What does the WmiPrvSE.exe file do?
The WmiPrvSE.exe process is also known as WMI Provider Host or, as the case may be, NetSupport Client Application and is a part of Microsoft Windows Operating System or, as the case may be, NetSupport Remote Control. This software is produced by Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) or, as the case may be, NetSupport (www.netsupportsoftware.com). An outdated or faulty version of WmiPrvSE.exe can cause problems for your computer, ranging from slowness to error messages like these:
- WMI Provider Host has stopped working. Windows is checking for a solution to the problem... (Windows 11, 10, 7)
- WMI Provider Host 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 11, 10, 7)
- WmiPrvSE.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close.
- Access violation at address FFFFFFFF in module WmiPrvSE.exe. Read of address 00000000.
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What you should know about WmiPrvSE.exe WMI Provider Host
WmiPrvSE.exe is a Windows system file. WmiPrvSE.exe is found in a subdirectory of C:\Windows\System32.
Frequently occurring are file sizes such as 257,536 bytes (29% of all these files), 227,840 bytes as well as 30 other variants.
This file is part of the operating system. The application does not appear as a visible window, but only in Task Manager. The file has been digitally signed by Microsoft itself to guarantee its authenticity.
For this reason, 4% of all experts consider this file to be a possible threat. The probability that it can cause harm is high.
WmiPrvSE.exe is a system file used by Microsoft Windows, and appears in Windows Task Manager as a process named "WMI Provider Host." However, some viruses and Trojans use the same file name to avoid detection (e.g. Trojan.Win32.CoinMiner.pej or, as the case may be, Virus.Win32.Virut.ce (recognized by Kaspersky), as well as Virus:Win32/Virut.BO or, as the case may be, Trojan:Win32/CoinMiner (recognized by Microsoft)).
For better security, scan your computer with two different antivirus engines. You can use free antivirus software for this purpose.
Objectionable files with the same file name have the following characteristics:
- A WmiPrvSE.exe file has a 11% certainty of being dangerous if it is found in a subdirectory of C:\Windows. In this case, the file size is usually 257,536 bytes (23% of all these files), 418,304 bytes as well as 16 other variants. The program executes in the background, and can only be terminated using Windows Task Manager. The original file by Microsoft is digitally signed. So please check the file on your computer.
- A WmiPrvSE.exe file has a 85% certainty of being dangerous if it is found in a subdirectory of "C:\Program Files". In this case, the file size is usually 120,232 bytes (92% of all these files) or, as the case may be, 117,968 bytes. The file was developed by a so-called third party provider - and not by Microsoft. The program executes in the background, and can only be terminated using Windows Task Manager. The original file has a digital certificate (see its file properties). This particular software is receiving or sending data on the LAN (your local network) or on the Internet. WmiPrvSE.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.
- A WmiPrvSE.exe file has a 68% certainty of being dangerous if it is found in a subdirectory of "C:\Users\USERNAME". In this case, the file size is usually 580,608 bytes (66% of all these files) or, as the case may be, 10,620,176 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 WmiPrvSE.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 WmiPrvSE?
| W32/Sonebot-B drops a copy of itself to the Windows System32 folder with the filename WMIPRVSE.EXE (further information...) tarence | |
| Windows Management Instrumentation (services.msc) Alex | |
| Causes CPU Spikes and high fan issues (further information...) Matt |
Summary: 198 users consider WmiPrvSE.exe essential and should not be removed. 21 users consider it harmless. However, 72 users consider this to be a suspicious process and would like to get rid of it. For this reason, 86 users have already removed WmiPrvSE.exe. source: file.net
How to uninstall the program or NetSupport Remote Control
To remove WMI Provider Host from your computer, please follow the manual instructions below.
- Click the Windows Start Button. You can find it in the lower-left corner of the taskbar.
- Type 'uninstall'.
- Click Add or remove programs.
- Now locate the program or NetSupport Remote Control in the list of displayed applications.
- Click the program, and then click Uninstall.
How to check if WmiPrvSE.exe (WMI Provider Host) was uninstalled completely
After uninstalling, restart your computer. Then open Windows Explorer and check if a folder with the software name still exists under C:\Program Files. Also, check the Registry for remnants of WMI Provider Host. To do this, start Regedit, then look under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software for: WMI Provider Host or the name of the producer. Keep in mind that only a computer professional should delete entries in the Windows Registry directly.
Last but not least
If Windows is not working properly, startup is slow, or WmiPrvSE.exe is causing problems, a good Windows diagnostic tool may 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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