What does the smss.exe file do?

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What you should know about smss.exe Windows Session Manager

smss.exe is a Windows system file. The file smss.exe is found in the C:\Windows\System32 directory. Frequently occurring are file sizes such as 50,688 bytes (64% of all these files), 69,632 bytes as well as 5 other variants.
The application does not appear as a visible window, but only in Task Manager. To verify its trustworthiness, Microsoft has provided it with an embedded certificate. For this reason, 6% of all experts consider this file to be a possible threat. The probability that it can cause harm is high.

smss.exe is a system file used by Microsoft Windows, and appears in Windows Task Manager as a process named "Windows Session Manager." However, some viruses or Trojans use the same file name in order to remain undetected (e.g. Downloader.a!bc3 (recognized by McAfee), as well as Worm.Win32.AutoRun.bsmv or, as the case may be, HEUR:Trojan.Win32.Generic (recognized by Kaspersky)).
To be really safe, you should scan your computer with two different anti-virus engines. You can use a free Anti-Malware scanner for this purpose.

Objectionable files with the same file name have the following characteristics:

• A smss.exe file has a 78% certainty of being dangerous if it is found in a subdirectory of "C:\Users\USERNAME". In this case, the file size is usually 60,252 bytes (20% of all these files), 2,455,552 bytes, 196,608 bytes, 599,196 bytes or, as the case may be, 263,680 bytes. When Windows starts, this process is automatically started at the same time (Registry: MACHINE\Run, Run, Userinit, Winlogon\Shell, User Shell Folders). The file is no part of Microsoft Windows. The file does not contain any exact product information, as would normally be expected today. This process does not appear as a visible window, but only in Task Manager. Smss.exe is capable of supervise programs, transmit information from computer to the Internet, record keystrokes as well as modify other Windows tasks.
• A smss.exe file has a 71% certainty of being dangerous if it is found in a subdirectory of C:\Windows. In this case, the file size is usually 161,792 bytes (33% of all these files), 441,856 bytes or, as the case may be, 13,179,660 bytes. It is not a Windows system file, but it is nontheless located in the C:\Windows folder. The application does not have a visible window, and does not appear on the taskbar. The smss file is not part of the Windows operating system. There is no internal description of the file. Smss.exe is capable of monitor other applications.
• A smss.exe file has a 78% certainty of being dangerous if it is found in the C:\Windows directory. In this case, the file size is usually 627,592 bytes (50% of all these files) or, as the case may be, 1,046,358 bytes.
• A smss.exe file has a 82% certainty of being dangerous if it is found in a subdirectory of "C:\Program Files". In this case, the file size is usually 308,736 bytes (50% of all these files) or, as the case may be, 182,272 bytes.
• A smss.exe file has a 85% certainty of being dangerous if it is found in a subdirectory of C:\Windows\System32. In this case, the file size is usually 114,688 bytes (50% of all these files) or, as the case may be, 81,792 bytes.
• A smss.exe file has a 66% certainty of being dangerous if it is found on C:\. In this case, the file size is usually 184,320 bytes.

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 smss.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 smss?

Summary: 90 users judge smss.exe to be an essential file that should not be touched. 13 users consider it harmless. However, 32 users consider this to be a suspicious process and would like to get rid of it. For this reason, 94 users have already deleted smss.exe. source: file.net

How to uninstall the program or Sistema operativo Microsoft Windows

To remove Windows Session Manager from your computer, please follow the manual instructions below or use an automatic uninstaller product.

How to tell if smss.exe (Windows Session Manager) 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 Windows Session Manager. To do this, start "Regedit", then look under "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" > "Software" for Windows Session Manager 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 smss.exe is causing problems for you, a good Windows diagnostic tool 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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