One of the most common complaints of Windows users is that their computers slow down over time. Then you open the Task Manager to find out which application or process is consuming all the resources to force your Windows computer. Apart from the extensive list of processes, you will find one that says Runtime Broker is running in the background. And you may wonder what the Runtime Broker process is. Also, should you be worried about that? We will respond to your concerns
Runtime Broker was developed in-house by Microsoft and is preinstalled with Windows. The RuntimeBroker.exe application is a system executable file and you will find it running under the Processes tab in Task Manager. Let’s figure out what this process is, how it works, why you need it and, if necessary, how to fix it.
What is a Runtime Broker?
It was developed by Microsoft and has been part of the Windows operating system since Windows 8. It’s one of the core Windows system operations, but mostly it only runs when you launch a UWP (Universal Windows Platform) application. These apps were called Metro apps in Windows 8. Starting the computer does not activate and run it. So, when you open a UWP app, it will trigger the Runtime Broker and it will keep running to keep the particular app running smoothly. Therefore, we do not recommend ending this task for obvious reasons. If you still turn it off, it may cause all UWP apps and even compatible ones to behave strangely or crash.
RuntimeBroker.exe’s job is to check and verify if all open applications have the necessary permissions and report them to the user. These permissions are to camera, microphone, files, etc. may include access. Therefore, you will notice in the screenshot above that I have multiple instances of Runtime Brokers. This was because there were multiple apps running when I took the screenshot.
Note that Runtime Broker will only check permissions for apps installed from Microsoft Store. Since it is an important system process, there is no way to permanently disable or terminate this process.
Why do you need Runtime Broker?
This makes Runtime Broker, in a way, our security and privacy guard. Even when installing an app from the Microsoft Store, there is a possibility that it will ask for permissions that it doesn’t need to do its job. Runtime Broker will show a popup asking you to allow/disallow a certain permission to the app.
It gives you much-needed oversight over which applications can access which parts of your computer. You wouldn’t want a rogue app full of malware asking permission to your hard drive or webcam, would you? You need RuntimeBroker.exe to protect your privacy and ensure your security.
When Should I Worry About Runtime Broker
Microsoft notes that RuntimeBroker.exe should, at best, consume no more than a few MB of memory. If you open a UWP app, but only temporarily, RAM and CPU usage may spike suddenly and that’s fine. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager and check the status under the Processes tab. If it’s consuming too much memory, there could be several reasons.
A malware or virus can act as a Runtime Broker, so the system’s antivirus leaves it alone. One of the UWP applications you have installed may be faulty, causing Runtime Broker to consume more RAM or CPU depending on the situation. It may have been a memory leak that happened once, but it has since been fixed with an update by Microsoft. You should be worried if you think you might have any of these situations, but we have a few solutions to help fix it.
How to Fix Runtime Broker Consuming Resources in Windows
We’ll start with the easiest and build from there. Let’s not assume the worst if you don’t have a reason. For example, did you access the internet over a public network or public Wi-Fi? Have you visited or opened a suspicious site?
1. End Task and Restart
I know what I’m saying but this is different. When you finish the Runtime Broker task, it will automatically restart within seconds and open applications may be affected. Save and do all your work and then restart your computer immediately.
Stage 1: Right-click on the RuntimeBroker.exe process to select End task.
Step 2: Restart your computer from the Start menu as you always do.
Have you noticed a pattern where starting a particular application results in the RuntimeBroker.exe issue? If so, uninstall that app and check again. Contact the developer to see if there’s a memory leak they can fix with a patch.
2. Scan Everything
Turn off everything you are running and run a full scan of your computer using the antivirus program of your choice. I recommend using Windows Defender, which is now part of the Windows Security suite, but you can go with any.
Once this is done, download and install Malwarebytes and run another scan with it. Antivirus apps are inept at detecting malware.
Download and run the Microsoft Safety Scanner, which is pretty much a must when you need it to run. This will narrow it down even further.
Run Windows Run
Now that you know that Runtime Broker is a system app, you don’t have to worry too much about it. If it’s suddenly consuming resources, an app may be consuming it. While it sounds likely, there aren’t many reports of virus or malware pretending to be RuntimeBroker.exe yet. Mostly, it’s a memory leak or one of the UWP apps taking action. To be safe, you can scan for malware and viruses. Have you had any strange experiences with Runtime Broker and UWP apps? Share your experience in the comments below.
Next: Is your Windows 10 computer making random connection and disconnect sounds? Learn how to find out which app is causing it and various ways to fix random sound issue in Windows 10.
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