Conhost.exe May 2026

By moving console management to conhost.exe , Windows allows these windows to run under the user's account permissions, improving both system stability and security. Why is it running?

Programs like cmd.exe (Command Prompt) or PowerShell. conhost.exe

You will see conhost.exe in your Task Manager whenever a is active. This includes: By moving console management to conhost

Introduced with Windows 7, conhost.exe was designed to fix a major security and design flaw in earlier versions of Windows. Previously, the ( csrss.exe ) handled command-line windows. However, csrss.exe ran under the highly privileged System account, making any bug or exploit in a console window a major security risk. You will see conhost

It enables modern UI elements in the console, such as the ability to drag and drop files into a window to copy their paths. Troubleshooting Common Concerns