Tutorials

▷ What is pcalua.exe and should you remove or disable it?

Microsoft wants to make sure that any application downloaded from the Internet on the Windows operating system meets its compatibility standards.. Although many of us are already familiar with the »pcalua.exe« process, still many of us wonder what this process does.

The process »pcalua.exe» is related to the Program Compatibility Wizard. According to Microsoft:

The Program Compatibility Assistant detects known compatibility issues in older programs. After running an old program on this version of Windows, notifies you if there is a problem and offers to fix it the next time you run the program. If the compatibility problem is serious, the Program Compatibility Assistant can warn you or block the execution of the program. If this happens, you will have the option to search for possible solutions online.

Basically, PCA (Program compatibility wizard) interacts with all the software and applications you install on your computer to make sure you have the smoothest Windows experience. Sometimes, PCA takes steps to modify the rules of an application or run the application in a way that stimulates an older version of Windows.

If you downloaded an application designed for Windows 7 but you are installing it on Windows 10, PCA will jump into action and ask you to run it in compatibility mode or run it automatically. This same mechanism is what makes Windows support older versions of applications in their new versions of the operating system. We recommend checking the authenticity of the service. If it's authentic, it is advisable not to deactivate the service. If you are an advanced user and you know what you are doing, can continue.

How to verify if pcalua.exe is authentic?

First, you need to check if the request is digitally signed by a legitimate source. Digital signatures verify that an application is from a publisher / verified developer and, In most cases, digitally verified apps are not malware. The executable file path must be verified. It must be on local disk C on the System 32 and must be digitally signed by Microsoft Cooperation.

If you discover that the software is not authentic, you should take immediate action and remove it from your computer as soon as possible. There are tons of viruses and malware on the internet that take over a Microsoft service, but actually they are damaging your computer in the background.

There are many ways to remove illegal software from your computer. There are tons of good antivirus programs that get the job done.. You can download any software from Malwarebytes to Hitman Pro, etc. Here we will use Microsoft Security Scanner to scan your computer for discrepancies and check if there really are any problems.

Microsoft Security Scanner is a scanning tool designed to find and remove malware from your computer. Please note that this software is not a substitute for your regular antivirus. Only runs when activated, but it has the latest updated definitions. What's more, we recommend that you only use this software by downloading the latest version, as virus definitions are frequently updated.

Head over to Microsoft's official website and download Security Scanner. Make sure you download the correct version for your computer by selecting the bits.

The file will be approximately 120 MB. Download the file to an accessible location and click the exe file to run it.

Wait for the scan to complete completely. If any threat is detected, the scanner will notify you immediately.

How can I disable the Program Compatibility Assistant?

If the service is authentic and gives you problems (like pop-ups every time you install a new program on your computer), you can disable it using below methods. Please note that you will lose the ability to run the proper applications for an older version of Windows as mentioned above.

Press Windows + R, write »services. msc »in the dialog box and hit Enter.
Look in the list for the »Program Compatibility Assistant Service«. Right click and select »Stop«.