What Is ProtectedModuleHost.exe? Is It A Virus Or Malware? Uninstall?

What is ProtectedModuleHost.exe?

ProtectedModuleHost.exe is an executable exe file which belongs to the McAfee Protected Module Host process which comes along with the McAfee Module Core Software developed by McAfee software developer.

I have faced similar issues with unknown exe files running in the background in my windows computer too. Read this tutorial to learn more about ProtectedModuleHost.exe and weather to disable it.

If the ProtectedModuleHost.exe process in Windows 10 is important, then you should be careful while deleting it. Sometimes ProtectedModuleHost.exe process might be using CPU or GPU too much. If it is malware or virus, it might be running in the background.

The .exe extension of the ProtectedModuleHost.exe file specifies that it is an executable file for the Windows Operating System like Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

Malware and viruses are also transmitted through exe files. So we must be sure before running any unknown executable file on our computers or laptops.

Now we will check if the ProtectedModuleHost.exe file is a virus or malware? Whether it should be deleted to keep your computer safe? Read more below.

Is ProtectedModuleHost.exe safe to run? Is it a virus or malware?

Let’s check the location of this exe file to determine whether this is a legit software or a virus. The location of this file and dangerous rating is mentioned below.

File Location / Rating : C:Program FilesCommon FilesMcAfeeModuleCore

To check whether the exe file is legit you can start the Task Manager. Then click on the columns field and add Verified Signer as one of the columns.

Now look at the Verified Signer value for ProtectedModuleHost.exe process if it says “Unable to verify” then the file may be a virus.

File Name	ProtectedModuleHost.exe
Software Developer	McAfee
File Type
File Location	C:Program FilesCommon FilesMcAfeeModuleCore
Software	McAfee Module Core

 

Over All Ratings for ProtectedModuleHost.exe

If the developer of the software is legitimate, then it is not a virus or malware. If the developer is not listed or seems suspicious, you can remove it using the uninstall program.

Based on our analysis of whether this ProtectedModuleHost file is a virus or malware we have displayed our result below.

How to check if ProtectedModuleHost.exe is a security issue ?

We also recommend using Security task manager application  to find which processes are unwanted in your windows computer and can be security issue. Here is how you can find whether ProtectedModuleHost.exe is a security threat using Security task manager application.

1. Download Security task manager application and install it on your computer.
2. Run it as administrator. It will now show all the applications that are running on your computer.
3. Now it will show the Rating, file location , company and product name for each process.
4. Now click on the Ratings column to sort based on ratings.
5. You will now see which process has the worst rating easily so can decide ProtectedModuleHost.exe is given a bad rating or not easily.
6. You will also find whether the ProtectedModuleHost.exe process is important or not with this feature.

How To Remove or Uninstall ProtectedModuleHost.exe

To remove ProtectedModuleHost.exe from your computer do the following steps one by one. This will uninstall ProtectedModuleHost.exe if it was part of the software installed on your computer.

1. If the file is a part of a software program, then it will also have an uninstall program. Then you can run the Uninstaller located at directory like C:Program Files>McAfee>McAfee Module Core >McAfee Protected Module Host> ProtectedModuleHost.exe_uninstall.exe.
2. Or the ProtectedModuleHost.exe was installed using the Windows Installer then to uninstall it Go to System Settings and open Add Or Remove Programs Option.
3. Then Search for ProtectedModuleHost.exe or the software name McAfee Module Core in the search bar or try out the developer name McAfee.
4. Then click on it and select the Uninstall Program option to remove ProtectedModuleHost.exe file from your computer. Now the software McAfee Module Core program along with the file ProtectedModuleHost.exe will be removed from your computer.

How do i stop ProtectedModuleHost.exe process?

In order to stop the protectedmodulehos… process from running you either have to uninstall the program associated with the file or if it’s a virus or malware, remove it using a Malware and Virus removal tool.

Is ProtectedModuleHost.exe a Virus or Malware?

As per the information we have the ProtectedModuleHost.exe is not a Virus or Malware. But a good file might be infected with malware or virus to disguise itself.

Is ProtectedModuleHost.exe causing High Disk Usage?

You can find this by opening the Task Manager application (Right-click on Windows Taskbar and choose Task Manager) and click on the Disk option at the top to sort and find out the disk usage of ProtectedModuleHost.exe.

Is ProtectedModuleHost.exe causing High CPU Usage?

You can find this by opening the Task Manager application and find the ProtectedModuleHost process and check the CPU usage percentage.

Is ProtectedModuleHost.exe causing High Network Usage?

If the ProtectedModuleHost.exe has a high data usage, you can find it by opening the Task Manager windows app and find the ProtectedModuleHost process and check the Network Usage percentage.

How to check GPU Usage of ProtectedModuleHost.exe?

To check ProtectedModuleHost.exe GPU usage. Open Task Manager window and look for the ProtectedModuleHost.exe process in the name column and check the GPU usage column.

I hope you were able to learn more about the ProtectedModuleHost.exe file and how to remove it. Also, share this article on social media if you found it helpful.

Let us know in the comments below if you face any other ProtectedModuleHost.exe related issues.