▷ What is ASGT.exe and should you remove it?

Some Windows users have contacted us with questions about a suspicious process called ASGT.exe that they discovered in Task Manager. While some users report high usage issues associated with this process, others complain that they constantly have to deal with random reboots and found that asgt.exe is flagged for the cause in the reliability report of the event associated with the crash. system.

Example of the ASGT.exe process within Task Manager

It turns out that this executable is not unique to a certain version of Windows, as it is reported to appear in Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.

What is ASGT.exe?

The genuine ASGT.exe is a software component that belongs to ASUS GPU Tweak and is signed by ASUS Corp. This is by no means an essential Windows process and can be specifically disabled if it is known to create problems.

The main application of the ASGT.exe process (ASUS GPU Tweak) is a utility program mainly used for overclocking graphics cards included in ASUS PCs and laptops.. The initial release of this utility can be traced back to 2011, but since then it has evolved exponentially with more than 30 updates that have increased the number of supported GPUs that can be adjusted with this tool.

ASGT is an acronym that stands for AS U.S GRAM Burst Processing Unit T weak. The default location for this process is in C: WindowsSystem32 or dentro C: N-SysWOW64N.

In most cases, the main application behind the ASGT.exe process will optionally be installed or bundled with the ASUS graphics card drivers.

Is ASGT.exe safe?

As explained above, the genuine ASGT.exe process does not pose a security risk as it is signed by a trusted publisher. In case you experience high resource usage, you can disable the process without fear of further repercussions.

But before labeling this process as legitimate, you may need to do some research. Keep in mind that most of today's successful malware products are designed to disguise themselves as trusted processes to avoid being chosen by security suites. To ensure that it is not a malicious process, It is strongly recommended that you first ask for more information about the ASGT.exe process.

First, look for evidence of the main application: if ASUS GPU Tweak is not installed on your computer, then there is no reason for you to see this process running in your Task Manager (unless it's a leftover file).

If ASUS GPU tuning is installed, you should see if the process is in the correct folder. To find out, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Enter) and select the Processes tab. Once there, scroll down the Background Processes list and look for ASGT.exe. Once i see it, right click on it and choose Open file location from the context menu that just appeared.

Opening the location of the ASGT.exe file

If the revealed location is different from C: WindowsSystem32 o C: WindowsSysWOW64 and did not install ASUS GPU Tweak in a custom location, then the chances of dealing with a malicious file are high.

In this case, We recommend that you submit the file to a trusted virus database to be scanned for malicious evidence. There are several services that will allow you to do this., but if you are looking for something reliable that does not require a paid subscription, we recommend Virustotal.

To submit the file to VirusTotal for analysis, all you have to do is visit this link (here) from your browser, upload the file and wait for the analysis to complete.

No threats detected with VirusTotal

If the analysis revealed no inconsistencies, skip the next section and go directly to the section $ 0027 How to stop crashes caused by ASGT.exe $ 0027.

But, on the other hand, if you see evidence of a virus infection in the test results, skip to the next section directly below for a mitigation strategy.

Dealing with the security threat

If your previous research raised suspicions that you might be dealing with some kind of virus infection, It is highly recommended that you scan your system to get rid of any kind of infection that may have affected the ASGT.exe process.

Note that in the case of camouflage malware, not all security suites will be equipped to identify and quarantine them. If you already pay a monthly subscription and a premium for a scanner, go ahead and start scanning with it.

But if you are looking for a free alternative that does not involve other investments, We recommend that you do a deep scan with the free version of Malwarebytes. Previous deals with this type of virus have confirmed that this security scanner is very good at identifying most of the cover-up malware that was designed to impersonate system resources..

In case you are not sure how to start a deep scan with Malwarebytes, follow this article (here).

Scan screen completed in Malwarebytes

In case the scan succeeded in identifying and quarantining the selected items, go ahead and restart your computer, then go to the next section and see if the failures associated with the ASGT.exe file still occur.

How to stop crashes caused by ASGT.exe

If you have done the above investigations and confirmed that it is not a malicious process (or that you have cleared the infection), use your computer normally and check if the same errors associated with the ASGT.exe file continue to occur.

Note that, since the ASGT.exe process is not at all essential for your operating system, you can safely disable the process without affecting the functionality of your Windows. In this particular case, you can disable ASGT.exe without uninstalling the main application.

But before doing this, if you are using the ASUS GPU Tweak utility to boost your GPU frequencies, consider the fact that overloaded frequencies are actually responsible for your system drops. Lower the tone of your custom GPU frequencies and see if the drops stop happening.

If removing frequencies didn't make a difference, here is a quick guide to stop crashes caused by ASGT.exe file by disabling the process:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open a Run dialog. then write $ 0027msconfig $ 0027 and press Enter to open the System Settings menu. Once you enter UAC (User account control), click Yes to grant administrative privileges. Open system settings

2. Once you are inside the System Settings window, select the Services tab from the list of available processes and locate the ASUS GPU tuning process (ASGT.exe) and just uncheck the associated checkbox before clicking Apply to save the changes.

3. After successfully disabling the service, restart the computer and see if the unexpected system crashes have stopped at the next system startup.

If you are looking for a permanent solution that involves removing ASGT.exe along with the main application, proceed to the next method below.

How to remove ASGT.exe

If your previous research has convinced you of the need to remove ASGT.exe, note that you will not be able to do this without uninstalling the main app.

If you simply delete the ASGT.exe process conventionally from its location, ASUS GPU Tweak will probably regenerate it on next system startup to perform your daily tasks. In the event that you are still experiencing high resource consumption or unexpected application crash associated with ASGT.exe, follow the instructions below.

Here is a quick guide on how to uninstall ASGT.exe along with the main application (ASUS GPU Tweak) through the Programs and Features window:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open a Run dialog. Once inside the start box, scribe $ 0027appwiz.cpl $ 0027 inside the text box and press Enter to open the Programs and Features window. Writing “appwiz.cpl” at the run prompt

2. Once you enter the Programs and Features window, scroll down the application list and locate the ASUS GPU Tweak utility.

3. When you see the ASUS GPU Tweak utility, right click on it and choose Uninstall from the context menu that just appeared. Desinstalar ASUS GPU Tweak

4. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the uninstallation., then restart the computer and see if the unexpected system crashes are resolved on the next system startup.