What is active.exe? Should I remove it?

Active.exe is the executable file that is not related to Windows, so it might cause damage to the machine

Active.exe is a file that is not related to the operating system or any crucial processes. This is not a Windows core file, so the executable can manipulate other programs and cause issues. It is not a secure file, since it can be misused to camouflage malware on the machine. If you experience any speed or crashing issues and the file seems running in the background, check its purpose and possibly delete it completely.

This executable might be a file that starts a malicious process, launches certain parasite components, or runs a destructive payload. Even if the active.exe file does nothing suspicious, its presence with symptoms like high CPU usage or suspicious background processes indicates that your computer is infected with a particular threat.
The active.exe file is installed and used by Hornet 1.0 and might be related to other programs. However, this is not a file that Windows OS is related to, so you can delete it if you think it is related to suspicious threats.

Name active.exe
Type  Executable file
Issues  The process seems running in the back, and the file raises suspicions
Distribution  Emails and installations of other programs can inject the file
Diagnosis  Needed. AV tools work the best for it
Repair  You should fix system damage that this suspicious piece can cause, so running FortectIntego is recommended

You should always carefully check the file before deleting it. It may not be related to malware but can be required by your essential programs to work properly. Remember that Active.exe is shown in Task Manager with other processes, and you experience problems with the performance, you might have a cyber infection on the computer.

Make sure to run a tool like anti-malware, security program, or antivirus app, so you can determine if the file is an active.exe virus or a safe, not harmful executable. Tools like SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes help indicate the purpose of this piece of data, so you can know what to do next.

Also, you can remove active.exe by using the anti-malware tool because it terminates various computer threats and can help improve the machine's security. You should also run a program like FortectIntego that finds affected, corrupted files and can help repair any system data that trigger issues with your machine.

When a file like this is related to malicious threats, you need to go for the active.exe removal as soon as possible. You can determine the size of this file and the place where it is on the system. These facts can indicate if the executable is dangerous or not. It shouldn't be bigger than 300 000 bytes

When the active.exe is camouflaging malware, it can be found as malicious or dangerous when a security tool runs the check on the machine. Those heuristic detections can indicate either the name of the trojan or worm that is running or the similar functions of the threat. If the threat is running on the machine, this executable can be responsible for:

  • data exfiltration;
  • malware installations;
  • damage to the system.

Files come from shady email messages and deceiving pages

Files like executables, DLLs, or different formats that rely on the system performance and programs come during the installation of the software or OS. However, when the piece is related to malicious activities, it can also come during the installation, but the procedure is related to either an insecure install process or the shady app.

You can get malicious files from pirating sites, torrent services when downloading programs from ads or malicious websites. Such a file can also come as an addition to the legitimate-looking program when you rely on harmful sources instead of the official developers.

It is common to receive a malicious file when you open an email with an attachment, link to a website. Malicious macros – pieces added to PDF, Excel, and Word files can be triggered by opening the attached file. Once that is done, malware or a file like this EXE can be loaded on the machine.

Make sure to determine the purpose of the file and delete the active.exe virus with AV tools if needed

You are highly advised to scan the system, delete executable files and remove active.exe, terminate all the processes it started. Please note that the file actually may be a full part of the legitimate software. Often parasites use files with unsuspicious names, but malicious functionality, so users do not consider those trojans dangerous while processes run in the background.

You better run a tool like SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes before you go after the termination of such files with exe or dll appendixes. It is needed before the Active.exe removal because you can trigger more serious damage when the important file gets eliminated.

Once you determine that Active.exe is useless and possibly dangerous after the anti-malware tool scan, you can terminate this and other threats automatically. Once that is done, do not forget to repair system damage and OS files using FortectIntego. Trojans and other threats masked as EXE files can cause serious issues, so double-check a few times to be sure that the virus is eliminated.

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What to do if failed?
If you failed to fix virus damage using Fortect Intego, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.
Fortect Intego has a free limited scanner. Fortect Intego offers more through scan when you purchase its full version. When free scanner detects issues, you can fix them using free manual repairs or you can decide to purchase the full version in order to fix them automatically.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Fortect, try running SpyHunter 5.
Alternative Software
Different software has a different purpose. If you didn’t succeed in fixing corrupted files with Intego, try running Combo Cleaner.
About the author
Lucia Danes
Lucia Danes - Virus researcher

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