What is “Runtime Broker” and Why is it Running on My PC?

When using Task Manager to terminate an unresponsive process, have you ever seen a running process known as the Runtime Broker? Windows machines have a permissions management procedure.

In most cases, it just requires a little amount of RAM. It can use up a lot of your RAM in certain situations. If you’re seeking a solution to this problem, this article is for you.

What is a Runtime Broker in Windows 10?

The Runtime broker is a Windows process that supervises the permissions provided to applications, which are downloaded from the Microsoft Windows Store.

Whenever an application from the Microsoft Store is downloaded and installed, it seeks access to your camera or microphone, as well as access to your location.

To the end-users, this information is quite private. Permissions you grant and don’t grant must always be at the back of your mind. Every app in the marketplace has been tainted in some way.

Rogue programs may attempt to get access to private data if they are given the opportunity. The Runtime Broker process guards against this by keeping tabs on your PC’s permissions.

As part of Windows 8’s introduction of the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), the Runtime Broker was also introduced. Actually, this procedure adds an extra layer of protection to your PC.

Why is it using too much memory?

What you need to be concerned about is this Because of the Runtime Broker’s memory requirements, powerful programs will be unable to run. It’s also possible for your processor to overheat and become damaged as a result of excessive CPU utilization.

When Metro programs (UWP apps) are started for the first time, the Runtime Broker consumes too much RAM because the Runtime Broker determines which permissions the apps want and which they don’t.

If you’re a new Windows user, you may occasionally receive notifications with helpful hints and ideas. As a result, the Runtime Broker is able to handle the messages without stuttering.

There is no need to be alarmed by a little amount of RAM use. When the Runtime Broker process is using a lot of CPU for an extended period, you should take note.

When a Universal Windows software asks for a lot of rights or is frequently launched and closed, this might happen. If you have too many applications running at the same time, the Runtime Broker process might become overburdened.

Could This Process Be a Virus?

A virus might take the place of the Runtime broker. However, this is quite unlikely to occur and is therefore completely safe. There have been no well-publicized cases of a virus taking control of the Runtime Broker process.

To be on the safe side, it’s always a good idea to double-check the Runtime Broker’s position. C:\Windows\System32 is a safe place to find it, thus it’s not a virus. Is antivirus software necessary? If it sends you somewhere, this may be necessary.

Common User Problems

These are some of the problems that have happened before and can happen to your computer too. Watch out if your computer displays the following symptoms. 

1. High CPU usage – The CPU usage might become higher than normal. This can cause your system temperature to go up. This isn’t good for your PC. 
2. Runtime Broker Error – If some settings in your antivirus are not in the way the Runtime Broker wants it to be, you could see some errors that pop up on your screen. 
3. Multiple Processes – You may be able to see more than one Runtime Broker process in your Task Manager. Remove the unwanted processes to resolve the issue. 
4. Runtimebroker.exe keeps running – In some circumstances, this process may not end. This can impact the CPU performance. You just have to adjust some Windows Update Settings. 

Can the Runtimebroker.exe be disabled?

Because this procedure is critical to both the security and privacy of your computer, it cannot be disabled. If the process is acting strangely, you can terminate it using the end task.

However, this procedure is essential and does not consume a lot of RAM. Therefore, there is no justification for disabling this feature.

How To Fix Runtime Broker (RuntimeBroker.exe) High CPU And RAM Usage In Windows 10

Anything that uses a large amount of your RAM for a long time isn’t good for your computer. The Runtimebroker.exe is no exception. You can see how much memory is occupied by each application in the Windows task manager.

The Processes tab shows detailed information about the running tasks. The Microsoft Windows developers recommend users remove the process if it occupied more than 15% or more of the computer’s RAM. 

Fix 1: Temporary Solution

One temporary fix is to kill the runtimebroker.exe for the period of the active session. This can clear up your RAM quite a bit and reduce memory usage. Follow these steps to kill the process for a while. This is a short-term fix. 

1. Open the Windows Task Manager. You will be able to see a list of all the active apps and executables. 
2. From the long list of running tasks, locate the Runtime Broker process. You will be able to see how much RAM, CPU, Network, and Disk space is used by this process.

3. If the memory usage of this process is more than 15%, right-click on it. A pop-up menu appears. 
4. From this menu, click on End Task.

Fix 2: Disabling Get Tips, Tricks, and Suggestions

Some notifications may be considered as Universal apps and, therefore, might take up a lot of RAM. Here’s how you can stop it from doing so. 

1. Open Windows settings from your start menu.

2. In the System menus, enter the Notifications & Actions options.

2. Find the “Get tips, tricks, and suggestions as you use Windows” toggle switch and turn it off.

Fix 3: Misbehaviour of the Apps

If an application misbehaves, there are three different steps you can take, depending on the necessity for the application. 

1. If the apps are not important, you can remove them from your computer, i.e., uninstall the application. 
2. If the faulty app is essential, there are two procedures that you can try.

• You can check for updates, and in case an update is present, is the user can install the latest version’s update and check if the problem gets solved.
• If the previous fix did not work, you can try to uninstall the program, reboot your PC and reinstall it. 

Fix 4: Limit the Background applications in your system

Some apps that run in the background can use too much of your system RAM. You can limit the number of apps that function in the background. The following steps can help you choose which application to close and open. 

1. Open the Windows Settings.

2. Select the Privacy settings and then open the Background Apps option.

If you feel suspicious that any running background app is causing an issue, you can turn it off. 

What Causes Runtime Broker High CPU Issues in Windows 10?

The Runtime Broker & high CPU usage issue go hand in hand. This is because the runtimebroker.exe detects the Universal app that is downloaded from the Microsoft store. Under normal circumstances, the Runtime Broker process in Windows uses no RAM at all.

But when universal applications are launched, they cause Runtime Broker to use about thirty times more than normal in Windows. The following two possible reasons could be why the CPU is used so much. 

1. The tip you receive from Windows is considered as a notification, which is considered to be Metro applications by the OS and therefore, causing an increase in memory usage. 
2. Some malfunctioning apps use a lot of RAM. These have to be updated, re-installed, or uninstalled (if you do not need it) to resolve this issue. 

How to Check Whether Runtime Broker Is a Legitimate System Process

1. Open the Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc). 
2. Find the active Runtime Broker process in the Processes tab.

3. Right-click on it and click on Open File Location.

If the location of the file is in the C:\Windows\System32 folder in your computer, you do not have a virus. You need not worry about it.

Frequently Asked Questions