The genuine CTHelper.exe file is a software component of Creative Sound Blaster by Creative Technology. Creative Sound Blaster is a family of sound cards developed by Creative Technologies. CtHelper.exe is required for third-party interfaces and DSPs (digital signal processors) that utilize the Sound Blaster drivers. This is a critical process associated with PC audio and should not be removed.
Creative Sound Blaster was a de facto standard consumer audio card on pre-Windows 98 systems, especially on the IBM PC platform. After a worldwide transition to Windows 98, the evolution towards onboard motherboard audio cards opened a market for audio cards. The first Sound Blaster version, codenamed "Killer Kard", was launched in 1989 and went on to sell over 15 million units by 1995.
Creative Technologies is a Singaporean company that designs and manufactures audio and video boards used in computers and personal electronics. The company was founded on July 1st, 1981 by Sim Wong Hoo and Ng Kai Wa as a simple repair shop. Creative went on to become one of the most recognized names in the computer audio industry, developing its line of Sound Blaster audio cards and creating a standard for computer audio interfaces. Creative is currently headquartered in Jurong East, Singapore.
CtHelper stands for Creative Helper Application
The .exe extension on a filename indicates an executable file. Executable files may, in some cases, harm your computer. Therefore, please read below to decide for yourself whether the CTHelper.exe on your computer is a Trojan that you should remove, or whether it is a file belonging to the Windows operating system or to a trusted application.
Description: CTHelper.exe is not essential for Windows and will often cause problems. CTHelper.exe is located in the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
Known file sizes on Windows 10/11/7 are 19,456 bytes (51% of all occurrences), 24,576 bytes and 6 more variants.
It is not a Windows system file. The software is loaded during the Windows boot process (see Registry key: MACHINE\Run).
The program has no visible window. CTHelper.exe is located in the Windows folder, but it is not a Windows core file.
CTHelper.exe is able to monitor applications.
Therefore the technical security rating is 48% dangerous; but you should also compare this rating with the user reviews.
Uninstalling this variant:
You can uninstall Creative Technology Ltd, or try to get help from the software vendor. Click on Creative Technology Ltd in the Windows Control Panel (Software or Programs section) to uninstall it, or click on www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows to visit the vendor's website.
If CTHelper.exe is located in the C:\Windows folder, the security rating is 58% dangerous. The file size is 16,384 bytes (60% of all occurrences), 17,920 bytes or 19,456 bytes.
The CTHelper.exe file is not a Windows core file. The program is not visible. The file is an unknown file in the Windows folder. The program starts upon Windows startup (see Registry key: MACHINE\Run).
CTHelper.exe is able to monitor applications.
If CTHelper.exe is located in a subfolder of C:\Windows, the security rating is 34% dangerous. The file size is 19,456 bytes (67% of all occurrences), 15,872 bytes, 23,040 bytes, 20,480 bytes or 24,576 bytes.
The program is not visible. The file is not a Windows core file.
CTHelper.exe is able to monitor applications.
If CTHelper.exe is located in a subfolder of "C:\Program Files", the security rating is 26% dangerous. The file size is 273,136 bytes (50% of all occurrences), 679,712 bytes or 278,368 bytes.
"WINDVDpatch" can run at start up. CTHELPER is a background task that is a plug-in manager for Creative drivers. The theory is that 3rd party manufacturers can use the CTHELPER plug-in interface to produce drivers, add-on features, and fixes that will integrate with a tighter fit with Creative’s sound drivers and utilities. Given its purpose CTHELPER would normally be classified as a "leave alone" background task. It also allows Creative speaker setup to be synchronized with Windows Control Panel speaker setting. Without it running that check box in Creative speaker setting is not functional (settings are not in sync). Unfortunately there are often problems with CTHELPER, most notably that it can use 100% of CPU time so it's best left disabled unless you need it
Important: Some malware camouflages itself as CTHelper.exe, for example PE_EXPIRO.A7 (detected by TrendMicro), and W32.Xpiro.I (detected by Symantec). Therefore, you should check the CTHelper.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
The following played fine without Cthelper.exe running (disabled it via msconfig) and Creative Audio service running (disabled via services.msc): audio CD, DVD movie, Youtube, and MP3 files on Win Media Player and Edge browser (Chromium-based). I didn't test it with Creative's own software. Ken
it is a driver, that use MALWARE techniques not to be closed or interrupted, it's not a malware per se but an annoyance, a badly written software for good hardware. CTHelper.exe : 4,7Mb is mor annoying because it takes over the Windows's audio source settings. CTAudSvc.exe is no better, a program that supports the driver, also one moremegabyte of ram and a heavy process. Windows already does all that in its big audio service. CTAELicensing.exe, is it a DRM service? No way! It's a licensing server for ensuring the DRIVER and the two other .exe are not being distributed or used illegally! this is insane. a licensing program for a driver. So I'll try to find something like, a less absurd and less annoying version of this driver to run on my win7 install. Diamond Tiara (further information)
It failed to start, and my WINxp professsional screamed right through start up, unlike all previous starts which took up to a minute. Petrohawk
Is part of Sound Blaster Driver Hipolito Gonzalez
I know it monitors when you plug in headphones. When I kill it in Task Manager and plug in my headphones, I have to manually change my speaker settings. Surfernaut
Most cthelper.exe are safe from microsoft. HOWEVER some are definitely Malware. It's up to you to figure out which one it is. LinuxPusher (further information)
Summary: Average user rating of CTHelper.exe:
based on 169 votes with 9 user comments.
85 users think CTHelper.exe is essential for Windows or an installed application.
15 users think it's probably harmless.
32 users think it's neither essential nor dangerous.
13 users suspect danger.
24 users think CTHelper.exe is dangerous and recommend removing it.
18 users don't grade CTHelper.exe ("not sure about it").
Best practices for resolving CTHelper issues
A clean and tidy computer is the key requirement for avoiding problems with CTHelper. 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 get your computer running as fast as it did on day one, you can 8reset your PC. Your personal files will remain intact, but any programs you installed will need to be reinstalled.
To help you analyze the CTHelper.exe process on your computer, the following programs have proven to be helpful: ASecurity Task Manager displays all running Windows tasks, including embedded hidden processes, such as keyboard and browser monitoring or Autostart entries. A unique security risk rating indicates the likelihood of the process being potential spyware, malware or a Trojan. A good Bantivirus software detects and removes sleeping spyware, adware, Trojans, keyloggers, malware and trackers from your hard drive.
Score
User Comments
Ken
Diamond Tiara (further information)
Petrohawk
Hipolito Gonzalez
Surfernaut
LinuxPusher (further information)
D
(further information)
Summary: Average user rating of CTHelper.exe: based on 169 votes with 9 user comments. 85 users think CTHelper.exe is essential for Windows or an installed application. 15 users think it's probably harmless. 32 users think it's neither essential nor dangerous. 13 users suspect danger. 24 users think CTHelper.exe is dangerous and recommend removing it. 18 users don't grade CTHelper.exe ("not sure about it").