6 Ways To Fix Werfault.exe Error In Windows

You may have encountered the Werfault.exe process in various instances on your Windows computer. You usually notice it when this process causes issues like Werfault.exe – Application Error or consumes high system resources.

As this process shows suspicious activity like high CPU usage for no reason, many wonder if this process is safe or not. So, if you are curious about what this Werfault.exe service is, why it causes issues, and if it is harmful to your computer, we have covered all information in this article.

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What is Werfault.exe?

Werfault.exe stands for Windows Error Reporting Fault. As the name suggests, this process records any errors or application crashes your PC might have faced and let you place an error report to the Windows WER servers.

It is a critical Windows process, as it helps the developer get in-depth data about crashes and errors, which they can then use to optimize Windows. Werfault.exe is a legitimate Windows service, and it shouldn’t cause any problems as long as it works properly.

Is Werfault.exe Safe?

Werfault.exe should be 100% safe as long as it is the actual Windows service. Even if your Werfault.exe repeatedly pops up on errors or has high CPU and disk space usage, it might not be the Werfault.exe fault.

Werfault.exe is only dangerous to your computer when either it is malware disguised as such or when your Werfault is compromised.

This malware usually infiltrates your device after you’ve visited shady websites, tried downloading from untrusted websites, or clicked on suspicious links. If your Werfault.exe started misbehaving after doing any of this stuff, malware has likely infiltrated your computer.

Now, if you suspect that your Werfault.exe process is malware or has been compromised, you can do a few things to check it.

Run Antivirus Software

If you suspect that your system has been infiltrated by malware, the first thing you should do is run an Antivirus scan.

Most reputable Antivirus software like Norton, Bitdefender, and McAfee are pretty great at finding malware. If you find malware within your system, you should let the antivirus handle it.

However, if you do not find any malware, even after an Antivirus scan, there are a few more things you could try out.

Check Publisher and File Location

You can check the publisher and file location of the running Werfault.exe to see if it is malware. Here’s how you can do so:

Right-click the start menu.
Select Task Manager.
Locate the Werfault process.
At the top, right-click any process header and enable Publisher. (No need to do this step if you already have Publisher on.)
Check if Werfault has Microsoft Corporations as its Publisher.
Right-click the Werfault process and select Open File Location.
The legitimate Werfault process should be located at:
C:\Windows\System32 for 32-bit Windows
C:\Windows\SysWOW64 for 64-bit Windows.

What Should You Do When You Encounter Werfault Issues?

If you’ve made sure your Werfault is not malware, but the error messages and high system resource usage still occurs, there are likely other factors affecting your Werfault.exe.

In most cases, this happens when an application or process repeatedly crashes. So, it is not really the Werfault issue, but the application issue causing Werfault to constantly startup and record the crash.

To fix it, there are various methods you can use.

Perform SFC and DISM Scan

An SFC scan checks for any issues within your system files and also helps to fix them. If any application is constantly crashing due to corrupted system files and triggering Werfault, an SFC scan will help fix it.

Here’s how you can do so:

Launch Run Dialog box by pressing Windows + R hotkey.
Enter cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open Elevated Command Prompt.
In the terminal, enter the following command in order:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
sfc /scannow
Exit Command Prompt.

Windows Update

Another reason why your Werfault.exe could repeatedly be starting up is due to some bugs in your Windows OS. To solve this kind of issue, you can simply update your Windows.

Software updates usually carry bug fixes for the previous Windows version and may include extra features. Follow the steps below to update your Windows OS:

Press Windows + I to launch Settings.
Go to Windows Update and click on Check for Updates.
Select Download and Install. (If updates are available)

Check From Event Viewer

An effective method you can use to determine which application or process is causing Werfault.exe to start repeatedly is by checking from the Event Viewer.

The Event Viewer is similar to Werfault, as it records all the event logs of a particular device. You can check your event logs to determine which process is triggering Werfault.exe.

Here’s how you can do so:

Press Windows + R key to launch the Run box.
Enter eventvwr.msc to open the Event Viewer.
Expand Windows Logs and click on Application.
Click on Filter Current Logs option in the right sidebar.
Set the <All Events IDs> to 1000.
Click OK.
Check the description of the latest event logs.
Also, note down the time it occurred.
Click on Filter Current Logs again and select Clear.
Click OK again.
Search for and check the description of all other errors that happened near the first error’s time frame.

After determining which process was repeatedly triggering Werfault, you can perform an appropriate troubleshooting method to fix it.

Update Drivers

Many processes can also fail due to corrupted or outdated drivers. Furthermore, this is especially so in the case of graphics drivers.

You can update all your drivers to ensure all processes are running smoothly and not triggering Werfault. Here’s how you can do so:

Launch the Run box using Windows + R Shortcut.
Enter devmgmt.msc to open Device Manager.
Expand Display adapters and right-click your display driver.
Choose the Update driver option.
Select Search automatically for drivers.
Update all other drivers using the same method.

Run Windows Memory Diagnostic

The Werfault.exe issue can also occur when it cannot write a required piece of data in the memory. The error message states, “The required data was not placed into memory because of an I/O error status of 0x000009c.”

To troubleshoot this issue, try running the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, which helps you check your system memory.

Open Run dialog box using the method above.
Enter mdsched to open Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool.
Choose Restart now and check for problems.
After a restart, the troubleshooter will start scanning your system memory for errors.
When the scan finishes, your PC will restart again and display the results.