What Is Taskhostw.exe And Is It Dangerous For Your Computer?

Suppose you’ve observed several instances of the taskhostw.exe process running in Task Manager. In that case, it’s expected that you’d be concerned, mainly if your computer is functioning slowly and the taskhostw.exe processes are consuming high CPU and Hard Disk resources.

However, we strongly advise that you read through our article before taking any dramatic action that might end up causing damage to your computer.

We’ll go over everything about taskhostw.exe, including what it is, what it does, whether it is dangerous, and how to resolve any issues that may arise due to the exe file.

What is taskhostw.exe on Windows 11/10?

Taskhostw.exe (Task Host for Windows) is an executable system file produced by Microsoft for use with the Windows operating system.

The Taskhostw.exe runs automatically when Windows 10 boots up and stays in the memory in the form of a process. Therefore, in the Task Manager, taskhostw.exe is a process that runs on the Windows operating system and is also referred to as a Host Protocol.

It also operates on Windows 8 and Windows 7, although under various names, such as “taskhost.exe” for Windows 7.

Taskhostw.exe in Task Manager Cover Picture

The primary function of this software component is to start DLL services on your Windows 10 computer when it first starts up.

It is the host for the numerous processes responsible for executing DLL activities on the computer. DLL (Dynamic Link Library) files are small text files that contain particular instructions that applications on the computer may use to execute specific tasks, such as accessing files in specified folders, printing, and searching for available space on the hard drive.

A dynamic link library (DLL) file makes it simple for numerous separate applications to share and use the capabilities of the physical resources, even when they are running simultaneously.

Taskhostw exe file folder location in Microsoft windows operating system

You will find the Taskhostw file inside the C:\Windows\System32 folder, a hidden Microsoft-signed Windows file. It means that the file will be hidden from view, but you will be able to see it as a running process in Task Manager.

Although the file is secure, some flaws might cause it to generate errors and use a significant amount of CPU resources. We’ll go into further detail about each of them below.

What are the reasons for taskhostw.exe high disk usage and CPU consumption?

Users on the Internet have reported numerous cases where the taskhostw.exe shows high disk and CPU usage even when the computer is not doing any significant task. You might also see other errors related to the taskhostw process, such as:

  • Different taskhostw.exe processes in the Task Manager (e.g., taskhostw.exe install arg0)
  • Taskhostw.exe blocked
  • Taskhost.exe – Application error
  • Taskhost.exe – Error
  • BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) – Windows cannot find taskhost.exe
  • Windows Defender notification – Controlled folder access blocks taskhostw.exe from making changes to memory

There can be multiple reasons for such an inappropriate activity of the task host file, from malicious trojan or ransomware virus illicitly present with the core files on your hard drive to important Windows executable files messing from the task host window.

Therefore, before learning how to fix this problem, we must understand the reasons behind this resource-consuming taskhostexe file:

  • The Taskhostw.exe file present in C:\Windows\System32 might be a malicious virus instead of the original Microsoft file: The original task host file, which is not a virus, is an essential component of Windows.
  • It may, nevertheless, use up chunks of system resources like RAM and CPU when it’s infected. Malware engineered to look like taskhostw.exe has been found, according to reports.
  • The exact filename (taskhostw.exe) is used by hackers and makers of malware programs like Trojans, worms, and viruses so that they may operate unnoticed.
  • Although these processes are malware and should be removed, remember that they have no connection to the original taskhostw.exe or other Windows 10 processes.
  • Some Windows System files were unknowingly deleted: If you had mistakenly removed a system file connected with taskhostw.exe or other related files such as DLL files, these high CPU usage errors would appear when the processes linked with them are started.
  • Additionally, your antivirus application may mistakenly identify the files as malicious and remove them as a consequence.
  • Specific applications may be improperly installed or uninstalled: You may be having problems with taskhostw.exe because you recently installed or uninstalled a program, and the process was left incomplete.
  • The taskhostw.exe file might be in use by the installation wizard, and there may be orphaned files on your computer that conflict with taskhostw.exe.
  • Hence after the improper installation or removal process, taskhostw cannot find those files anymore and consumes the CPU by scouring it all over your hard drive.
  • Missing or Incorrect DLL files: Taskhostw.exe’s high CPU consumption is often caused by these issues. DLL files are sometimes overwritten during the installation process of some software to suit their needs better.
  • As a result, these DLL files frequently become damaged or incorrectly functioning. A DLL file can be removed when an application is uninstalled. Furthermore, a virus infestation can corrupt DLL files as a result.
  • A faulty DLL file might cause issues or significant CPU consumption when it is invoked by taskhostw.exe.
  • Corrupt Registry Keys due to Virus Attacks: Any virus attack might install malicious registry keys through the Registry Editor, which might elicit such suspicious responses from the taskhostw exe user process.
  • Windows cannot find taskhost.exe: If your Windows PC had recently been in a virus attack (sudden popping of unnecessary notifications, extreme lagging of Windows), then it is also possible that the taskhostw.exe has been deleted or replaced, and on the next restart, you will face this BSOD claiming Windows cannot find taskhost.exe.
  • Bugs in Windows Defender: Some users have reported that Windows Defender comes up with the following notification – Controlled folder access blocks taskhostw.exe from making changes to memory.
  • This occurs due to bugs in the Windows Defender antivirus and can be solved by disabling Controlled folder access until the bug is fixed. The fix is given in the section below.

How to Fix the Taskhostw.exe High CPU Usage

Whatever may be the reasons you face the taskhost.exe high CPU usage and other problems, be assured that we will provide ultimate service to you through the fixes given in this article.

The tools or commands offered in these methods will take some to work correctly, but the result is much more fulfilling than using other third-party software.

So without much ado, let us jump into this comprehensive tutorial for taskhostw.exe error fixes.

Solutions To Fix taskhostw.exe Error

  1. Perform An Sfc Scan To Verify Windows File Integrity
  2. Run Dism To Restore Windows System Files On Your Hard Drive
  3. Reset Windows Reliability Monitor To Fix Taskhostw.Exe High Cpu Usage
  4. Perform A System Restore In Windows To Return Taskhostw.Exe To Its Working State
  5. Disable Controlled Folder Access In Windows Defender
  6. Perform An Intensive Malware Scan To Find Hidden Trojan Or Ransomware
  7. Repair Corrupt Dll Files Linked With The Taskhostw.Exe User Process
  8. Update, Repair Or Reinstall A Problematic Software
  9. Update The Microsoft Windows Operating System
  10. Reset Your Windows 10 Operating System

Perform An Sfc Scan To Verify Windows File Integrity

System File Checker (SFC) is a well-known Microsoft Windows utility that allows users to scan system files and check if they are corrupted or in their original state.

This tool is found in the same folder as the taskhostw.exe file (C:\Windows\System32). Users can learn if their system files have been tampered with by executing this tool through the Command Prompt or Powershell.

The task host window process has high CPU usage if Windows files are messed with, and the steps below will help us verify the Windows File integrity:

Note: The total time required for a full SFC scan ranges between 5-15 minutes, depending on the type of your hard drive.

Open Command Prompt or Powershell using Windows Key + X
  • Open the Windows quick accessibility menu by pressing the Windows key + X shortcut keys together.
  • Click on Command Prompt (Admin) to run the command prompt tool with administrator privileges from the context menu on the Start button. If you don’t see CMD in the list, you can also use PowerShell to run the SFC tool.
  • After Command Prompt opens, type the following command into the command line and press Enter: SFC /scannow
Begin SFC scan using sfc /scannow
  • The verification and repair phase will now commence. Don’t close the Command Prompt or Powershell window by mistake; else, the tool will stop working.
  • After the SFC scan completes, you will receive a message stating, “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.” It indicates that the taskhostw.exe error has been fixed successfully.
  • If you don’t receive this message or the SFC tool finds no error in your Windows files, you can follow the following method.

Run DISM To Restore Windows System Files On Your Hard Drive

You can use the DISM tool to repair the Windows System Image according to Windows. When you don’t have a restore point in Windows to revert to, you can use the DISM (Deploying Image and Service Management) tool to update Windows files to their correct version and replace them.

Through this feature, you can fix system inconsistencies and corruption due to which taskhostw.exe has a high CPU usage. The following steps will demonstrate to you how to use DISM to fix taskhostw errors:

Open Command Prompt Admin from the Start Menu
  • Open Command Prompt (Admin) through the Start Menu.
  • Type the following commands successively, and press Enter after completion of one’s operation:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /restorehealth
Run DISM commands in Command Prompt to fix windows cannot find taskhost.exe
  • The commands are given above check for any disruptions in system files (<1 min), record them (10-15 min), and fix the corruption using Windows Update (>=15 mins), respectively.
  • Restart your computer to see if taskhostw.exe is not causing any further errors.

Reset Windows Reliability Monitor To Fix Taskhostw.Exe High Cpu Usage

The Windows Reliability Monitor is an integral part of the Windows operating system. This system application looks over your computer’s functionality and stability, provides a security rating to the applications, and informs you if anything goes critically wrong.

But more often than not, this feature reports inaccurate information to the Task Manager regarding CPU usage by the task host, due to which it becomes an impediment to resetting the Windows Reliability Monitor.

The steps below fix this:

Open Control Panel From the Start Menu
  • Open the Control Panel from the Start Menu (by searching).
Open the System and Security category
  • Select the System and Security category.
security and Maintenance
  • Click on the Security and Maintenance option.
Click on View Reliability history under maintenance tab
  • Open the View reliability history link under the Maintenance tab.
Click View All Problem Reports
  • Inside the Windows Reliability Monitor, scroll down to view all problem reports.
Clear all problem reports select button
  • Click on Clear all problem reports.
Click on the Clear All button
  • When the confirmation dialog box appears, click Clear All.

After performing the steps above, restart your computer to see if the high CPU usage due to taskhostw.exe is fixed.

Perform A System Restore In Windows To Return Taskhostw.Exe To Its Working State

Through the System Restore feature in Windows OS, you can restore your computer to a previous working state where taskhostw.exe didn’t have any error. Follow the steps to access a system restore point:

Use rstrui in the Run dialog box to open the System Restore app
  • Open Windows Run (Win key + R), type strut inside, and press Enter.
System Restore Window, click Next to select restore point
  • Inside the System Restore window, click on Next.
  • Select a System Restore point, whichever one is preferable for you.
  • Click Next to confirm your resort point choice.
  • Press the Finish button to begin the restoration process.

Disable Controlled Folder Access In Windows Defender

Suppose you receive the message “Controlled folder access blocks taskhostw.exe from making changes to memory” from the Windows Defender security software. In that case, the Controlled Folder access feature is buggy, and you can fix it through the given sets of steps:

  • Open the Windows Security Center from the Start Menu.
  • Click on the Virus & threat protection tile.
  • On the next screen, select the Ransomware protection option.
Disable Controlled Folder Access in Windows Defender
  • You can disable Controlled Folder Access from the Ransomware protection screen by toggling this feature off.
  • Restart your computer to see the changes. You will not receive the persistent taskhostw message anymore.

Perform An Intensive Malware Scan To Find Hidden Trojan Or Ransomware

There is a good chance that some taskhostw.exe processes in Task Manager are dangerous, as malware or ransomware makers often use this filename to disguise their processes as taskhostw.exe.

By running a virus scan, you can avoid damaging your PC and losing crucial data in the future. You’ll also have more CPU and RAM resources available.

  • Windows Defender is the most basic but powerful security software to have on hand. Your computer’s first layer of defense can identify and stop these destructive processes.
  • It is compatible with Windows 10 and can run alongside other system protection applications to provide you with the protection you need.
Search for Windows security in the start menu
  • To perform a scan through Windows Defender, open the Windows security app by searching it in the Start Menu.
From Virus & threat protection on the left sidebar, select Quick Scan
  • Select the Virus & threat protection category from the left sidebar, and open Quick scan on the right side.
If no virus found, no current threats
  • Once the scan is complete, you will be able to see the results. A message that reads “No Current Threats” should be displayed if there is no virus.
  • There will be a notice that states “Threats Found,” and a list of the infected files will appear below it if there is malware.
Start actions if virus is found
  • You can begin removing the threats by clicking on the “Start Actions” button.
  • Once you’ve removed the virus, you can restart your computer to determine if you receive a taskhostw.exe high disk usage warning notification.

Repair Corrupt Dll Files Linked With The Taskhostw.Exe User Process

Most of the time, the taskhostw.exe blocked problem is caused by corruption. DLL files that prevent Taskhost.exe from opening them on demand. You can locate, replace, or delete any DLL files causing issues for your system.

Using the Windows resource monitor, you may view detailed performance data from the Task Manager and realize which software component is causing the error:

Open Task Manager from the Win + X menu
  • Open the Task Manager by pressing Windows + X shortcut keys and clicking on Task Manager.
Observe CPU under the Performance tab
  • Go to the Performance tab.
  • Examine the graphs under the CPU section (the computer’s central processing unit).
Arrange the processes in descending order of the CPU usage
  • Select the Details tab to identify which applications or systems are causing the CPU strain under your username.
  • Now, click on the CPU column name. This arranges all the processes in descending order of their CPU usage.
  • Then seek the process(es) that consistently have a high utilization rate (ignore the idle system process).
  • Right-click on each of these processes and select End task from the context menu as many times as necessary.

Update, Repair Or Reinstall A Problematic Software

If you have recently installed an application, you should consider reinstalling it. This is due to the possibility that the installation is not complete and generating problems with the taskhostw.exe process.

If there is an updated version of the software available, download and install it from the web. You can also use third-party optimization software to automate this process for you.

Update The Microsoft Windows Operating System

If you receive the Windows cannot find taskhost.exe message, it might be because the Task Host Window process is outdated, and updating your Windows might help fix the taskhostw.exe error. Follow these steps to check and install Windows updates:

Open Update Manager from Start menu
  • Press the Windows key, type updates at the Start Menu, and click on the Check for Updates.
Check for Updates
  • On the Windows Update window, click on Check for Updates button to find fresh new system updates. Once found, Windows will download and install them automatically.
  • Restart your PC after the update is complete.

Reset Your Windows 10 Operating System

If all the above methods fail to work for you, you could try resetting the Windows operating system to restore the original taskhostw.exe file to its usual folder. You can reset Windows through these steps:

Note: Resetting Windows will delete everything from your computer, so take appropriate backups of your PC hard drive.

  • Open Windows Settings from the gear icon at the Start Menu.
  • Head to the Update & Security category.
  • Click Recovery from the left panel.
Start Windows Reset by clicking Get Started
  • Click the Get Started button under Reset this PC.
Remove everything and refresh windows installation
  • Once your computer restarts into a blue screen, select the 2nd option to Remove everything and start with a fresh Windows installation.
  • After you reset Windows, all your taskhostw.exe errors will be fixed.