ClientServer Runtime Process is an internal system process in Windows, another one through a big number of ones running in background. Some trojan viruses mimic it to stay in the system for more time. This post will show you how to distinguish the process launched by malware from a legit one, and also reveal the role of this process for the operating system.
What is the ClientServer Runtime Process?
Csrss.exe process has a very long history. Formerly (before Windows Vista) it was named csrss.exe, and bore much more tasks. At the moment of its appearance in Windows NT 3.1 (1993), it was responsible for graphic interface functionality, as well as for console calls from applications and saving data when the session closes. In Windows Vista, the graphic subsystem of the OS was separated from the OS core, so the old version of ClientServer Runtime Process has been substituted by Csrss.exe1. Besides the control of system graphics, this process also lost the ability to manage the console that was opened by the user – this task moved to the conhost.exe process.
In Windows 10, this process carries much less functions than it was long ago. Nowadays, the Csrss.exe process is used by programs to interact with Windows Console; it also manages the correct data saving at the moment of user logout or system shutdown.
Can I end the ClientServer Runtime Process?
No. This process belongs to the system ones, so it is protected from any kind of external interruptions. In contrast to winlogon.exe, that can be suspended if you have a specific privilege, Csrss.exe cannot be suspended in any methods. And there is no need to do it – its resource consumption is very low.
If you delete this file from the root directory, Windows will crash with 0xC000021A error, and will continue doing this after reboot. ClientServer Runtime Process is a vital thing for Windows, so its disabling is a very bad idea.
The times when Windows processes may be disabled to increase the system performance have passed long ago. When Windows XP was the last actual OS version, computers were quite weak, and their upgrade was quite expensive, disabling several services could really make your PC faster without any significant problems. Nowadays, such tricks can make things even worse.
