What is Lsass.exe and Is It a Safe Process?

The Lsass.exe file enables password change, username change, and login verification. It authenticates users before accessing the computer for enhanced security.

What is lsass.exe?

The lsaas.exefile is normally found in the

by default. This is the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service with the file description of LSA Shell.

The lsass.exe file helps to enforce security policies, password change, and login verification. Additionally, it verifies the validity of user logons on your PC or server.

The Lsass.exe file generates the process responsible for authenticating users. This is performed by the default Msgina.dll authentication package. This generates the user’s access token to launch the initial shell.

Is Lsass.exe a virus?

The Lsass.exe file in Microsoft Windows is not malware or virus. However, just like any other file in your computer, it can be corrupted by a virus.

However, you can use a suitable Antivirus program to detect and clean the infected file. It is a Windows program, hence not recommended to delete it. Instead, the antivirus program should handle that.

Remember, the lsass.exe file normally contains security vulnerabilities. Hence, you need to ensure your computeris upto date with the latest Windows updates.

How to check whether it is the right lsass.exe file?

a. First, check the size

Typically the file size of the lsass.exe file on Windows 10 is about 57KB, while on Windows 8 it is 46KB. Hence, if you find a larger file than that, be cautious. It might be a virus, trojan, spyware, or malware.

b. Check the spelling of the file

Also, always be cautious of an isass.exe file or Isass.exe file. (These are the ones with “I” instead of “L”. These are infected files.

You can copy the file name and paste it on a notepad file to check whether it has an “l” or an “I”. This is vital to ensure you have a safe file in your system.

How to locate the Lsass.exe file?

If you want to locate the lsass.exe, you can find it in the Task Manager. It is vital to find it to ensure you have the right one on your system.

Step 1: Open Taskmanager by using the shortcut:Ctrl + Shift + Esc.

Step 2: On the Details Tab, search for lsass.exe from the list.

Step 3: Once you find it, right-click and select “Open file location”. It should redirect you to the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

If it doesn’t redirect you to that destination, that must be a virus. You must be wary of it.

Is it safe to remove the lsass.exe file?

It is not quite safe to remove the lsass.exe file from the Task Manager. However, can give it a try, select the application, and click the End task option to terminate the process.

However, you will receive an “Unable to terminate process” window.It is normal to receive that error. If it is a genuine file, Task Manager can’t end the program.

Why does my computer restart because of the lsass.exe error?

If your computer keeps on rebooting because of the lsass.exe file. You can do this:

Step 1: After your computer restarts. Click Start and open the “Run command prompt” by clicking on Windows + R. The dialog box will appear.

Step 2: In the box, input shutdown-a and press Enter.

Step 3: On your default web browser, open the Microsoft Security Bulletin page for a list of the updates to correct the issue.

Step 4: After you have downloaded the file, install it.

Why is lsass.exe using too much memory?

Most Windows processes should not use too much memory or CPU. Hence, when you find that the lsass.exe file is using too much memory or CPU, try to check it closely, it could be malware!

However, when doing some processes, the lsass.exe file may use too much RAM and CPU making it hard to know whether the lsass.exe file is real. This can be when a user is changing the password or opening programs that need to run on administrator credentials. In normal cases, the memory usage should remain below 10MB.

To check the CPU and Memory usage. Open the Task Manager using Ctrl + Shift + Esc option.  Then look for the lsass.exe file under Details Tab or Processes Tab.

How to remove the lsass.exe virus on your Windows Pc?

Even if you are doubting the lsass.exe file,you can’t delete the real one. You can just delete the fake one.

1. End Task in the Task Manager

The first method is to locate the lsass.exe file on Task Manager. Click on the processes tab, select the lsass.exe file and select “End Task”. If you can’t locate it under processes, look for it in the details tab. Then choose the End process option.

If the file is fake, you will get a message that Windows will automatically restart. However, if it is real, it won't shut down and you will get an error: “Unable to terminate error”.

If the file was fake and the computer restarted – try to check its location through the Task Manager. This will help you to be clearer about the program.

 2. Scan your computer

I would recommend the use of Reimage PC repair software. It is ideal for scanning the computer to detect any kind of malware, viruses, or issues on your computer. This also makes the computer more functional.

How to use Reimage to scan your system:

Step 1: Download Reimage from its official website and install it on your PC.

Step 2: Once it installs, the program will scan your computer.

Step 3: The repair software will check all the computer elements and show all the issues on your PC.

Step 4: Click on start repair to resolve the issue. Once done, restart your computer.

This will remove all the unwanted programs on your PC. If your lsass.exe file was malware, it will be removed. However, you will need to purchase the product key to use the Reimage software.

You can also install a reliable antivirus to help secure your computer.

Always be cautious with your computer. Do regular scanning to check the real and fake files. This can reduce your computer performance. Just imagine your computer restarting all the time?

The other worse scenario is when you start getting duplicates of certain files. It is vital to take immediate response if your computer will be completely infected.