Each process and each service in the Windows operating system is responsible for a particular component in the system. The user can watch a list of all running processes, for example, in the "Task Manager". Among others, you can notice mshta.exe. What is this process, what role does Windows play? Does it pose any threat and how to fix errors associated with it?
Mshta.exe - what is this process?
Mshta.exe is a process that was developed by Microsoft itself to launch HTML applications within the Windows operating system. It starts at the time of logging in and works in the background until the user double-clicks on the previously named application.
The mshta.exe file is located on the system in the following path: " C:\Windows\System32\ ". Its size ranges from 12,000 to 50,000 bytes, depending on the mode of use. The processor loads a maximum of 25% on condition of direct use, so that the overall performance is practically not affected.
Could it be a virus?
Mshta.exe - what is it? Is it a virus? This is a system process developed by Microsoft, from which the only conclusion can be drawn - it is not a virus. However, do not rush to conclusions, it is likely that the system may contain a malicious process under the same name. Virus developers often use this trick to trick the user.
Earlier in the article, the general characteristics of the process executable file were presented. By comparing them with a file on your computer, you can check whether it is a virus or not.
How to remove a virus
If you find discrepancies between your process and genuine data, then you need to immediately get rid of the malicious program. There are several ways to accomplish this. The easiest way for the average user to use antivirus software. However, it is worth considering that you need to use the program from third-party developers, since the standard Windows Defender has already missed the threat.
Error manifestation
Now it’s clear how to remove the virus hiding under the mshta.exe process. But what to do with the error that this process may produce?
Since the process works with HTML-programs, the reaction of the system will occur at the moment of interaction with them. Accordingly, when you try to start such a program, a message will appear on the monitor notifying of a certain error. The text may be different, but most often the following occurs: "< program name > is not a Win32 application."
Causes of mshta.exe application errors
Why is this error happening? If the user finds out the reason, it will be easier to deal with the consequences.
Two main ones can be distinguished: the virus worked or the user made changes to the system registry or there are no key files to run in the directory of the application itself. But viruses may not interfere with the registry, damaging the application itself.
Less popular reasons are the following: a conflict between two applications and system boot corruption.
How to fix the error
Having dealt with the causes of the mshta.exe error, you can proceed directly to the methods for resolving it. Fortunately, this does not have to reinstall the operating system, although in extreme cases this method will definitely work, at least because it will work completely.
So, among the methods that will help fix the problem, there are the following:
- Correction of registry entries. For this purpose, you can use, for example, the MSDN Sisk program or WinThruster.
- Carrying out a full system scan to detect infected processes. AdwCleaner is perfect for this.
- Updating the operating system to the latest version.
- Updating all drivers in the system.
- System recovery to the point where an error was not observed.
This is enough to precisely fix the problem with the mshta.exe file.
Conclusion
Now you know not only that it is mshta.exe - the process responsible for the operation of HTTP applications, but also how to eliminate errors in its operation. In fact, this problem with viruses is a fairly popular cause of errors in the operation of various processes (not only this, presented in the article). That is why it makes sense to install third-party antivirus software and periodically check the personal computer for malware.