The genuine wscstub.exe file is a software component of Norton Internet Security by Symantec. Norton Internet Security is a security program that provides protection to computers against malware threats. WSCStub.exe runs the shared component stub that often runs under the scheduled tasks when no anti-virus software is detected to be running. This is not an essential Windows process and can be disabled if known to create problems.
Norton Internet Security is a program that offers threat detection and removal of malicious software. Norton Internet Security was originally developed by Peter Norton Computing, which Symantec acquired in 1990, and marketed under the name, 'Norton'. The latest version of the software features a two-way firewall, email spam filtering, anti-phishing technology, confidential file guard, location awareness, and more. Norton Internet Security is available for the Windows and Mac OS X platforms.
Symantec is an American company that develops and distributes security, storage and systems management solutions and offers services that support its software. It was established in 1982 by Dr. Gary Hendrix, a specialist in the processing of natural languages and artificial intelligence. Symantec was initially funded by a monetary grant by the National Science Foundation and later through venture capital firms. It is currently a Fortune 500 company. Symantec is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
WSCStub stands for Windows Shared Component Stub
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 wscstub.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: Wscstub.exe is not essential for the Windows OS and causes relatively few problems. Wscstub.exe is located in a subfolder of "C:\Program Files (x86)"—usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Norton Internet Security\Engine\21.7.0.11\.
Known file sizes on Windows 10/11/7 are 165,648 bytes (66% of all occurrences) or 165,608 bytes.
The program has no visible window. The file is not a Windows system file. The file has a digital signature. Wscstub.exe is a Verisign signed file.
Therefore the technical security rating is 22% dangerous, but you should also take into account the user reviews.
Uninstalling this variant:
If any problems with wscstub.exe occur, you could also ask Customer Support [1][2] to assist you or safely remove the program using the uninstall program of Norton Internet Security or Norton 360 (Control Panel ⇒ Uninstall a Program).
Important: Some malware camouflages itself as wscstub.exe, particularly when located in the C:\Windows or C:\Windows\System32 folder. Therefore, you should check the wscstub.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.
Summary: Average user rating of wscstub.exe:
based on 2 votes with 1 user comment.
One user thinks wscstub.exe is essential for Windows or an installed application.
One user thinks it's probably harmless.
Best practices for resolving wscstub issues
A clean and tidy computer is the key requirement for avoiding problems with wscstub. 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 wscstub.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
CM (further information)
Summary: Average user rating of wscstub.exe: based on 2 votes with 1 user comment. One user thinks wscstub.exe is essential for Windows or an installed application. One user thinks it's probably harmless.