Taskeng.exe is a process known as Task Scheduler Engine and it is signed by Microsoft Corporation. The original taskeng.exe is an important system file, making it a major target for malware. It is in charge of keeping track of the tasks that are scheduled to run at a predetermined time and calling them when necessary.
Many users have reported that a Taskeng.exe window appears from time to time. Depending on the circumstances, users will sometimes see an empty Taskend.exe window or a short message stating that a certain executable could not be found.
There are many potential causes that will trigger this taskeng.exe error. Then, a quick summary of the most common cases is displayed:
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Corrupt Windows registry keys associated with taskeng.exe
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The files currently in use by taskeng.exe have been deleted or modified by another program
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Malicious malware (Troy Horse) disguises himself as a taskeng executable.
Possible security risk
Like any other system file with enhanced permissions, taskeng.exe is the perfect disguise target for malicious programs created by cyber criminals. Although the random popup may be a predefined process scheduled to run automatically, it can also be a sign of virus infection.
In any case, a blank taskeng.exe popup is not natural behavior, rather it is caused by a corrupted registry or malware infection. Trojans and other malware infections specifically target processes like taskeng.exe to evade malware detection.
The Taskeng executable is associated with many errors, but the most guilty are MyWebSearch (a nasty browser hijacker) y RocketTab. Both programs are included in Trovi Download Manager and some other ad-supported programs that thrive on illegal practices.. Although there is a large amount of malware confirmed to attack taskeng.exe, the modus operandi is always the same: once the malicious file reaches your computer, will immediately attack Windows Run and RunOnce keys. As security experts have explained, there are some registry values in those keys that are set to run taskeng.exe error on startup or at fixed intervals.
Most of the time, the virus will inject pop-up ads and other advertisements while trying to stay under the security radar. However, there are more aggressive versions of this type of malware that will perform one or more of the following activities:
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Get administrative permissions.
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Gather information (shopping habits, keystrokes or personal information) and send the data to a third party.
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Slow down your computer by using your system resources to extract data.
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Disable your ad blocking software and force display different types of ads.
How to determine if taskeng.exe is a virus?
Perhaps the biggest indication that taskeng.exe is actually infected is the error message. If you see a blank taskeng.exe popup accompanied by an error message similar to “Windows cannot find the * executable file *”, there is a high probability that it is a viral infection. You can be even more sure of this if you see any mention of RocketTab, GeniusBox or MyWebSearch in the error message.
If you see a message similar to the above, there is one more check to do before determining that it is a virus infection: the legitimate taskeng.exe process is located at C: WindowsSystem32. You can identify if this is the case by opening the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and going to the Processes tab. Once there, locate taskeng.exe and check the command line associated with it or right click on it and choose Open file location.
If the path is more than C: NWindowsN-System32, you have just identified the source of your malware infection. In this case, go directly to Method 3 to get rid of the virus.
Below is a collection of methods that have successfully helped users struggling with random taskeng.exe pop-ups to get rid of the issues. Follow the Method 1 and the Method 2 if you have previously determined that the location of the taskeng.exe process is at C: WindowsSystem32.
Method 1: disable User_Feed sync
Some users have successfully removed the taskeng.exe random popup after disabling a hidden task in Task Scheduler. It turns out that there is a hidden task called User_Feed_Syncronization which is often responsible for this problem. Follow the instructions below to disable Synchronization of User_Feed_Syncronization from Task Scheduler:
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Press the Windows key + R to open a run window. Type »taskschd.msc» and press Enter to open Task Scheduler.
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In the left panel, right click Task Scheduler Library, expand View and enable Show Hidden Paths.
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Expand the Name column in the middle pane and find the User_Power_Synchronization entry followed by a bunch of digits. Select the task and click the History tab below.
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If these pop-ups are caused by this particular problem, you should see a list of dates and times along with the bug reports. Then and only then proceed to the next step. If the list is empty, go to Method 2.
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If the history list is full of bug reports, click the Disable button on the right panel.
In case this method does not solve your problem, follow the following method.
Method 2: disable OfficeBackgroundTaskHandler logging
Some users who encountered this particular problem traced the strange behavior back to Microsoft Office: there is a Get Office icon that installs automatically and you may end up causing this problem.
Follow these steps to disable OfficeBackgroundTaskHandlerRegistration and OfficeBackgroundTaskHandlerLogon from Task Scheduler:
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Press the Windows key + R to open a run window. Type »taskschd.msc» and press Enter to open Task Scheduler.
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In the left panel, right click Task Scheduler Library, expand View and enable Show Hidden Paths.
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Click the little arrow next to the Microsoft folder and then double-click Office to see the entries associated with it.
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Select OfficeBackgroundTaskHandlerRegistration and use the right pane to click the Disable button.
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Repeat step 4 con OfficeBackgroundTaskHandlerLogon.
Method 3: scan your system with Malwarebytes
If you previously determined that it is malware, let's take the appropriate steps to get rid of the infection. You can do it in several ways, but since the infection can spread to other system files, taskeng.exe removal is not really applicable. Instead, it is recommended to perform a full system scan with a powerful antivirus.
Most security products are able to deal with an infection like this, but users have also reported false positives related to this issue. To minimize this risk, let's use a solution that has been used successfully by most of the users facing this problem.
Malwarebytes is not only effective at dealing with Trojans and viruses, is possibly the best security software when it comes to removing adware and browser hijackers. Download the latest free version of Malwarebytes from this official link (here) and run the installer. Once security is installed, open Malwarebytes and hit the Scan Now button.
Once the analysis is complete, Threats will be quarantined automatically. On the next reboot, Windows will automatically recreate taskeng.exe and all other system files that have been affected by the infection.
