What Is the Software Reporter Tool and How To Disable It

Did you see a process called “software_reporter_tool.exe” using high CPU on your computer? It’s Google Chrome’s built-in Software Reporter Tool.

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t know what the Software Reporter Tool is. But if you’ve been using a Windows computer for a while paired with the Google Chrome browser, there’s a good chance it’s been installed on your system without your knowledge.

This article will explain what the Software Reporter Tool is and how to disable it if necessary. We’ll also discuss why Google Chrome included this tool, and whether or not you should remove it. So keep reading to learn more!

What Is the Software Reporter Tool

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What is the Software Reporter Tool?

The Software Reporter Tool in Google Chrome (also known as “software_reporter_tool.exe”) is a program that comes with your browser without any separate installations needed. Sometimes, it’s also referred to as the Chrome Cleanup Tool.

The goal of this tool is to monitor all Chrome installations and detect any unwanted software that interferes with the normal operation of Google Chrome on the computer.

It’s located in the following path:

C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\SwReporter\[Version number]

what is the software reporter tool

The purpose of this tool is primarily to report any such program or software that may interfere with the browser’s operation. This tool is downloaded and installed on your device at the same time as Google Chrome.

In some cases, the tool may start to use a lot of your resources, slowing down your computer. The most common symptom is high CPU usage. If this happens to you, you can easily disable the Software Reporter Tool or completely remove it from your device.

Is the Software Reporter Tool safe? Should I remove it?

The Software Reporter Tool (software_reporter_tool.exe) is completely safe. It’s not malware or a virus. It doesn’t communicate over the network and comes with Google Chrome. If you don’t remember downloading it, you probably have the browser installed on your computer.

This tool’s sole purpose is to notify Google Chrome about software that may not be working properly with the browser. Although the tool aids in the removal of barriers that may impede browser experience, many users are concerned about the high CPU consumption when running in the background.

The tool can run for about upwards of 20 minutes, which may cause other processes in your system to slow down. Some users may encounter a Software Reporter Tool high CPU issue during its scan. Because of this, you may want to disable or remove the Software Reporter Tool entirely.

If you’re not experiencing high CPU or other errors with the process, it’s recommended to keep it running.

How to disable Software Reporter Tool (software_reporter_tool.exe)

Here’s how to disable or remove the Software Reporter Tool if it’s using a high CPU on your computer, or causing other issues such as Google Chrome crashing.

To disable the Software Reporter Tool, remove, uninstall, or delete the entire folder’s contents, or rename the executable itself. Keep in mind that this is only a temporary solution. Google Chrome will reinstall the Software Reporter Tool when you reopen or update your web browser.

Because of this, you need to follow some steps to have elevated ownership to the folder and block Google Chrome from accessing it. By doing so, it can’t reinstall the Software Reporter Tool anymore.

Open the File Explorer from your taskbar, alternatively by using the

Windows

+

E

keyboard shortcut. Navigate to the following folder:

C:\Users\*\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data
If you can’t see the AppData folder, click on

View

>

Hidden items

. This option will make the folder visible to you.
Once in the User Data folder, right-click on the

SwReporter

folder and choose

Properties

from the context menu. If you can’t find the SwReporter folder, look for a folder called

CrashReports

, right-click on it and repeat the process.
Switch to the

Security

tab using the header menu in the pop-up window. Afterward, select

SYSTEM

from the group and user names, and then click on the

Advanced

button.
Click on the

Disable inheritance

button located at the bottom-left of the advanced security settings window.
Click on the

Remove all inherited permissions from this object

button from the available options.
Click on the

Apply

button.
After making the changes above, select the SwReporter folder and delete it. This will remove the

Software Reporter Tool

. Alternatively, if you want to disable the tool, simply rename the folder to something else, like “SwReporter_Disabled”.

How to disable Software Reporter Tool (software_reporter_tool.exe) using the Registry Editor

Another way of turning this feature off is by making an edit in the Windows Registry Editor.

Press the

Windows

+

R

keys on your keyboard at the same time to bring up the Run utility. Type in “

regedit

” without the quotation marks, then hit the

OK

button.
Use the navigation pane on the left side of the window to reach the following Registry key, or use the address bar and copy-paste the location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome
Right-click on the Chrome key, and select

New

>

DWORD (32-bit) Value

from the context menu.
Name the new entry

ChromeCleanupEnabled

, then right-click it and click

Modify

from the context menu to edit its properties.
Make sure that the Value Data is set to

0

. Click on the

OK

button to finalize the change.
Repeat the previous steps to create another new DWORD entry, but this time name it

ChromeCleanupReportingEnabled

. Make sure that you also set its value to

0
Exit the Registry Editor and reboot your computer. You should be able to notice whether or not the Software Reporter Tool is still using high CPU or giving you errors in Google Chrome.

Final thoughts

While the Software Reporter Tool is not malware, it may use high CPU resources. We’ve covered the steps needed to disable or remove this tool in Google Chrome if you want to get rid of it. Now, you can get the most out of your system while still taking advantage of a fast browser.

If there are any questions left unanswered or problems not addressed, please feel free to reach out — our team of experts would love to help! In the meantime be sure to keep up with all things tech by checking back for more articles about troubleshooting Google Chrome errors, and following us on social media.

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