How to remove an cmd error

The free file information forum can help you determine if cmd.exe is a virus, trojan, spyware, or adware that you can remove, or a file belonging to a Windows system or an application you can trust.

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Cmd.exe file information

The process known as Windows Command Processor belongs to software Microsoft Windows Operating System or Internet Explorer (version 7) or Outerinfo by Microsoft (www.microsoft.com).

Description: cmd.exe is located in the folder C:\Windows\System32. Known file sizes on Windows 7/XP are 388,608 bytes (26% of all occurrences), 401,408 bytes and 41 more variants.
It is a trustworthy file from Microsoft. The program is not visible. Therefore the technical security rating is 13% dangerous, however also read the users reviews.
If problems with Autodesk DWF Viewer come up, you can also uninstall the associated program (Start > Control Panel > Add/Remove programs).

Recommended: Identify cmd.exe related errors

Viruses with the same file name

Is cmd.exe a virus? No, it is not. The true cmd.exe file is a safe Microsoft Windows system process, called "Windows Command Processor". However, writers of malware programs, such as viruses, worms, and trojans deliberately give their processes the same file name to escape detection. Viruses with the same file name are e.g. PE_VIRUX.A-4 or PE_VIRUX.E-1 (detected by TrendMicro), and W32.Virut.CF or Downloader (detected by Symantec).
To ensure that no rogue cmd.exe is running on your PC, click here to run a Free Malware Scan.

How to recognize suspicious variants? If cmd.exe is located in a subfolder of C:\Windows\System32, the security rating is 71% dangerous. The file size is 23,040 bytes (72% of all occurrences) or 36,864 bytes. There is no file information. The program has no visible window. It is not a Windows core file. The application uses ports to connect to a LAN or the Internet.

If cmd.exe is located in a subfolder of C:\Windows, the security rating is 26% dangerous. The file size is 301,568 bytes (33% of all occurrences), 302,592 bytes, 648,192 bytes, 187,519 bytes or 318,976 bytes. The program has no visible window. Cmd.exe is a trustworthy file from Microsoft. cmd.exe is able to monitor applications, record inputs and hide itself.

If cmd.exe is located in a subfolder of "C:\Program Files", the security rating is 22% dangerous. The file size is 388,608 bytes (50% of all occurrences), 401,920 bytes or 399,360 bytes.

If cmd.exe is located in the folder C:\Windows, the security rating is 80% dangerous. The file size is 86,016 bytes (50% of all occurrences) or 16,896 bytes.

If cmd.exe is located in a subfolder of "C:\Documents and Settings", the security rating is 60% dangerous. The file size is 25,604 bytes (50% of all occurrences) or 36,868 bytes.

Important: Some malware camouflages itself as cmd.exe, particularly when located in the c:\windows or c:\windows\system32 folder. Therefore, you should check the cmd.exe process on your PC to see if it is a threat. We recommend Security Task Manager for verifying your computer's security. This was one of the Top Download Picks of The Washington Post and PC World.

Score

User Comments

I think it has to do with running different screen resolutions temporarily. (I closed my laptop and when I opened it up again the resolution was smaller than normal. So small in fact, that I had to scroll to see all of the screen. I noticed that this program was running while this was happening. I closed my laptop, opened it up again and the glitch fixed itself and was back to normal. cmd.exe process was still there. I'm not positive if it has to do with resolution, but that's all that I can tell.
bman9089

this file about ms-dos in windows in run
amarkamaj (further information)

ms-dos command prompt
Phillip_2005

it keeps popping up everytime the internet is connected, after infected
louis

combat error caused by cmd
p kuchiba

It started to trigger after infection by svcipa.exe in a drive by. Zone Alarm alerted me about that and i dealt with it but now cmd.exe keeps triggering when opening apps etc which is very annoying but it seems to be a signed MicroSoft file not malware although it didn't start playing up until after the drive by infection. I have decided to use Winrar to archive it and delete the file after archive creation, this way it cannot do anything while Rar'd and i can replace it if necessary. more info about what triggered this in link.
DeltaPan

It is a very professional comand program to have quicker access to "exe" stuff
Steven

This is an MS-DOS style command interpreter which was used before the days of Windows when everything was text based. It's kept in Windows for backward compatibility and is totally harmless. That said, viruses using it can cause damage as can malicious applications using it - but the file itself is not a virus.
Old Dosser

If you see this process running but no console window it visible, then it may be executing a batch script (.bat extension) which may do anything, either useful or dangerous. Use a program like Process Explorer to determine which process started cmd.exe and (through the command line) what script (if any) it is running. Then see that batch file to determine what that specific instance of cmd.exe does. Also check through netstat that cmd.exe's I/O is not redirected to a network connection, because if it does, then this connection can be used to remotely control your computer, which is dangerous.
Dan

Laptop was very slow and when I checked resource allocation I found that cmd.exe was using 90% of resources. I stopped application running and performance improved hugely. There seems to be no other effect on screen.
Desg

I think it is dangerous- It popped up in my process task bar and I would have to delete about 20 od them at a time out of my task manager. I would hear the hard drive working really hard like it was downloading something really big, when I would hit Ctrl-Alt-Del there would be 20 or 30 and still adding them in. I would start ending process on them till the last one and when I got the last one my hard drive would quit spinning and it would go from 97 processes to 63 or so.
Jackie waldrop

it is the same thing as command prompt... it is not dangerous
poop

Cmd.exe is what windows uses as its Back-Up plan when it is taking longer to complete an operation. Yes, normally you do not see this. This is ok. You do not need to worry about your computer still being infected. Cmd.exe is known as MS-DOS or Command Prompt, which is located in Programs Accessories. It is called MS-DOS in Microsoft operating systems of Windows XP and under. It is called Command Prompt in Windows Vista and up. AGAIN: you do not need to worry about cmd.exe
onoudnt0

It's the windows command prompt
Ryan (further information)

I think it's good and you need it, and if it's not where it should be, get rid of it.
Alx

As people have said, CMD.exe is the windows command prompt. But it is a tool like any other, and can be used by malware to execute malicious commands.

I think it is related with floppy disk drive.
Utpal

MS-DOS Command Prompt
Kelton

connection with games

Summary: Average user rating of cmd.exe: based on 28 votes with 19 reviews.

19 users think cmd.exe is essential for Windows or an installed application. 3 users think it's probably harmless. 3 users suspect danger. 3 users think cmd.exe is dangerous and recommend removing it. 3 users doesn't grade cmd.exe ("not sure about it").

Cmd scanner

Security Task Manager shows all running Windows tasks including embedded hidden functions (e.g. keyboard or browser monitoring, autostart entry). A unique security risk rating indicates the likelihood of the process being potential spyware, malware, keylogger or a Trojan.

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