Most antivirus programs identify Ctes.exe as malware.
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Description:Ctes.exe is not essential for Windows and will often cause problems. Ctes.exe is located in a subfolder of "C:\ProgramData"—usually C:\ProgramData\CTES\.
Known file sizes on Windows 10/11/7 are 3,797,888 bytes (8% of all occurrences), 4,800,088 bytes and 18 more variants.
It runs as service Ctes Manager.
The program has no visible window. Ctes.exe is not a Windows system file. There is no file information. The program uses ports to connect to or from a LAN or the Internet. The file is certified by a trustworthy company. Ctes.exe is a Verisign signed file.
Ctes.exe is able to monitor applications.
Therefore the technical security rating is 74% dangerous, however you should also read the user reviews.
Uninstalling this variant:
In the event of any problems with Ctes.exe, you can ask for help from Support or uninstall the associated program (Start > Control Panel > Uninstall a Program > Absolute Software Corp.).
Important: You should check the Ctes.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.
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User Comments
Turn off CompuTrace in the pre-boot CMOS BIOS -- if on, it will always reinsert itself into the operating system, even after a fresh reformat and reinstall, and it will call home and report the computer to Absolute Software who them notifies the original contract holder, if still in force, otherwise, call Absolute Software and have them take your computer's serial number off their list, and they promise that CTES.exe will self-remove when their home-base tells it to. Peter Blaise
This installed the absolute analytics chrome extension. Chrome wouldn't let me remove it because it was "installed by my administrator". This is a personal computer, so I disabled all related services and deleted every executable and file related to CTES.
It's used by Absolute (see link below). It is not essential for Windows to run, nor is it dangerous. A lot of companies install it on devices (especially mobile) to be able to track the location and system status (encryption, anti-malware, etc.). It works great for maintaining compliance with various regulations. It is persistent, even through OS reinstalls and hard drive replacements. If you buy a used PC and it's on there, there's a good chance that either the PC was stolen or the company that installed it did not de-register the agent. Another user mentioned a chrome extension - I am not familiar with that but it's possible Absolute has an extension - I am only familiar with the 'desktop' application. Joe M. (further information)
I am a DJ and my windows 10 laptop decided to update during an event. Well it first closed down my DJ program and then proceeded to freeze loop. After a half an hour and no sign of life, I force shut down the laptop, just to have it boot to a screen that stated my credentials were wrong. The HDD light on constantly. When I got home and did a repair using an external drive, I found that 90% of my information was gone and CtSddExec.exe was running in the background using a very high CPU and Disk usage. It was systematically deleting all of my drives in my laptop. Absolute trash and VERY DANGEROUS!!!!! Wayne Curtis
Its a backdoor from Absolute Software. I have read that it even has the ability to destroy your computer remotely for example by eraseing a disks firmware or by eraseing / overrideing your bios. user (further information)
used by absolute software for locating your device in case of theft
Summary: Average user rating of Ctes.exe:
based on 6 votes with 6 user comments.
3 users think it's neither essential nor dangerous.
One user suspects danger.
2 users think Ctes.exe is dangerous and recommend removing it.
Best practices for resolving Ctes issues
The following programs have also been shown useful for a deeper analysis: ASecurity Task Manager examines the active Ctes process on your computer and clearly tells you what it is doing. A good Bantivirus tool detects whether the Ctes.exe file on your PC might be malware slowing down your system. Such unwanted programs are often not classified as viruses by other antivirus software and therefore go undetected.
A clean and tidy computer is the key requirement for avoiding PC trouble. This means running a scan for malware, cleaning your hard drive using 1cleanmgr and 2sfc /scannow, 3uninstalling programs that you no longer need, checking for Autostart programs (using 4msconfig) and enabling Windows' 5Automatic Update. Always remember to perform periodic backups, or at least to set restore points.
Should you experience an actual problem, try to recall the last thing you did, or the last thing you installed before the problem appeared for the first time. Use the 6resmon command to identify the processes that are causing your problem. Even for serious problems, rather than reinstalling Windows, you are better off repairing of your installation or executing the 7DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth command. This allows you to repair the operating system without losing data.
To restore the original performance and remove unnecessary programs, you can 8reset your PC. Your personal files will remain intact, but any programs you installed will need to be reinstalled.
Score
User Comments
Peter Blaise
Joe M. (further information)
Wayne Curtis
user (further information)
Summary: Average user rating of Ctes.exe: based on 6 votes with 6 user comments. 3 users think it's neither essential nor dangerous. One user suspects danger. 2 users think Ctes.exe is dangerous and recommend removing it.