1. Sep 26, 2017  What is COM surrogate? How to disable it? It can disguise malware, but it is a real process for Windows. Fix Problems with COM Surrogate on Windows 10. My Computers Duyenhip. Windows 7 Ultimate New 26 Sep 2017 #3. It's not a virus. The COM Surrogate (dllhost.exe) is a fancy name for the Sacrificial process for a COM object that.
2. May 08, 2019  Hi all, In the past few months I have been experiencing a performance issue. Every now and then when I open a windows explorer window, it takes a few minutes while the 'address' bar seems to be loading until the contents and the icons in the left pane appear. While it's loading, Windows. Hi, Firstly, clean boot system to exclude the influence of.
3. You’ll also notice that the process runs under your username and not the System or Local Service or Network Service accounts. Thankfully, COM Surrogate is not a virus (most of the time). It’s a legitimate Windows 10 process that runs in the background. It’s called dllhost because the.
4. The COM Surrogate is a fancy name for Sacrificial process for a COM object that is run outside of the process that requested it. Explorer uses the COM Surrogate when extracting thumbnails, for example.
5. HI, I have Windows 10 pro 64bit, clean installation on my PC. Some times, the 'COM Surrogate' process uses 33% of CPU, and causing windows explorer to stuck (the green progress bar loading and get.
6. The COM Surrogate (dllhost.exe) is a simple part of the Windows operating system and it creates thumbnails when you open any folder in your computer. It is a Windows process and sometimes works automatically and use the high CPU and memory. That is why some users want to.

• Com Surrogate Virus Windows 10
• Com Surrogate Using Cpu

Have you ever opened up the Windows Task Manager and wondered what half of the entries areHow to Handle Suspicious Windows Task Manager ProcessesHow to Handle Suspicious Windows Task Manager ProcessesCTRL + ALT + DEL aka three-finger salute is the quickest way to add to your confusion. Sorting through Task Manager Processes, you may notice something like svchost.exe using 99% of your CPU. So now..Read More? While newer versions of Windows have friendlier namesHow Windows Has Become More User-Friendly, 5 ExamplesHow Windows Has Become More User-Friendly, 5 ExamplesOver time, Windows has smoothed rough edges and created a more user-friendly experience, especially for novice users. Here are five big reasons that Windows is easier to use than ever before.Read More for most processes, finding out exactly what they do is tough.

One process you might have seen is COM Surrogate, also called dllhost.exe. What is this process for, why does it run, and does it mean you have a virus? Read on to find out.

What Is COM Surrogate?

According to Microsoft, COM Surrogate “is a fancy name for [s]acrificial process for a COM object that is run outside of the process that requested it.” That’s not clear at all, so let’s break that definition down and look at a few examples.

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Jul 26, 2019  Page 2 of 2 - 'Host Process for Windows Tasks' & 'COM Surrogate' keeps launching - posted in Windows 10 Support: I tried stopping the Carbonite service using the.

First, a COM (which stands for Component Object Model) object is essentially a Microsoft-designed standard for software created so that processes can easily talk to each other. For example, say you have an Excel spreadsheet embedded in a Word document8 Surprising Ways You Can Import Data into Microsoft Word8 Surprising Ways You Can Import Data into Microsoft WordKnowing how to import data into Microsoft Word from any source, including Excel, PDF files, or other Word documents, can save you a lot of time. We'll show you all the tricks.Read More. Seeing the changes you make in Excel automatically update the Word spreadsheet is possible thanks to these shared objects.

Com Surrogate Virus Windows 10

These COM objects, as is evident from the process name, are really DLL files. These reside in protected Windows folders5 Default Windows Files and Folders You Should Never Touch5 Default Windows Files and Folders You Should Never TouchWindows contains countless default files and folders, many of which the average user shouldn't touch. Here are five folders you should leave alone to avoid damaging your system.Read More and let the operating system (OS) function as it’s supposed to.

What’s the Sacrifice?

Next, we should examine what “sacrificial process” means. For that, we turn to another example.

A common use for COM Surrogate is the File Explorer building thumbnails. In older versions of Windows, the Explorer process would try to generate thumbnails under itself. This often resulted in crashes because thumbnail extractors aren’t always reliable.

You may have seen this behavior yourself: opening a folder with hundreds of images or a file type that Windows didn’t expect would sometimes cause Explorer to crash in the old days.

So, whenever File Explorer thinks that a crash may soon occur, it creates a COM Surrogate process to handle the risky behavior. In this case, when you open a folder that has a lot of thumbnails to generate, File Explorer passes the job off to COM Surrogate. That way, if the thumbnail loading crashes, the Explorer process doesn’t go down with it.

Can I Kill This Process?

Unlike some other important Windows processes7 Windows Task Manager Processes You Should Never Kill7 Windows Task Manager Processes You Should Never KillSome Windows processes can freeze or crash your system if terminated. We'll show you which Task Manager processes you should leave alone.Read More, you can open the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and kill any COM Surrogate processes you see. However, doing so usually isn’t a good idea. Programs create these processes whenever they need them to perform some action, so killing them will stop whatever they’re working on.

You can’t disable COM Surrogate, as it only runs when another program requests it.

How Do I See Which Process Started It?

The Task Manager, basic as it is, doesn’t let you see detailed info about COM Surrogate processes. Since you’ll often see multiple copies of it running, you might wonder which programs started them. For that, you’ll need to download Process Explorer, one of the best Task Manager alternatives5 Powerful Alternatives to the Windows Task Manager5 Powerful Alternatives to the Windows Task ManagerTask Killer would be a better name for the native Windows Task Manager since we only bring it up to kill unresponsive processes. Alternative Task Managers allow you to actually manage your processes.Read More.

Com Surrogate Using Cpu

Process Explorer gives loads of details about what’s running on your computer, and it can tell you what process started a COM Surrogate. Look through the list for a dllhost.exe process — they have COM Surrogate in the Description field. Mouse over it, and you’ll see some info about what’s responsible for it.

If you can’t find any dllhost processes, press Ctrl + F to open the search bar. Enter dllhost.exe to easily find all instances of it. If you don’t see any, it’s possible that no programs are using COM Surrogates at the moment.

In the below example, we’ve found that this COM Surrogate is handling thumbnails.

How Can I Fix a COM Surrogate Crash?

You likely haven’t ever noticed COM Surrogate unless you’ve seen an error that lets you know it stopped working and affects your Windows 10 performance14 Ways to Make Windows 10 Faster and Improve Performance14 Ways to Make Windows 10 Faster and Improve PerformanceIt's not hard to make Windows 10 faster. Here are several methods to improve the speed and performance of Windows 10.Read More. Most of the time, a particular file will cause this error, usually related to thumbnails. If you see COM Surrogate errors regularly, here are a few solutions you can try:

• Update/uninstall any codec packs and media software. If you use software like the K-Lite codec pack, or media tools such as DivX or Nero, something with them could cause this problem. Consider uninstalling them, as you really don’t need these codec packs anymoreHow to Troubleshoot Video & Audio Playback Issues on Your Windows PCHow to Troubleshoot Video & Audio Playback Issues on Your Windows PCNo video, no sound, how frustrating! Luckily your problem is likely to be a common Windows issue that we can help you troubleshoot right here, right now.Read More since VLC plays everything, and Nero has plenty of free alternativesThe Best, Free Alternatives to Nero CD/DVD BurnerThe Best, Free Alternatives to Nero CD/DVD BurnerDon't waste money on a CD/DVD burning tool! A freeware application might be all you need. Here we have compiled five alternatives to Nero Burning ROM for your Windows PC.Read More.
• Install Windows Updates. Some people have reported that installing the latest updates solves this issueHow & Why You Need To Install That Security PatchHow & Why You Need To Install That Security PatchRead More. It’s not always the solution, but it’s an easy first step. Perhaps there’s some small hiccup with a particular file type that Microsoft fixed with the latest patches.
• Delete existing thumbnails. If a corrupted thumbnail is causing COM Surrogate to crash, you can remove it using the Disk Cleanup tool7 Hidden Windows Caches & How to Clear Them7 Hidden Windows Caches & How to Clear ThemCached files can take up a lot of bytes. While dedicated tools can help you free up disk space, they might not clear it all. We show you how to manually release storage space.Read More. This will force Windows to rebuild the thumbnail cache, which could clear up the problem.

• Identify the problematic file. Use the Process Explorer, as discussed above, to see what file dllhost is trying to access. If it points to a specific file, that’s almost certainly your problem. Delete that file and see if the problems subside.
• Remove COM Surrogate from the Data Execution Prevention list. Windows uses something called Data Execution Prevention (DEP) to prevent malicious code from running on your system. You can exclude certain processes from this list, and doing so for COM Surrogate could stop the error.
  • Type advanced system into the Start Menu and select View advanced system settings. Click the Settings button under the Performance tab, then select the Data Execution Prevention tab.
  • Choose the second option, Turn on DEP for all programs… and click the Add button.
  • Browse to C:WindowsSystem32dllhost.exe on a 32-bit system, or C:WindowsSysWOW64dllhost.exe on 64-bit Windows. Click OK to save your changes.

• Scan your hard drive for problems. If this problem occurs with no patterns, you should run a few scans on your computer. At the Command prompt, use the SFC commandHow to Fix Corrupted Windows System Files With One CommandHow to Fix Corrupted Windows System Files With One CommandIf you're seeing weird issues in Windows, it could be due to system files becoming corrupted. Here's how to fix them using the System File Checker.Read More to repair Windows files and the CHKDSK commandIs CHKDSK Stuck? Fixes for When Check Disk Won't WorkIs CHKDSK Stuck? Fixes for When Check Disk Won't WorkCHKDSK can seriously deflate your Windows boot time. More importantly, it indicates that something's not right. Here's what Check Disk does and how you can use it.Read More to check for hard drive errors.
• Re-register a few DLL files in the Command Prompt.In the Command PromptHow to Master the Command Prompt in Windows 10How to Master the Command Prompt in Windows 10This article makes the Windows 10 Command Prompt approachable and way more useful. Learn how to run multiple commands, get help on any command, and more.Read More, running the commands regsvr32 vbscript.dll and regsvr32 jscript.dll will re-register two DLLs that could fix the COM Surrogate crash.
• Check your antivirus. Some have reported that Kaspersky antivirus conflicts can cause this issue. Try disabling antivirus protection and see if accessing that file/folder still results in an error.
• If you don’t use them, you can disable thumbnails completelyWhy You Should Disable Thumbnails in WindowsWhy You Should Disable Thumbnails in WindowsYou're probably used to Windows thumbnails, but did you know that you don't really need them? In fact, there are several benefits to turning them off.Read More.

Can This Signify a Virus?

The normal COM Surrogate process is a normal part of Windows and isn’t malicious. However, some malware has been known to use dllhost processes for nefarious purposes. Seeing a large number of COM Surrogate entries in the Task Manager using a lot of the CPUHow to Fix High CPU Usage in WindowsHow to Fix High CPU Usage in WindowsDoes your PC suffer from high CPU usage up to 100%? Here's how to fix high CPU usage in Windows 10.Read More is a sign that you could have an infection.

Because this type of malware mimics important system processes and files, we don’t recommend trying to remove it on your own. You might end up deleting a critical file by mistake. Instead, run a scan with your installed antivirusThe 8 Best Security Software for Windows 10 Malware ProtectionThe 8 Best Security Software for Windows 10 Malware ProtectionWant to tighten security on your PC? It's a good idea, so take a look at these fantastic antivirus choices for Windows 10.Read More and then try a second one to make sure you’re clean.

Consult our list of the best nag-free antivirus programsTop Free Antivirus Apps Without Nag Screens and BloatwareTop Free Antivirus Apps Without Nag Screens and BloatwareNagging antivirus apps are a huge pain. You don't have to put up with them, even for free. Here are the best antivirus programs that don't come with popups or bundled junk.Read More if you need a recommendation. Don’t forget that you can run a scan with Windows Defender even if you don’t use it all the time (though you probably should4 Reasons to Use Windows Defender in Windows 104 Reasons to Use Windows Defender in Windows 10In the past, Windows Defender was overshadowed by other options, but now it's quite a contender. Here are a few reasons why you should consider dropping your security suite in favor of Windows Defender.Read More).

Type defender into the Start Menu and open Windows Defender Security Center. Select Virus & threat protection, then click the Quick scan button to run a scan.

No matter which antivirus you use, getting a second opinion from the venerable Malwarebytes is smart too.

That’s All for COM Surrogate

We’ve covered everything you should know about the COM Surrogate process. As it turns out, this process is a helper that another program can create when it wants to outsource some task. Because of this, you’ll see various numbers of COM Surrogate running at different times. You know what to do to troubleshoot crashes, and what to look for to detect a virus.

For more Windows knowledge, check out our newcomer’s guide to PC troubleshootingWindows Troubleshooting for DummiesWindows Troubleshooting for DummiesWindows takes a lot of crap for problems outside of its control. Learn about the biggest issues people incorrectly pin on Windows and how to actually troubleshoot them.Read More.

Have you ever noticed the COM Surrogate process running on your PC? Has it had issues with crashing, and what fixed it for you? Share with us in the comments!

Image Credit: Jeanette.Dietl/Depositphotos

Explore more about: File Explorer, Troubleshooting, Windows 10, Windows Task Manager.

Have you ever noticed the COM Surrogate process in the Windows 10 task manager? I was browsing through the list of processes and noticed two of them running on my system.

Understanding the different processes in task manager can be quite a challenge. I already wrote a detailed post on svchost.exe, which is a process that hosts different Windows services. There can easily be 10 to 15 of these running on your system at any given time.

In this article, I’ll give you a quick look at what COM Surrogate is in Windows 10 and whether you have to worry about it or not.

What is COM Surrogate?

COM Surrogate is one of those processes where you really have no idea of what it does by looking at it. It doesn’t have a custom icon and sits there without providing much information about what it does.

Sometimes, there are multiple COM Surrogate processes running at once. If you go to task manager, you’ll normally see two of them running.

If you right-click on either and choose Go to Details, you’ll see that the process name is actually dllhost.exe. You’ll also notice that the process runs under your username and not the System or Local Service or Network Service accounts.

Thankfully, COM Surrogate is not a virus (most of the time). It’s a legitimate Windows 10 process that runs in the background. It’s called dllhost because the process is hosting DLL files. That probably makes no sense, so let’s explain it in more detail.

Basically, Microsoft created an interface for developers to create extensions to programs called COM Objects. This is used for certain programs in Windows 10 also. For example, Windows Explorer has a COM object that allows it to create thumbnails for images and videos in a folder.

However, the big problem with these COM objects was that they would crash and bring the Explorer process down with it too. That meant your whole system would crash if a COM object failed for any reason.

To fix this issue, Microsoft came up with the COM Surrogate process that basically ran the COM object in a separate process than the one that requested it. So, in the Explorer example, the COM object would not run in the explorer.exe process, but instead in this newly created COM surrogate process.

Now, if the COM object crashed, it would only take out the COM Surrogate process and Explorer would continue running. Pretty smart, right?

Actually, if you download Process Explorer, you can see the COM object I am referring to above.

If you hover your mouse over the dllhost.exe entry, you can see the COM class is Microsoft Thumbnail Cache, which is the extension used to create the thumbnails in Explorer.

Can COM Surrogate Be a Virus?

There have been instances in the past where trojans and viruses have hidden in the Windows operating system by masking themselves as COM Surrogate and other Windows processes.

If you open task manager, right-click on the process and choose Open file location, you’ll be able to find the source location for the process.

If COM Surrogate process leads to a file called ‘dllhost’ in the C:WindowsSystem32 folder, it’s unlikely to be a virus. If it leads elsewhere, you should run a virus scan immediately.

Usually, COM surrogate uses very little memory and CPU and there are only one or two instances of it running. If there are numerous dllhosts.exe processes or the process is eating up more than 1 to 2 percent of your CPU, I would suggest performing an offline virus scan, which can better detect tricky hidden viruses.

Hopefully, reading through this article has taught you a thing or two about COM Surrogate and Windows 10 background processes. Going forward, you should be less worried about seeing processes like this running in the background.

If you still have any questions, leave a comment and we’ll try to help. Enjoy!