ngen.exe
ngen.exe
Process name: .Net Native Image Generator
Application using this process: Microsoft .NET
File location: C:\Windows\MICROSOFT.NET\FRAMEWORK\
Recommended: Check your system for ngen.exe problems
What is ngen.exe doing on my computer?
ngen.exe is a process which belongs to the Microsoft .NET and provides a native image cache. "This program is a non-essential process, but should not be terminated unless suspected to be causing problems."
Non-system processes like ngen.exe originate from software you installed on your system. Since most applications store data on your hard disk and in your system's registry, it is likely that your computer has suffered fragmentation and accumulated invalid entries which can affect your PC's performance.
In Windows Task Manager, you can see what CPU, memory, disk and network utilization is causing the .Net Native Image Generator process. To access the Task Manager, hold down the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys at the same time. These three buttons are located on the far left of your keyboard.
The ngen.exe is an executable file on your computer's hard drive. This file contains machine code. If you start the software Microsoft .NET on your PC, the commands contained in ngen.exe will be executed on your PC. For this purpose, the file is loaded into the main memory (RAM) and runs there as a .Net Native Image Generator process (also called a task).
Is ngen.exe harmful?
This process is considered safe. It is unlikely to pose any harm to your system.
The ngen.exe file should be located in the folder C:\Windows\MICROSOFT.NET\FRAMEWORK\
Can I stop or remove ngen.exe?
Many non-system processes that are running can be stopped because they are not involved in running your operating system.
ngen.exe is used by 'Microsoft .NET'. This is an application created by 'Microsoft'.
If you no longer use Microsoft .NET, you can permanently remove this software and thus ngen.exe from your PC. To do this, press the Windows key + R at the same time and then type 'appwiz.cpl'. Then find Microsoft .NET in the list of installed programs and uninstall this application.
Is ngen.exe CPU intensive?
This process is not considered CPU intensive. However, running too many processes on your system may affect your PC’s performance. To reduce system overload, you can use the Microsoft System Configuration Utility (MSConfig) or the Windows Task Manager to manually find and disable processes that launch upon start-up.
Use the Windows Resource Monitor to find out which processes and applications write/read the most on the hard drive, send the most data to the Internet, or use the most memory. To access the Resource Monitor, press the key combination Windows key + R and then enter 'resmon'.
Why is ngen.exe giving me errors?
Most ngen issues are caused by the application executing the process. The surest way to fix these errors is to update or uninstall this application. Therefore, please search the Microsoft website for the latest Microsoft .NET update.
Browse process directory by name
Process Library is the unique and indispensable process listing database since 2004 Now counting 140,000 processes and 55,000 DLLs.