Chrome.exe is a process that is related to Google Chrome, which is a web browser. However, there are cases where this process can be malicious and classified as a virus.
When you open the Chrome Task Manager, you will notice many processes as Chrome splits almost every action into a process. If you are seeing the Chrome.exe process on your computer, it’s important to determine whether or not it’s safe to remove. In this article, we will show you how to do just that!
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What is Chrome.exe?
On Windows, the Chrome.exe file is the program that starts and runs the Chrome browser on your PC. The process usually starts when you launch Chrome, and it runs in the background as long as the browser is open.
The file itself is located in the following directory: C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application.
If you’re seeing a Chrome.exe process on your computer that doesn’t seem to be associated with the Chrome browser, it’s important to determine whether or not the process is safe. In some cases, malware can disguise itself as the Chrome.exe process in order to avoid detection.
How to know if Chrome.exe is a Virus?
There are a few different ways that you can tell if the Chrome.exe process on your computer is safe or not:
- The first thing you should do is check the location of the file. If it’s not in the directory that we mentioned above, there’s a good chance that it’s a virus. So, check if Chrome.exe is present in this location: C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application.
- Another way to tell if Chrome.exe is a virus is by checking the properties of the file. To do this, right-click on the file and select “Properties.” Under the “General” tab, you should see a section that says “File description.” If it says anything other than “Google Chrome,” there’s a good chance that the file is a virus.
- You can also check the digital signature of the file. This can be done by going to the “Properties” and switching to the “Digital Signatures” section. If you see a signature from Google, it means that the file is safe. However, if you don’t see a signature or if the signature says “Unknown,” it’s likely that the file is a virus.
- If you’re still not sure whether or not the Chrome.exe process on your computer is safe, you can try running a virus scan with your antivirus software. If the file is flagged as malware, it’s probably best to remove it from your system.
How to Remove Chrome.exe Virus?
If you’ve determined that the Chrome.exe process on your computer is indeed a virus, there are a few different ways that you can remove it.
Run an Antimalware Program
The first thing you should do is run an antimalware program to remove the virus. We recommend using Malwarefox, as it’s effective at removing malware and viruses.
Once you’ve downloaded and installed Malwarefox, launch the program and click on the “Scan” button. The software will now scan your computer for viruses and other malicious files.
When the scan is complete, you should see a list of all the malware and viruses that were found on your system. Select all of the items and click on the “Remove Selected” button.
Malwarefox will now remove all of the malicious files from your computer.
Uninstall Suspicious Programs
Another way to remove the Chrome.exe virus is to uninstall any suspicious programs that might be associated with it. To do this, follow these steps:
- Open up the “Control Panel” and click on “Uninstall a program.”
- You should now see a list of all the programs that are installed on your computer. Look through the list and find any programs that you don’t recognize or that you remember installing recently.
- Once you’ve found a suspicious program, click on the “Uninstall” button.
- Repeat this process for any other programs that you don’t recognize.
- Delete Suspicious Files
Delete Suspicious Files
In some cases, the Chrome.exe virus might not be associated with any programs. In this case, you’ll need to delete any suspicious files that might be related to the virus. To do this, follow these steps:
- Open up the “File Explorer” and navigate to the following directory: C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application.
- You should now see a list of all the files in this directory. Look through the list and find any files that you don’t recognize or that was created recently.
- Once you’ve found a suspicious file, right-click on it and select “Delete.”
- Repeat this process for any other files that you don’t recognize.
Clean Chrome Browser
The last thing you should do is clean your Chrome browser. This will remove any malicious extensions or toolbar that might be installed. To do this, follow these steps:
- Open up the Chrome browser and click on the “Menu” icon (three dots in the top-right corner).
- Hover over “More tools” and select “Extensions.”
- You should now see a list of all the extensions that are installed on your browser. Find any extensions that you don’t recognize or that you remember installing recently.
- Once you’ve found a suspicious extension, click on the “Remove” button.
- Repeat this process for any other extensions that you don’t recognize.
- After you’ve removed all of the suspicious extensions, you should restart your browser. This will remove any remaining malicious files.
Use Chrome Virus Scanner
Chrome comes with a built-in malware scanner which can be used for removing malicious files which might be causing the high CPU usage.
Performing the virus scan on Chrome is pretty straightforward and it can be done without entangling into too many steps.
Here are the steps for that:
- Launch Google Chrome browser and head towards its Settings.
- From the left pane, expand the Advanced settings.
- Now under the Advanced settings, click on the Reset and clean up option.
- Under that, select Clean up computer.
- Finally, click on the Find button to begin the Chrome Virus Scan.
- The tool will start checking for the harmful software on the computer.
As of now, only Chrome’s PC version supports the malware removal feature.
Wrapping Up
It’s always a good idea to be proactive about protecting your computer from viruses. If you think that you might have the Chrome.exe virus, there are a few different ways that you can remove it. In this post, we’ve shown you how to detect and remove the Chrome.exe virus.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below!
There is no definitive answer, as it depends on the specific instance of Chrome.exe. However, if you think that Chrome.exe might be a virus, you can follow the steps in this post to remove it from your computer.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer, as it depends on the specific virus. However, we recommend using an antimalware program like Malwarebytes to remove viruses from your computer.
The best way to prevent getting viruses is to be proactive about your computer’s security. Install an antivirus program and keep it up-to-date. Avoid downloading files from unknown sources, and be careful about what you click on online. If you follow these steps, you’ll be less likely to get viruses in the future.
