HWMonitor Hardware Monitoring Tool
hwmonitor.exe is safe. It's CPUID's lightweight hardware monitor that reads sensor data from your PC in real time without altering system settings.
hwmonitor.exe is the main executable for HWMonitor, CPUID's lightweight hardware monitoring tool. It reads voltage, temperature, fan speed, and load sensors from your PC to present real-time hardware health information.
HWMonitor uses low-level sensor interfaces (SMBus, I2C, PCI) via CPUID libraries to fetch sensor data. It runs with minimal resources and updates readings periodically, without modifying system settings or driver behavior.
Quick Fact: HWMonitor supports a wide range of sensors across CPUs, GPUs, motherboards, and storage devices, often without requiring installation of drivers.
Yes, hwmonitor.exe is safe when downloaded from CPUID's official site and located in C:\Program Files\CPUID\HWMonitor\HWMonitor.exe.
The real hwmonitor.exe is NOT a virus. Malware can masquerade with similar names; always verify digital signatures and location.
C:\Program Files\CPUID\HWMonitor\HWMonitor.exe or C:\Program Files (x86)\CPUID\HWMonitor\HWMonitor.exe. Any other path is suspicious.Red Flags: If hwmonitor.exe is outside the CPUID folder, lacks a valid signature, or triggers unusual network activity, scan for malware with a trusted antivirus.
HWMonitor runs to read and display sensor data from hardware components and to provide optional logging or tray notifications. It doesn't modify drivers but may keep readings up to date for diagnostics.
Reasons it's running:
Yes, you can disable hwmonitor.exe. You can stop the GUI, remove startup entries, or uninstall HWMonitor completely if you no longer need it.
If hwmonitor.exe behaves unexpectedly, refer to sensor access, startup, and data logging issues below.
Quick Fixes:
1. Close HWMonitor and reopen to refresh sensor data
2. Update HWMonitor to the latest version from CPUID
3. Check for driver updates for motherboard sensors
4. Disable logging if enabled to reduce resource use
5. Run HWMonitor as administrator if sensors require elevated access
Yes, the legitimate hwmonitor.exe from CPUID is safe when downloaded from CPUID's official site and located in <code>C:\Program Files\CPUID\HWMonitor\HWMonitor.exe</code>.
HWMonitor may be configured to start with Windows to provide immediate sensor visibility. Disable it in Task Manager → Startup, or uninstall if you don’t need it.
Typically in <code>C:\Program Files\CPUID\HWMonitor\HWMonitor.exe</code> or <code>C:\Program Files (x86)\CPUID\HWMonitor\HWMonitor.exe</code>.
Rarely. It should use minimal CPU. High usage usually comes from sensor logging or firmware drivers; update HWMonitor and drivers or disable logging to fix.
Download the latest version from CPUID's official site and install. If you already have it, it will prompt for updates, or you can download and replace the executable.