What is Software_Reporter_Tool.exe Causing High CPU Usage?
If you noticed a strange process or application with the name “Software_Reporter_Tool.exe” running in Task Manager which is causing high CPU usage/disk usage and you are wondering what is it doing in your computer, then you have come to the right place.
In this article, we’ll tell you what is Software_Reporter_Tool.exe app? How did it install in your computer system? Is it safe or suspicious? What does it do in your PC? What are the pros and cons of allowing this executable to run in background? and how to disable or remove it from your computer?
Let’s discuss everything one by one:
What is Software_Reporter_Tool.exe Running in Your PC? [Investigation]
Many users have noticed this Software_Reporter_Tool.exe executable running in their computer systems. Most of the times 3 or more instances of this executable run in computers.
Following screenshot shows 3 instances of Software_Reporter_Tool.exe running in our Windows 10 PC:
The executable name is Software_Reporter_Tool.exe and the real name or description shows “Software Reporter Tool“.
Many people have complained that this executable causes high CPU usage in their systems. Sometimes it takes up to 60% of CPU resources. You can see in above screenshot, it’s taking 25% of CPU resources in our system.
So what is this Software_Reporter_Tool.exe executable?
If you right-click on the Software_Reporter_Tool.exe entry in Task Manager and select “Open file location” option, it’ll open following folder in your computer:
C:UsersYour_User_NameAppDataLocalGoogleChromeUser DataSwReporterVersion_Number
The version number folder was “35.180.200” in our computer. Under this folder the executable Software_Reporter_Tool.exe will be present.
You can also directly access the above mentioned folder in your computer using following path in RUN dialog box:
%localappdata%GoogleChromeUser DataSwReporter
As the folder name suggests, the Software_Reporter_Tool.exe executable is related to Google Chrome web browser. When you install Google Chrome browser in your computer, it automatically installs or copies the Software_Reporter_Tool.exe executable in above mentioned folder.
Is Software_Reporter_Tool.exe Safe or Suspicious?
Since the executable is installed by Google Chrome browser, it is absolutely safe. Many times people think that it’s a virus or malware but they are wrong. It’s a part of Google Chrome web browser. No security software detects anything malicious in Software Reporting Tool.
What is Software_Reporter_Tool.exe Doing in My Computer?
Software_Reporter_Tool.exe or Software Reporter Tool (SRT) is used by Google Chrome web browser. It is a part of Google Chrome’s “Clean up Computer” functionality which was previously available as a standalone app known as Chrome Cleanup Tool formerly known as Software Removal Tool.
Difference Between Software Reporter Tool, Chrome Cleanup Tool and Software Removal Tool:
Basically Software Reporter Tool, Chrome Cleanup Tool and Software Removal Tool all are identical. There is not much difference between all these 3 tools. Google Chrome runs Software Reporter Tool to scan your computer for harmful software and if a harmful app is found, Chrome prompts the user to run Chrome Cleanup Tool (aka Software Removal Tool) to remove it.
Actually Google Chrome comes with a very useful feature which allows users to find and remove harmful software programs from their computer systems. You just need to scan your computer with this feature and it’ll automatically detect and remove harmful software from your PC.
You can check out following tutorial for more details about this feature:
[Tip] Remove Malware and Other Harmful Software Using Google Chrome
The Software Reporter Tool executable is used by Google Chrome to scan your computer for harmful software, that’s why you see it running in background. It also detects programs which may cause problems to Google Chrome functionality.
Please note that Software Reporter Tool is not an antivirus or anti-malware program. It just scans and removes apps and extensions which may cause problems to Google Chrome and may prevent Chrome from working properly such as tab crashes, unknown homepage or search engines, etc.
Software Reporter Tool executable runs once a week and scans your computer. It may take up to 25 minutes in completing the full scan.
What are Pros and Cons of Software_Reporter_Tool.exe Running in My Computer?
Following are pros and cons of allowing Software_Reporter_Tool.exe running in your computer:
Pros of Software_Reporter_Tool.exe:
- It can remove harmful software and malware from your computer.
- It can remove extra useless extensions and add-ons from Google Chrome which were automatically installed by 3rd party software without your knowledge.
Cons of Software_Reporter_Tool.exe:
- Sometimes it consumes too much RAM and causes high CPU usages and disk usage issue. It may slow down your computer.
- Sometimes it crashes and you get “Google Chrome Software Reporter Tool has stopped working” error message in Windows.
- Sometimes it may detect and remove some apps and extensions/add-ons from Google Chrome which it finds harmful but the apps and extensions are actually safe and useful and were installed intentionally by you.
- It scans your Windows drive and may report its findings (metadata about harmful software/extensions) to Google which may not please privacy concerned people.
Should You Allow Software_Reporter_Tool.exe to Run in Your Computer?
It depends. Generally you should not face any problem with this tool and you should allow this tool to run in your computer as it protects users from harmful software and malware.
But if it causes high CPU usage in your computer or you don’t want this tool to report its finding to Google, you may block it from running in your computer.
How to Disable or Remove Software_Reporter_Tool.exe from Your Computer?
There are many solutions to disable or block Software Reporter Tool which will require a separate topic to discuss. So we have created an exclusive tutorial to prevent/restrict this tool from running in your computer system. If you decided to disable or remove this tool, following tutorial will help you in getting rid of this tool from your system: