Quick Answer
goland.exe is safe. It's JetBrains' GoLand IDE executable, running multiple sub-processes (indexing, building, background tasks) to keep the editor responsive.
Is it a Virus?
✔ NO - Safe
Must be in C:\Program Files\JetBrains\GoLand 2025.1\bin\goland64.exe
Warning
Many processes normal
Indexing, code analysis, and plugin tasks spawn multiple goland processes
Can I Disable?
✔ YES
Close the IDE to stop all processes; uninstall if you no longer need GoLand
What is goland64.exe?
goland.exe is the Windows executable for JetBrains GoLand, a dedicated Go development environment. GoLand uses a multi-process architecture, which means you may see several goland-related processes in Task Manager, especially during indexing or project builds.
GoLand runs on the IntelliJ platform with a bundled JRE, spawning separate processes for indexing, code analysis, compilation tasks, and plugin management. This separation improves responsiveness and stability; if one task stalls, others keep the IDE usable.
Quick Fact: GoLand employs background indexing to provide fast code completion and navigation, which can temporarily increase resource usage during project changes.
Types of GoLand Processes
- IDE Main Process: Core window, tool windows, and UI management (goland64.exe)
- Indexer/Background Service: Code indexing and symbol search in the background
- Compiler/Build Daemon: Go build, test, and run tasks invoked from the IDE
- Plugin/Extension Process: Plugins may run in separate processes to isolate failures
- File Watcher/External Tools: Watchers for file changes and external script integrations
- Helper/Daemon: Auxiliary background tasks and integration services
Is goland.exe Safe?
Yes, goland.exe is safe when it's the legitimate file from JetBrains downloaded from official sources (jetbrains.com or the GoLand installer).
Is goland.exe a Virus or Malware?
The real goland.exe is NOT a virus. However, malware can masquerade with similar names. Always verify the file location and signature.
How to Tell if goland.exe is Legitimate or Malware
- File Location: Must be in
C:\Program Files\JetBrains\GoLand 2025.1\bin\goland64.exe or C:\Program Files\JetBrains\GoLand 2025.1\bin\goland.exe. Any golandEXE elsewhere is suspicious.
- Digital Signature: Right-click the file in Explorer -> Properties -> Digital Signatures. Should show "JetBrains s.r.o." as the signer.
- Resource Usage: Normal GoLand usage varies; during indexing you may see higher CPU (10-40%) and memory (600-1600 MB). Constant abnormal usage warrants a check.
- Behavior: GoLand should start with the IDE and run tasks within its UI. If multiple goland processes run without starting the IDE, investigate.
Red Flags: If goland.exe is located in unusual folders (like Temp or AppData), runs without starting GoLand, lacks a valid signature, or uses resources constantly, scan with antivirus. Be wary of similarly named files like "goland64.exe.bak" from untrusted sources.
Why Is goland.exe Running on My PC?
goland.exe runs as part of starting and operating the GoLand IDE. It may stay active to support indexing, code analysis, and tool integrations even when the main UI is idle.
Reasons it's running:
- Active IDE Session: You have GoLand open and actively editing or building Go projects.
- Background Indexing: Code indexing and symbol indexing run in the background to speed up search and completion.
- Build, Test, and Run Daemons: Go tooling tasks may run as separate processes to compile and test code.
- Plugins and Language Injectors: Plugins can spawn their own processes for analysis or tooling support.
- File Watchers and VCS Integration: Version control and filesystem watchers keep your project state in sync, launching background workers.
Can I Disable or Remove goland.exe?
Yes, you can stop using GoLand or uninstall it. If you only want to stop it from running, close the IDE and disable startup if configured.
How to Stop goland.exe
- Close GoLand: Use File > Exit GoLand or click the close button to shut down the IDE.
- End Specific GoLand Processes: Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), locate goland64.exe and goland.exe, then End Task for unwanted ones.
- Prevent Startup: Task Manager > Startup tab > Disable JetBrains GoLand
- Stop Background Tasks: In GoLand, go to Settings > Appearance & Behavior > System Settings and disable unnecessary background features, if available.
- Disable Plugins: Go to Settings > Plugins and disable heavy or unnecessary plugins to reduce background activity.
How to Uninstall GoLand
- ✔ Windows Settings → Apps → GoLand → Uninstall
- ✔ Control Panel → Programs → Uninstall a program → JetBrains GoLand → Uninstall
- ✔ After uninstall, optionally remove leftover GoLand caches: delete C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\JetBrains\GoLand and related directories
Common Problems: High CPU or Memory Usage
If goland.exe is consuming excessive resources:
Common Causes & Solutions
- Large Go projects with many modules: Wait for indexing to complete or exclude large folders from indexing via Settings → Editor → Code Completion and Exclusions
- Background indexing: Allow indexing to finish; you can pause indexing temporarily or adjust indexing scopes in settings
- Heavy plugins: Disable or remove plugins you don’t use in Settings → Plugins
- Frequent code analysis on large files: Toggle on/off real-time analysis for specific files or directories in settings
- Outdated GoLand version: Update GoLand to the latest version via Help → Check for Updates
- Insufficient memory allocation: Increase IDE heap in the bin GoLand.vmoptions file or via Help → Edit Custom VM Options
Quick Fixes:
1. Close unused projects or large folders from the GoLand workspace
2. Open Task Manager to identify resource-heavy processes (goland64.exe) and end them if needed
3. Invalidate caches and Restart: File → Invalidate Caches / Restart
4. Update GoLand to the latest version
5. Adjust memory heap via GoLand.vmoptions and restart
Frequently Asked Questions
Is goland.exe a virus?
No, the legitimate goland.exe from JetBrains is not a virus. Verify the file path is in C:\Program Files\JetBrains\GoLand 2025.1\bin\ and that it is signed by JetBrains s.r.o.
Why is goland.exe using so much CPU?
GoLand may spike CPU during project indexing, code analysis, or when running builds/tests. Use Task Manager to identify the culprit, allow indexing to finish, or disable heavy plugins.
Can I delete goland.exe?
You can uninstall GoLand via Windows Settings or Control Panel. Deleting the executable manually is not recommended; use the proper uninstallation workflow to remove all components.
Can I disable goland.exe?
Yes. To stop it, close GoLand and disable startup in Task Manager if configured. You can also disable background features and heavy plugins from within the IDE.
Where is goland.exe located on Windows?
Typically in C:\Program Files\JetBrains\GoLand 2025.1\bin\goland64.exe or C:\Program Files\JetBrains\GoLand 2025.1\bin\goland.exe. Verify the path to confirm legitimacy.
How can I speed up GoLand performance?
Exclude large folders from indexing, disable unused plugins, invalidate caches, update to the latest version, and allocate sufficient memory in the GoLand VM options.