Are you seeing ipoint.exe running on task manager and not sure whether its safe or not? In this post, I will provide information about its uses and how to stop it. Looking into your task manager to see what programs are working and seeing so much information can be daunting. If you are not a computer expert, many of them will mean nothing to you. One such element is ipoint.exe. Here is everything you need to know about this software.
IntelliMouse is a specific line of mouse that Microsoft introduced in the year 1997. These were the first mouse with a scroll bar and web browsing buttons.
Quick Overivew
What is ipoint.exe?
The ipoint.exe is a small process that belongs to Microsoft IntelliPoint software. It is specially designed for Microsoft’s IntelliMouse series. As the name suggests, it is made by Microsoft itself.
File Size and Location
The default file location of ipoint.exe is under C:\Windows\System32. The file sizes for ipoint.exe are 2.41 Mb, 2.11 Mb, and 31 other variants.
What does it do?
This software provides an interface in which you can change the settings of the mouse. Ipoint.exe is a background process that assists the mouse. A standard mouse has a very limited set of instructions that it can give, but with ipoint.exe you can get the mouse to do so much more.
Why ipoint.exe was first introduced?
This software was first introduced to give users better control over the computer via the mouse. It was introduced with Microsoft IntelliPoint, which now consists of a lineup of mice made by Microsoft.
What happens if ipoint.exe stop working?
In case there is an error or you shut down this file, your mouse will start working like a standard mouse and any setting you created via ipoint.exe will not be applicable. This can limit the working of the mouse significantly.
Is ipoint.exe harmful?
In the most case scenarios, the answer is no, ipoint.exe is not harmful neither its malware. The original file is Microsoft approved and benefits your computer.
On the other hand, there is one concern. Viruses can be named practically anything. Malware creators sometimes use similar if not identical names to exe files. Those are harder to detect.
If it is in the C:\Windows\System32, you are probably safe.
If you are still unsure, run an antivirus test on the application and see if anything turns up. If nothing does, you are good and if it is malware, your antivirus, get rid of it.
Is ipoint.exe CPU intensive?
No, it’s not but running too many programs that you are not using will affect the performance of the computer.
The Advantages:
- You can engage in a higher level of control of your computer by only using the mouse.
- Gamers love it.
- There is no threat.
The Disadvantages:
- Is useless if you do not use it
How to stop ipoint.exe?
There are two ways to stop or remove ipoint.exe from your Windows computer:
1) If you just want to stop it, for the time being, you can do so via task manager by ending the process.
2) If you want to permanently get rid of the file then follow the below steps:
- Open My Computer
- Go to C drive (drive in which your windows is installed)
- Go to Program files
- Double click on the Microsoft IntelliPoint directory
- Find Ipoint.exe
- Right-click on it
- Select Delete
- A dialogue box asking for permission to delete it
- Click on Yes
And you are done.
Conclusion
Having extensive knowledge of computer is not for everyone but curiosity will always be appreciated by your computer as it will lower the chances of malfunctioning of the computer. This article focuses on giving you an overview of the applications and does not dive into the details of the errors. In case of errors, you can do the standard by uninstalling and then installing the software if all else fails.
