Conhost.exe -

Programs like cmd.exe (Command Prompt) or PowerShell.

Many modern apps (like VSCode, VPNs, or installers) run small scripts in the background that trigger their own conhost instance. conhost.exe

It is normal to see of conhost.exe at once—one for every active console-based process. Programs like cmd

Introduced with Windows 7, conhost.exe was designed to fix a major security and design flaw in earlier versions of Windows. Previously, the ( csrss.exe ) handled command-line windows. However, csrss.exe ran under the highly privileged System account, making any bug or exploit in a console window a major security risk. conhost.exe

You will see conhost.exe in your Task Manager whenever a is active. This includes: