Some users have reported getting random dw20.exe error pop-ups and wondering if the procedure is removable and if it is recommended to do so. Although the procedure can be easily erased (if it is the legitimate Office component), it could also be malicious software disguised as the DW20 executable.
What is dw20.exe?
Dw20.exe legitimate procedure is combined with older Microsoft Office products. Dw20.exe (Windows error reporting tool) takes care of automatically collecting information when an Office program is unresponsive or crashes completely.
Another purpose of this tool is to allow users to submit a bug report directly to Microsoft.. The bug report is supposedly used to address your particular problem and fix future versions of the program.
This bug reporting tool was removed from the Microsoft Office post package after the release of Office 2003. And even in Office products 2003, the tool was not an essential part of any bundled software. Since the tool has more than 10 years and Microsoft stopped supporting Office programs 2003 long time ago, I seriously doubt that the crash reports of this tool will be seen again.
Feasible security threat
Because the Windows error reporting tool (dw20.exe) it's old software, it is relatively easy to determine if it is a legitimate component or a malware infection.
To start, you should not have this procedure on your computer if you have not installed Microsoft Office 2003 or a separate program from this suite. If you are sure you don't have an Office program installed 2003, it is very likely that it is a malicious application that disguises itself as the executable dw20.exe.
You can be sure of this by looking at the executable location of the Windows error reporting tool.. To do this, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) when the message dw20.exe appears and look for the executable in the Processes tab. Then, right click on dw20.exe and choose Open file location.
If the revealed location is not C: NWindows N-Microsoft.Net N- Framework, We suggest scanning your system with a powerful malware remover since your system is probably infected. If you don't have a security scanner handy, you can use our detailed post (here) as a guide to clear the virus infection with Malwarebytes.
How to disable dw20.exe
If you have determined that it is the legitimate dw20.exe executable, you can take the appropriate measures to disable the dw20 executable. Follow the steps below to prevent the application's bug reporting tool from triggering random pop-ups:
The most efficient way to disable the application's error reporting tool is to modify some registry keys. This method is about adding a DWReportee entry with the value 1 to multiple registry keys. Here is a step by step guide on how to do it:
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Press the Windows key + R to open a run window. Then type »regedit» and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
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Use the left pane of Registry Editor to navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER N – Software N – Policies N – Microsoft N – PCHealth N – ErrorReporting N – DW. Later, haga clic con el botón derecho en el panel derecho y elija Nuevo> Valor de Dword (32 bits) and name it DWReportee. To end, double click on the newly created DWReportee and set the value to 1.
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Use the left pane of Registry Editor to navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE N – Software N – Policies N – Microsoft N – PCHealth N – ErrorReporting N -DW. Later, haga clic con el botón derecho en el panel derecho y elija Nuevo> Valor de Dword (32 bits) and name it DWReportee. To end, double click on the newly created DWReportee and set the value to 1.
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Use the left pane of Registry Editor to navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER Microsoft PCHealth Software N ErrorReporting N DW. Después haga clic derecho en el panel derecho y elija Nuevo> Valor Dword (32 bits) and name it DWReportee. To end, double click on the newly created DWReportee and set the value to 1.
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Use the left pane of Registry Editor to navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE Microsoft PCHealth Software N ErrorReporting N DW. Later, haga clic con el botón derecho en el panel derecho y elija Nuevo> Valor de Dword (32 bits) and name it DWReportee. To end, double click on the newly created DWReportee and set the value to 1.
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Close Registry Editor and reboot your system. From the next start, the Application Error Reporting tool should no longer ask you.
