What is Lsass.exe and how does it affect your computer?

Lsass.exe (Local Security Authority Process) is a secure Microsoft file used in Windows operating systems. It plays a very important role in normal operations of Windows computers and therefore should not be deleted, moved or edited in any way.

The lsass.exe file is permanently placed in the WindowsSystem32 folder and is used to enforce security policies, meaning that it is related to things like changing the password and verifying the login.

Although the lsass.exe file is extremely important for normal Windows operations and should not be tampered with, the "fake" lsass.exe malware has been known to hijack the real or fake file. pretending to be an authentic tool to trick you into running.

Is Lsass.exe a virus?

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It is not difficult to find a fake lsass.exe file, but you have to consider a few things carefully, to make sure that you are dealing with a fake process and not the actual file that Windows needs.

Spell check

The most common method used by malware to trick you into thinking that lsass.exe is not a virus is to rename the file into something similar. Because a directory cannot have the same two files, the name part will be changed a bit.

Here's an example:

 Isass.exe 

Seems very similar to the real lsass.exe , right? However, the actual file uses lowercase L (l) while the malicious file uses capital letters i (I) . Depending on how the fonts are displayed on your computer, they may look identical, making it easy to confuse.

One way to verify if the file name is wrong is to use a lowercase upper case converter. Copy the file name and paste it into the text box at https://convertcase.net/, then select 'lower case' to convert all to lowercase.

This will be the result if the file is not standard:

 isass.exe 

Here are some other purposeful spelling mistakes, to trick you into keeping a fake file on your computer or allowing it to run when asked:

 lsass .exe lsassa.exe lsasss.exe Isassa.exe 

Where is lsass.exe located?

The actual lsass.exe file is only in one directory, so if you find it anywhere else, the file is potentially dangerous and needs to be deleted immediately.

This is where lsass.exe is stored:

 C:WindowsSystem32 

If it is located anywhere else on your computer, such as on the desktop, in the Downloads folder , on a flash drive, etc., consider it a threat and quickly remove it (see how to do it). that below).

Your computer may have some lsass.exe files in the C: Windowswinsxs directory . They are used in Windows updates and serve as backups, but if you feel the need to delete these files after scanning the lsass.exe files, deleting them is also very safe.

If you see lsass.exe in Task Manager, this is how to know where it actually runs:

1. Open Task Manager.

There are several ways to do this, but the easiest way is to use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc . You can also access it from the Power User Menu in Windows 10 or Windows 8, by right-clicking on the Start button .

2. Open the Details tab .

Tip : If you do not see this tab, select More details at the end of Task Manager.

3. Right-click lsass.exe from the list.

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4. Select Open file location , open the C: WindowsSystem32 folder and select the lsass.exe file first, as you can see below.

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5. Repeat the above steps for each lsass.exe file that you see in Task Manager. There should only be one file listed, so if you find that there are many additional files, all (except a single file) are fake.

6. If you have found a fake lsass.exe file, check out TipsMake.com 's instructions for how to remove it and make sure your computer does not have any worms, spyware (spyware), virus, etc . via article: What to do if your computer has a virus?

How is the file size?

Usually, viruses and other malware use the file as a program to distribute anything the malware is carrying, so another way to check if lsass.exe is real or fake is. See how much disk space the file takes.

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For example, the lsass.exe file of Windows 10 is 57KB and the Windows 8 file is 46KB. If the file you see is much larger, such as a few megabytes or more, it is probably not the actual file provided by Microsoft.

Why does lsass.exe use a lot of memory?

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Does Task Manager report lsass.exe using CPU or multiple memory?

Some Windows processes never use a lot of processor memory or power and if that happens, it is often a sign that something is wrong and the process is likely to be malware.

Lsass.exe is an exception in certain normal cases. It will use more RAM and CPU than other times, making it difficult to identify whether lsass.exe is real or fake.

Memory usage of lsass.exe should remain below 10MB at any time, but it will spike when there is more than one user logged in, while the encrypted file is recorded on NTFS volume and possibly at other times, such as when the user changes the password or while opening the program it is run with admin rights.

However, if lsass.exe is using too much memory or processor, and especially if the EXE file is not in the WindowsSystem32 directory , you need to remove it. Only an infected lsass.exe file or a similar looking file can 'consume' all system resources.

An example of this is a fake lsass.exe file that can hide to dig virtual money. Software that performs this behavior requires a large amount of system resources, so if your computer is unusually slow, has problems, displays strange errors or has manually installed browser add-ons or other programs that you have never agreed to, you should scan the system to completely remove the malware.

How to remove lsass.exe virus

Before learning how to delete a fake lsass.exe file, remember that you cannot delete the real lsass.exe file, nor can it be disabled or disabled for any reason. The instructions below are to delete the fake lsass.exe file that Windows doesn't actually use.

1. Turn off the fake lsass.exe process and then delete the file.

You can choose a number of ways, but the easiest way is to right-click on the task in the Processes tab of Task Manager and select End task. If you don't see the task there, find it in the Details tab , right-click it and select End process tree .

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Note : If you try to end the actual lsass.exe process (which Windows relies on), you will encounter an irreparable error or, if this process is turned off, you will see a message saying that Windows will restart itself soon.

When you have turned off the process, open the file folder (as instructed above) and delete it.

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Tip : If you suspect that a certain program has installed the lsass.exe virus, please delete the program to see if it will help remove that process. IObit Uninstaller is an example of a powerful program uninstaller that can do this.

2. Scan your computer for lsass.exe malware using a program like Malwarebytes or some other on-demand virus scanner.

3. Install a reliable antivirus program. This will help provide not only the second option beyond Malwarebytes, but also the permanent method to ensure that your computer is protected from threats like this in the future.

See the list of the best Windows anti-virus software recommended by TipsMake.com , if you are not sure which solution to choose.

4. Use an antivirus tool that can boot to delete lsass.exe virus. This is a perfect method if the above programs do not work, because when you run an antivirus program before Windows starts, you can ensure that the process is completely deleted without having problems. Any rights or files are locked.

Hope you are succesful.