find.exe

Windows Command-Line Find Utility

Utility ProcessSafeSystem Utility

CPU Usage

0-2%

Memory

1-6 MB

Location

C:\Windows\System32

Publisher

Microsoft Corporation

Quick Answer

find.exe is a legitimate Windows utility. It provides a lightweight string search within files or standard input and is commonly used in batch scripts and command-line workflows.

Is it a Virus?

✔ NO - Safe

Located in C:\Windows\System32\find.exe (or C:\Windows\SysWOW64 on 32-bit systems)

Warning

Not typically a standalone background process

Often invoked by cmd.exe or batch scripts during text searches

Can I Disable?

✔ YES

Disabling via startup tasks or removing scripts that call find.exe will stop automatic usage

What is find.exe?

find.exe is Windows' built-in text-search utility used in batch scripts and command-line sessions to locate occurrences of a string within a file or standard input. It helps quickly filter log files, configuration files, and text streams without launching a heavy editor or graphical search tool.

find.exe is a lightweight Windows command-line tool that scans text in files or streams for a given substring. It operates in a simple, line-oriented fashion and returns matching lines, making it useful for quick log filtering and scripting in CMD or batch files.

Quick Fact: find.exe predates modern search utilities and remains a lean, fast string searcher bundled with Windows.

Types of Windows Find Processes

Command-line Search: Invoked by cmd.exe to search text within files or streams
Batch Script Worker: Used in automation to extract lines from logs
Redirector / Filter: Often used in pipelines to filter output
Log Analysis Helper: Useful for parsing log files quickly
Text Stream Processor: Handles standard input as well as files
System Utility Component: Part of the OS utility suite

Is find.exe Safe?

Yes, find.exe is safe when it's the legitimate Windows binary located in C:\Windows\System32 or C:\Windows\SysWOW64 and comes from Microsoft.

Is find.exe a Virus or Malware?

The real find.exe is not a virus. Malware sometimes disguises itself using similar names to trick users.

How to Tell if find.exe is Legitimate or Malware

File Location: Must be in C:\Windows\System32\find.exe or C:\Windows\SysWOW64\find.exe on a 32/64-bit system. Any find.exe elsewhere is suspicious.
Digital Signature: Right-click the file in Explorer → Properties → Digital Signatures. Should show signer "Microsoft Corporation" or "Microsoft Windows".
Resource Usage: Normally idle. CPU usage often 0-2%, memory 1-6 MB during active search; sustained high usage without a reason is suspicious.
Behavior: find.exe should respond to command-line usage via CMD or PowerShell. If it runs unexpectedly or without a prompt, inspect for tampering or malware.

Red Flags: If find.exe is located in unusual folders (e.g., Temp, AppData, or System32 but not truly in Windows directories), runs without being invoked by CMD, has no valid digital signature, or shows unusual resource spikes, scan with antivirus software immediately. Beware of similarly-named files like "find32.exe" or "findtext.exe" from untrusted sources.

Why Is find.exe Running on My PC?

find.exe will run whenever a command shell or script queries text within a file or stream. It can also be invoked by scheduled tasks or automation workflows that monitor logs or configuration files.

Reasons it's running:

Active Command or Batch Script Use: You or a script are invoking find.exe to search for a string in a file or stream.
Background Log Scanning: Automated scripts or monitoring tools call find.exe to filter log output in real-time or from archives.
Startup or Scheduled Task: A batch file or task is configured to run at startup or on a schedule to process text data.
Piped Searches in Command Pipelines: find.exe is used in conjunction with other commands to filter results in a pipeline (e.g., dir | find.exe).
Potential Malware Masking as System Utility: Rare cases involve malicious software naming itself find.exe to blend in; verify location and signature to rule this out.

Can I Disable or Remove find.exe?

Yes, you can disable its usage and remove automated calls. Since it is a Windows utility, you typically cannot uninstall it, but you can stop it from being invoked by scripts or startup tasks.

How to Stop find.exe

End Specific Processes: Open Task Manager, locate find.exe instances if visible, and End Task
Modify Startup Items: Task Manager > Startup tab > disable any entry calling find.exe
Edit Batch Files / Scripts: Search your scripts for references to find.exe and remove or modify usage
Group Policy / AppLocker: Block execution of find.exe from unknown locations via AppLocker or Software Restriction Policies
Check Scheduled Tasks: Open Task Scheduler and disable any tasks invoking find.exe

How to Remove or Disable Use of find.exe

✔ There is no separate uninstall for find.exe as it is a Windows system utility.
✔ Remove or modify scripts and batch files that call find.exe
✔ Disable related startup or scheduled tasks that invoke find.exe
✔ Use AppLocker/Group Policy to block execution from non-Windows directories

Common Problems: find.exe Issues

If find.exe behaves unexpectedly, such as missing matches or high CPU usage, consider the following common causes and fixes.

Common Causes & Solutions

No matches found due to incorrect search text: Double-check the search string and ensure quotes are used correctly when searching for spaces or special characters.
Search in incorrect file or path: Verify the target file path is correct and accessible; grant permissions if needed.
Scripted pipelines producing large input: Limit input size or redirect output to a file to inspect results without holding streams open.
Find.exe used inside a loop with large files: Avoid repeated large scans; consider indexing or more selective filters in the script.
Compatibility issues on 64-bit systems: Prefer the appropriate System32 or SysWOW64 path; ensure scripts call the correct architecture variant.
Permissions or access denials: Run with elevated privileges or adjust file permissions to allow read access.

Quick Fixes:
1. Open CMD or PowerShell and test a simple find.exe example (e.g., find "error" sample.txt)
2. Check scripts for correct file paths and quotes around search terms
3. Review scheduled tasks and startup entries that may invoke find.exe
4. Ensure you are using the correct path: C:\Windows\System32\find.exe
5. If unsure, run a virus scan and validate the file location

Frequently Asked Questions

What is find.exe?

find.exe is a Windows command-line utility that searches for a specific string within a file or input stream and prints matching lines. It is commonly used in batch files and scripts.

Is find.exe a virus?

No, the legitimate find.exe from Microsoft is not a virus. Always verify it is located in C:\Windows\System32\find.exe or C:\Windows\SysWOW64\find.exe and check the digital signature.

How do I use find.exe?

Open Command Prompt and run: find "text_to_find" filename.txt. The utility outputs lines containing the string. Use redirection to capture results as needed.

Where is find.exe located on Windows?

The standard locations are C:\Windows\System32\find.exe and on 32-bit systems may be in C:\Windows\SysWOW64\find.exe.

Can I block find.exe from running?

Yes, you can block it by removing scripts that call it, or by using AppLocker/Group Policy to block execution from non-system directories.

Why are there multiple find.exe processes?

Each batch script or command pipeline may spawn its own instance of find.exe. This is expected behavior when used in parallel or in separate terminal sessions.

Related Processes

cmd.exe

Windows Command Prompt (Command Processor)

powershell.exe

Windows PowerShell

findstr.exe

Windows findstr Search Tool (advanced text search)