I wrote this article to help you remove Taskhost.exe. This Taskhost.exe removal guide works for all Windows versions.

Taskhost.exe is a Trojan horse. The developers of this virus have cleverly disguised its process to resemble a system task. The truth is that the Windows OS does not perform such a task. If you find Taskhost.exe listed in your Task Manager, you can conclude that you have contacted this particular Trojan. The best way to locate this type of infection is to identify its malicious process. If you have discovered the nefarious program on your system, you have made the first step towards solving the problem. We will explain what you have to do and what measures you need to take to prevent the Trojan from inflicting further damage while it is active.

Taskhost.exe uses computers as a vessel. The Trojan gives the people behind it remote access to the targeted device. The cyber criminals will exploit your system’s resources in order to conduct certain operations. This will have a negative effect on your machine’s functionality. It will slow down to a crawl. Basic tasks will take a long time to complete, while the more sophisticated processes may be impossible to execute altogether. Other symptoms for the presence of Taskhost.exe include freezes, crashes and the blue screen of death (BSOD). Note that these are all basic side effects which result from the activity of the malignant program. A lot of viruses can cause them. To identify the program you have contacted, you may need to do further research.

Remove Taskhost.exe — The Taskhost.exe Virus

The main task on the agenda of the hackers is collecting information. They make proceeds by selling and misusing private details. The attackers can use a given computer to penetrate devices located in different parts of the world. Taskhost.exe can obtain various types of information. This ranges from browsing history, tracking cookies, keystrokes, IP address, email account, browser type and version, system specifications, zip code, full name, address of residency, telephone number, fax, user names, passwords and financial credentials. The Trojan accesses the information users enter into their online accounts and the details their browser stores per default.

The consequences from the tracking activity depend on the types of data the victims have revealed through their online activity. The owners of Taskhost.exe can use the gathered input to hack users’ accounts. They can withdraw funds and create fake accounts on people’s behalf. This would enable them to register credit cards and make purchases under a certain person’s name. The victim will be indebted until he manages to prove that his personally identifiable information (PII) has been stolen. Worse still, the crooks can make illegal deals or purchase items which are forbidden altogether. The blame will again fall on the person whose identity they have stolen.

The aftermath can be severe for the victims of Taskhost.exe. This includes the users whose devices have been penetrated through a remote attack and the users whose systems the Trojan resides in. If Taskhost.exe has penetrated your machine, it can access the information stored in it. The criminals behind the insidious program collect as much data as they can. The more victims there are, the more money they will be able to make as a result. Note that the owners of the devices behind the attacks could face legal repercussions, as well. The legislative authorities can confiscate your computer in order to check whether you have conducted the attack yourself. Of course, the expert analysis will determine that you are innocent. However, neglect towards cyber security is punishable in a lot of countries. You could be fined for not taking measures and allowing your computer to be exploited.

To avoid contacting programs like Taskhost.exe, you have to keep your guard up. The Trojan enters computers in a couple of ways. The first technique is spam emails. The clandestine program can get transferred to your machine through an attached file. The sender will describe the fake message as a document. Opening the file would unleash the contained program into your machine on the spot. To filter spam from legitimate notifications, check the provided contacts. The other propagation vector Taskhost.exe takes advantage of is bundling. The Trojan merges its setup file with the executable of another tool, like a pirated program or a freeware application. The download client will include the secluded program as a bonus. You can deselect it, but you have to find where it is mentioned in the terms and conditions. Read the end user license agreement (EULA) of the utilities you add to your system.

Taskhost.exe Uninstall

Run the Task Manager by right clicking on the Taskbar and choosing Start Task Manager.

Look carefully at the file names and descriptions of the running processes. If you find any suspicious one, search on Google for its name, or contact me directly to identify it. If you find a malware process, right-click on it and choose End task.