Windows and any programs you run on it are supported by hundreds if not thousands of small subprocesses running in the background and powering different features. This is true for any other operating system as well, as just about every program runs small subprocesses in the background.
In this article, we’re talking about what is the Crashpad_handler process, what it does and everything else you need to know.
Crashpad_handler explained
As you can probably guess by the name, the Crashpad_handler process is responsible for catching any crashes and reporting them back to the program’s developer. It’s not a Windows-related process and will not impact the operating system when closed.
There are a number of programs that use the Crashpad_handler process. However, while the program might be different, they can have a subprocess of the same name, meaning it’s likely that you’ll see multiple instances of Crashpad_handler running on your PC if you browse through the Task Manager.
The programs that use it the most are Google Chrome and Google Drive. That said, you can find the same process started by other programs from Logitech, Techsmith (Snagit 2020 and 2021) as well as Medal.
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Is Crashpad_handler safe?
Considering malware authors often use legitimate process names with their malware subprocesses to appear legitimate and avoid detection, there’s a chance that you might simply have malware running under the guise of a legitimate process.
Here’s how you can verify if the process is legitimate or not.
Step 1: Head over to the Details tab in the Task Manager, right-click the Dbxsvc.exe process and select Open file location.
Step 2: Check the file path of the process. If it’s located in the same folder as the program that spawned it, you’re good to go.
Additionally, you can also check the file’s digital signature and verify if there’s a more recent version to ensure you’re running the actual Dropbox process and it’s on the latest version.
Do keep in mind though that such handlers often have the ability to manipulate other programs which does make them inherently dangerous. When in doubt, it’s best to kill the process and then restart the spawning program. Alternatively, you can also simply restart your PC.
Also read: How to fix Dell Monitor error: No DP signal from your device?
Can you delete Crashpad_handler?
As mentioned above, the process isn’t related to Windows (or any other OS for that matter) and closing it will have no effect on your OS. It will however cause problems for the program that spawned the process in the first place causing it to glitch out.
The best way to do so is to check the program’s file location and then close it to ensure you’re not closing the wrong handler. If you want to completely remove the process from your PC, you will have to uninstall the spawned program.
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