What Is and should you remove it

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What Is Unsecapp.exe And Is It Safe?

The Windows operating system is a sum of its parts. It works thanks to millions of lines of code, spread over hundreds of processes, services, applications, and drivers. When you power on your PC, those processes help to create the user interface you use to sign in, load your software, and more.

Unsecapp.exe is one of several Windows system processes that run in the background on your PC. It is a genuine system component, but with an unfamiliar name and purpose. You might be wondering what unsecapp.exe is, what it does, and whether it’s safe. Here’s everything you need to know.

Table of Contents

What Is Unsecapp.exe and Is It Safe?

If you spot unsecapp.exe in your Windows Task Manager, don’t be alarmed. Unsecapp.exe stands for Universal Sink to Receive Callbacks from Applications, and relates to a process that’s listed in Windows as Sink to receive asynchronous callbacks for WMI client application.

This is rather complex and technical, but it essentially means that the process plays a part in how Windows responds to requests and instructions from other software. WMI, or Windows Management Instrumentation, allows these services, devices, and drivers to work properly.

The sink (that’s what unsecapp.exe is) is the method that allows these applications to run tasks and instructions that Windows understands. You might, for instance, have an installed app or service that wants to notify you of something using the notifications area on the taskbar.

To do this, the software is designed to make certain calls (requests) to Windows using the WMI sink. Installed apps and services will do this all the time, offering a secure (yet limited) way for these apps to interface with parts of the Windows infrastructure such as the taskbar.

That’s why, when you see this service running in the Windows Task Manager, you shouldn’t be alarmed. While a malware infection can sometimes hide itself and pretend to be services like unsecapp.exe, most users will find that the process running is the real unsecapp.exe file (and therefore safe to keep running).

How to Remove Unsecapp.exe From Windows 10

You can’t remove the real unsecapp.exe from Windows 10. Like other important services that run in the background, such as msmpeng.exe, you can’t stop unsecapp.exe from running, and the file itself can’t be deleted.

This is because it’s a critical system process that Windows needs to run. If you somehow managed to stop this process from running, Windows would soon stop working and crash, forcing you to reboot. Even worse, if you delete it, you may need to perform a full reinstall of your Windows 10 system.

While the real unsecapp.exe can’t be removed, fake versions of it can be. While rare, some users online have reported malware that pretends to be important system services like unsecapp.exe to hide in plain sight while damaging your PC.

If this happens, then free software exists to allow you to remove malware completely from your PC. If you don’t want to use a third-party option, then you can always use Windows Security (previously Windows Defender) to run a scan instead, or by using third-party antivirus software.

1. If you don’t have a third-party antivirus installed, then you’ll need to run a boot-level scan of your PC using Windows Security. To do this, right-click the Start menu and select the Settings option.

1. In the Settings menu, select Update & Security > Windows Security > Open Windows Security. This will open a separate Windows Security menu.

1. In the new Windows Security menu, select Virus & threat protection on the left, then select Scan options.

1. In the Scan options menu, select Microsoft Defender Offline scan, then select the Scan now button.

At this point, Windows will reboot your PC and scan your system files for potential malware. If an infection is detected, the problematic files should be quarantined or removed, but you may wish to look at third-party options to remove particularly stubborn malware infections.

How to Check If Unsecapp.exe Is Real or Not

If you think that the unsecapp.exe process running on your Windows 10 PC isn’t real, you can check it first by using the Windows Task Manager to see if it’s located in your Windows system folder.

1. To do this, you’ll need to first open Windows Task Manager. Right-click the taskbar and select the Task Manager option to do this. Alternatively, hold the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys on your keyboard to open it instead.

1. In the Task Manager window, you can find unsecapp.exe in one of two ways. Under the Processes tab, scroll through and locate the Sink to receive asynchronous callbacks for WMI client application process in the Background processes category. Alternatively, search for unsecapp.exe in the Details tab instead. Right-click either option, then select Open file location.

1. This will open the location of the unsecapp.exe process in Windows File Explorer. If the file is the legitimate unsecapp.exe Windows system process, then this will open the C:\Windows\System32\wbem folder, where other important Windows system files are located.

1. Users who find the legitimate unsecapp.exe file can rest easy, as this file is safe to run. If the file is located elsewhere (which means a malware infection is likely), then you may be able to stop the process immediately by right-clicking it in the Task Manager and selecting the End task option. This is unlikely to work for more sophisticated malware.

If this doesn’t work, you’ll need to look at trying to remove the malware using the steps outlined in the section above.

Can Unsecapp.exe Cause High CPU, RAM or Other High System Resource Usage?

From time to time, the unsecapp.exe process is reported to use a high amount of your system resources. High CPU or RAM usage is uncommon, but due to the nature of what unsecapp.exe is and how it works, this is probably due to a third-party service or app interacting with it, rather than a system fault or error.

If a fault is likely, you may wish to use certain command line tools to scan your Windows installation for errors. Problems with unsecapp.exe could be due to missing files or a poor configuration, causing unnecessary system resource usage on your PC as a result.

The age of your PC might also be the problem. If your PC is a little older, you may need to think carefully about whether it can support the latest Windows 10 features and updates. If that’s the case, you may need to consider upgrading your PC to improve the situation.

Identifying Genuine Windows 10 System Processes

Like svchost.com and others, unsecapp.exe is an important system process that can’t be disabled or removed. Without it, your system wouldn’t work correctly. If you’re still concerned that unsecapp.exe isn’t legitimate, you can always use Task Manager to trace the file location to see if it’s the right process.

If it isn’t, then you’re probably dealing with a malware infection that’s masquerading as an important system service. To deal with this, you’ll need to scan your PC for malware and remove it. If that doesn’t work, then you may need to wipe and reset Windows back to its default set up, removing the malware in the process.

Ben Stockton is a freelance technology writer based in the United Kingdom. In a past life, Ben was a college lecturer in the UK, training teens and adults. Since leaving the classroom, Ben has taken his teaching experience and applied it to writing tech how-to guides and tutorials, specialising in Linux, Windows, and Android. He has a degree in History and a postgraduate qualification in Computing. Read Ben’s Full Bio

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What Is unsecapp.exe and should you remove it?

Many times Windows users experience a common problem in their devices, a program would appear out of nowhere and would start using too much memory or too much of the CPU power and thereby slowing down and causing the device to heat. This is a very annoying problem and keeps happening from time to time with different kinds of programs.

Unsecapp.exe is one of those programs which can slow down and heat your device. It is normally not used by any software on your device quite often but might pop up suddenly when using antivirus programs like Avast.

What is unsecapp.exe?

Unsecapp.exe, as defined by Microsoft, is a part of Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) subsystem and it is required by applications which need to use WMI programming. It is an important software component of the Windows operating system.

It is one of the most important programs used when two or more computers are communicating with each other. The process in a broader sense is known as ‘Sink to receive asynchronous callbacks for WMI client application‘ which was made by Microsoft. It contributes to the WMI Client interface structure to receive callbacks for client-based applications which are running many different kinds of processes. It was already a part of Windows when you purchased it and booted it for the first time, it did not get installed from anywhere else or any other program.

What does unsecapp.exe process do?

This program is a legitimate DLL(Dynamic Link Library) file which is a part of the Windows framework, which is also developed by Microsoft and it is known as a ‘Sink to receive asynchronous callbacks for WMI client application‘.

The explicit role of this program as explained by Microsoft is that is it used to send results back to a client which may not have the permission to be a DCOM service. Unsecapp.exe is relied upon by both of the Scripting and Microsoft .NET System Management namespace and antivirus programs like Avast and others.

It’s all very technical, in simple terms when your computer is connecting or communicating with another computer or device, unsecapp.exe is used by the Windows operating system.

Where is unsecapp.exe located?

It should normally be available under ‘C:\Windows\System32\wbem‘ or which we call the System32 folder. If you have found it in any other folder, then there is a high possibility of it being malware or a virus. Sometimes hackers and malware creators name their virus scripts and applications the same as legitimate files of the operating system, to make it look real and confuse gullible people.

You should then remove the file if only you found it in any other directory than the one mentioned above or in the image below. So right-click on the unsecapp.exe in the taskbar and then click on ‘Open file location‘ and if the location is the System32 folder then there is nothing to worry about.

This is the default directory for unsecapp.exe

What is unsecapp.exe in Windows 7 or Vista or 10?

Unsecapp.exe comes preinstalled in most of the latest Windows version such as the Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 or Windows 10. It is a very important piece of software which is used in some programs installed on your computer to communicate with different computers. You should not remove it if you found it in the said location as mentioned above, as removing it could cause problems with some applications.

How to disable unsecapp.exe?

You don’t really need to disable it or remove it because it is not a virus or any kind of malware. Its just an innocent windows program part of the WMI(Windows Management Instruction).

Its full form is the ‘Universal Sink to Receive Callbacks from Applications’. It comes with a .exe extension which means it is an executable file. It is a process found under the System32 folder of your System and it is included in the core functionality of Windows.

If you still want to stop it, then you can open your Task Manager by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESC together or just find its option by right-clicking on your taskbar. After opening your taskbar find the unsecapp.ese program and then click on the ‘End Task’ button to force stop it. It will be temporarily stopped, it might start again when you reboot your pc or install any new applications which require it.

Why is unsecapp.exe suddenly running?

The cause of the program suddenly running could be that you installed some new application which needs its help to execute a certain function of the app. Many programs use this to communicate with servers and many users reported apps like Steam, Discord use this program when installed. It is not harmful at all and you should not worry if you found it in the System32 folder.

Is unsecapp.exe harmful or dangerous?

No, it is not harmful or dangerous because it is built by Microsoft Corporation and it is part of the main framework of the Windows Operating System. If it was found in the directory that we mentioned above in Where is Unsecapp.exe located? then it is absolutely safe to let it be as it is. But if you found it someplace else, in any other directory then I would recommend you to scan it with your antivirus program and if found to be harmful, then immediately remove it.