diskperf.exe

What is diskperf.exe?

diskperf.exe is a Windows utility that controls the Disk Performance Counters used by Performance Monitor. It allows enabling or disabling the counters so you can collect disk I/O metrics for system diagnostics and capacity planning. This tool is commonly used by IT professionals to baseline storage performance and troubleshoot disk bottlenecks.

DiskPerf toggles kernel-mode I/O counters exposed as Disk/PhysicalDisk performance objects, enabling monitoring software to gather metrics like Disk Bytes/sec and Disk Transfers/sec.

Types of DiskPerf Operations

• Enable Counters: Runs diskperf -y to activate per-disk performance data
• Disable Counters: Runs diskperf -n to deactivate counters
• Query Status: Checks whether counters are currently enabled

Is diskperf.exe Safe?

Yes, diskperf.exe is safe when it's the legitimate file from Microsoft located in C:\Windows\System32 and signed by Microsoft Corporation.

Is diskperf.exe a Virus or Malware?

The real diskperf.exe is NOT a virus. However, malware can masquerade with similar names. Verify the path and signature.

How to Tell if diskperf.exe is Legitimate or Malware

1. File Location: Must be in C:\Windows\System32\diskperf.exe. Any diskperf.exe elsewhere is suspicious.
2. Digital Signature: Right-click diskperf.exe -> Properties -> Digital Signatures. Should show "Microsoft Windows".
3. Process Path: In Task Manager or Sysinternals Process Explorer, verify the path is C:\Windows\System32\diskperf.exe.
4. System Integration: DiskPerf interacts with Performance Monitor; verify it is not launching unexpectedly.

Why Is diskperf.exe Running on My PC?

diskperf.exe runs to manage disk I/O performance counters that PerfMon consumes. It may be invoked by admin actions or maintenance tasks.

Reasons it's running:

• Performance Monitoring Enabled: You or a management tool enabled disk performance counters to collect I/O metrics.
• System Diagnostics or Baselines: Admins run disk performance logging to baseline storage throughput for capacity planning.
• Startup or Maintenance Script: A script runs at startup to ensure counters are available for monitoring tasks.
• Remote Monitoring Agent: Monitoring agents enable DiskPerf counters to report metrics to a central console.
• Performance Tools and Reports: PerfMon, Resource Monitor, or SIEM tools query Disk counters during reporting cycles.

Can I Disable or Remove diskperf.exe?

Yes, you can disable diskperf.exe. It won't prevent Windows from starting, but it will stop counter generation until re-enabled.

How to Stop diskperf.exe

• Disable Counters: Run in an elevated CMD: diskperf -n
• Reboot: Restart the machine to ensure counters are not loaded at startup
• Verify Disabled: Open Performance Monitor to confirm Disk and PhysicalDisk counters are not populated
• Policy Control: If deployed via group policy, adjust the policy to avoid enabling at startup
• Remove Automation: Disable any startup task that runs diskperf -y

How to Uninstall or Remove diskperf

• ✔ No standalone uninstall; disable via diskperf -n and rely on Windows features
• ✔ If part of a vendor image, consult administrator guidelines
• ✔ You can use System Restore or reimage to revert to a baseline

Common Problems: Disk Performance Counters

If diskperf.exe or disk counters show issues, try these fixes.

Common Causes & Solutions

• Counters not enabled: Open an elevated command prompt and run diskperf -y, then reboot.
• Counters not visible in PerfMon: Ensure Performance Monitor is configured to show Disk and PhysicalDisk counters; verify service dependencies.
• Diskperf.exe not found in System32: Verify the Windows installation integrity; the file should reside in C:\Windows\System32.
• Insufficient privileges: Run diskperf and PerfMon with administrator rights.
• Conflicting monitoring tools: Disable other tools that may interfere with disk counters or use consistent namespaces.
• Outdated Windows version: Update Windows to ensure DiskPerf compatibility and performance counters stability.

Related Processes