You might have seen NisSrv.ex is running on the task manager and wondering what’s that process? Well, NisServ.exe is the executable application for Microsoft security software that varies for different Windows versions.
In Windows 10, nisserv.exe is a part of the Windows Defender anti-malware software. In other Windows OS versions, it is a part of Microsoft Security Essential and other anti-malware products or software, like Microsoft System Center Endpoint Protection.
The full form of NisServ.exe is Microsoft Network Realtime Inspection Service executable. It’s available in Windows 7 and older versions of Microsoft, but not on Windows 10.
What is it and its Uses
NisServ.exe is the network protection component of the security software developed by Microsoft.
It identifies any vulnerabilities and suspicious programs and sends analyzed data to the Microsoft Malware Protection Center. It then matches the digital signatures of threats from their database, with malware over the network and prohibits such malware traffic from entering the system.
NisServ.exe runs as a background process in Windows.
File size and location
- The location pathway of NisServ.exe is C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\ and sometime it may be located in the folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft Security Client
- The average file size of NisServ.exe is 3.90 MB approximately on most of the Windows operating system versions.
Is it safe or a virus?
NisServ.exe is a legitimate process developed by Microsoft and is safe to use. However, there are times when a malicious program imitates the identity of nisserv.exe to go undetected by the system protection agents.
There are two ways to check if such a program is in fact a malware:
- If the suspected program is not located in the system’s anti-malware subfolder under the folder, C:\Program Files
- If the name of its digital signer is not Microsoft Corporation.
Sometimes, nisserv.exe might be consuming high CPU / Memory resources, in that case, it’s recommended to just restart the system to get rid of this temporary issue.
Errors
Some common errors corresponding to NisServ.exe are:
- “NisSrv.exe has stopped working. Windows is checking for a solution to the problem.”
- “NisSrv.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close.”
How to Remove It?
NisServ.exe can be removed by uninstalling your Windows anti-malware software, although it’s neither required nor recommended. If you notice that nisserv.exe is running and consuming the system’s memory then you may run a complete system scan, clear all temp files and restart the PC.
