper.exe Synaptics.exe
helper.exe is not part of Windows, but it is important nonetheless. Helper.exe is found in a subdirectory of "C:\Program Files".
Frequently occurring are file sizes such as 417,280 bytes (50% of all these files), 100,952 bytes, 127,008 bytes or, as the case may be, 450,936 bytes.
The helper file is not part of the Windows operating system. It does not supply any version information or other description. This particular software does not appear as a visible window, but only in Task Manager.
Helper.exe is capable of log keyboard entries as well as Change the behavior of other applications.
For this reason, 63% of all experts consider this file to be a possible threat. The probability that it can cause harm is high.
A helper.exe file has a 59% certainty of being dangerous if it is found in the Windows Temp directory. In this case, the file size is usually 413,384 bytes. It does not contain any exact product information, as would normally be expected today. The program executes in the background, and can only be terminated using Windows Task Manager. The original file is digitally signed. Check your file. The producer of the file is registered with a certificate authority. This confirms the genuineness of the file. This process is initiated as part of Windows start-up (Registry: RunOnce, Run). The file is no part of Microsoft Windows. helper.exe appears to be a file that was compressed by an EXE-Packer. This technique is often used by trojans to keep the file size small and also hamper debugging efforts. However, this in itself is not sufficient reason to presume malicious intent, since even well-intentioned, professional software producers take advantage of compressed files.
If you see this file on your hard drive or in Windows Task Manager, please make sure that it is not a malicious variant. It's a fact that many trojans try to cloak their true identity by calling themselves helper.exe. With the above information or by using tools like Security Task Manager you can determine if, in your case, the file is an undesirable variant.
What do other computer users say about helper?
| service control manager | |
| c:\program files\mozilla thunderbird\uninstall\helper.exe - Norton reported that it made 12 changes to my computer. No action recomended. Modified 11 registry entries. Low threat level. John Beaman | |
| Part Of HyperOs System Steve Clarke | |
| It is a file of My Other Computers disk cloning software. I have used it for several years and like it very muvh. Stephen Bennett | |
| It is a process handler for Mozilla Firefox John Miles |
Summary: One user judges helper.exe to be an essential file that should not be touched. 4 users consider it harmless. source: file.net
How to uninstall Surfacewere or System Cleaner
To remove Synaptics.exe from your computer, please follow the manual instructions below or use an automatic uninstaller product.
- Click the Windows Start Button. In Windows 8, look for Control Panel.
- Click Control Panel.
- Click Uninstall a program.
- Look for Surfacewere or System Cleaner in the list of available programs.
- Click Uninstall.
How to tell if helper.exe (Synaptics.exe) was uninstalled cleanly
After uninstalling, restart your computer. Then start Windows Explorer and see if there is still a folder with the name of the software under C:\Program Files. Be sure to check the Registry as well for remnants of Synaptics.exe. To do this, start "Regedit", then look under "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" > "Software" for Synaptics.exe or the name of the producer. Always keep in mind that only a computer professional should ever directly delete entries in the Windows Registry.
What to do if a program does not uninstall
The easiest way to remove any kind of software cleanly and accurately is to use an uninstaller tool. Because the uninstaller automatically creates a backup, there is no risk of anything going wrong.
Last but not least
If Windows not working quite right for you, or if startup is taking a long time, or helper.exe is causing problems for you, a good Registry Cleaner may very well help. This is especially effective when it comes to older computers that have accumulated vast quantities of "garbage data" as the result of many software installs and uninstalls.
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