Sdxhelper.exe is an executable application for the program, Microsoft Office. This is not an essential part of the Operating System, nor is a malware. This SDX Helper usually comes with Office360.
Its full form is Microsoft Office SDX Helper.
Quick Overivew
What is SDXhelper.exe and its Uses
SDX Helper makes sure there are no software conflicts when different versions of Microsoft Office is downloaded and installed in the same system. Therefore, if a user wants to download a newer version of MS Office, then SDX Helper will help in maintaining the co-existence of the older and newer versions in the system.
It is connected with a “Secure Download Manager” that comes in the Office installation package file. This Manager helps in downloading Office and also, updating it when needed. It saves the required information for downloading Office.
SDXHelper.exe runs as a background process when called by the “Office Feature Updates” task. It helps in ensuring that the Office installations are able to access any feature updates available at all times.
File size and location
Usually the SDXHelper.exe is located under either of these two locations:
- C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\vfs\ProgramFilesCommonX86\Microsoft Shared\office16\
- C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\vfs\ProgramFilesCommonX64\Microsoft Shared\office16\
The average file size of SDXHelper.exe is approximately 152 MB on most of the Windows operating system versions.
Is it safe or virus?
SDXHelper.exe is a safe and trustworthy application. Nonetheless, if a malicious program steals and imitates its identity, then it could be dangerous for the safety of the system.
There are two ways to check the existence of such malware:
- If the suspicious program’s location is outside of C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\vfs\ProgramFilesCommonX86\Microsoft Shared\office16\ or C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\vfs\ProgramFilesCommonX64\Microsoft Shared\office16\ folder, then it is a malware.
- If the digital signer of the suspicious program is not Microsoft Corporation, then it is most likely a virus.
Errors
You may have noticed that SDX Helper is consuming high CPU usage without any reason. And suddenly the MS office crash or stopped working. Some common errors are:
- “SDXHelper.exe application error”.
This error occurs when the start menu on Windows fails to function properly and the desktop icons are unable to launch themselves.
- “Microsoft Office SDX Helper has stopped working”.
This error may occur due to the non-compatibility of installed updates with the system’s Office service pack level.
How to fix sdxhelper.exe error?
There are a few ways to get rid of such errors pertaining to SDXHelper.exe. If you are frequently receiving error then the best way is to reinstall Office 365 or Office 2019 (whichever you have) and most probably this error won’t appear again. Let us look at some of them:
- Launch Office in Safe mode
- Uninstall MS Office and then install it again from Microsoft’s official website
- Disable any latest add-ins installed
- Disable any automatic updates in MS Office.
You may download the latest version of MS office here.
How to disable it?
You can disable SDXHelper.exe by using the following two methods:
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc button together
- Click on Details” tab of Task Manager
- Right-click on sdxhelper.exe. and select “End process tree” to close the process.
- Now, you can then go to the location of sdxhelper.exe and rename the file.
Disable it using PowerShell
You can use the schedule task command in PowerShell to disable the process. Follow the below process to disable it:
- Press Windows logo, type Power Shell
- Right-click on it and choose Run as Administrator
- Now type the below command and execute it one by one:
Schtasks /change /s $_ /tn ‘\Microsoft\Office\Office Feature Updates’ /disable
Schtasks /change /s $_ /tn ‘\Microsoft\Office\Office Feature Updates Logon’ /disable
How to remove it?
Since it is an essential part of Office 360, it is not recommended to delete sdxhelper.exe manually. But if you decided not to use Office 360 or Office 2016 then you may navigate to the Control Panel and uninstall the program Microsoft Office 365 or Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 or any other MS Office version you have installed to remove it.
