mc.exe

What is mc.exe?

Midnight Commander (mc.exe) is a text-based, two-panel file manager that runs inside a terminal or console window. It provides fast navigation, copying, moving, renaming, and editing files using keyboard shortcuts, with built-in viewers and editors and support for remote file systems via SFTP/FTP.

MC operates in a terminal using ncurses to render a split-pane UI, showing source and destination directories; it executes file operations locally or via external commands, and can mount remote file systems for editing, copying, and transferring files.

Types of Midnight Commander Processes

• Main Process: mc.exe started in a terminal as the primary MC session
• Editor Subprocess: When editing, MC may spawn an external editor (vim, nano) as a child process
• Viewer Subprocess: Viewing files (F3) can launch an external viewer as a separate process
• External Command Subprocess: Running shell commands from MC spawns a subshell or command executor
• Remote FS Backend: SFTP/FTP backends are used to access remote file systems via MC
• Internal Utilities: Built-in operations (copy, move, delete, mkdir) run within MC's internal code

Is mc.exe Safe?

Yes, mc.exe is safe when obtained from official GNU Midnight Commander sources or trusted package managers.

Is mc.exe a Virus or Malware?

The real mc.exe is NOT a virus. Malware can mimic names; always verify location and signature.

How to Tell if mc.exe is Legitimate or Malware

1. File Location: Should be located at C:\Program Files\Midnight Commander\mc.exe or C:\Program Files (x86)\Midnight Commander\mc.exe. Other locations are suspicious.
2. Digital Signature: Right-click mc.exe → Properties → Digital Signatures. Should show a valid signature from the GNU Project or similar trusted signer.
3. Resource Usage: Typical usage is 1-5% CPU per active operation and modest memory; abnormal persistent spikes warrant scanning.
4. Behavior: MC should run inside a terminal; background activity or invisibly running processes may indicate malware

Why Is mc.exe Running on My PC?

Midnight Commander executes when you start a terminal session that runs mc, or when a script invokes the mc command. It can also appear during remote sessions or when a terminal multiplexer spawns it.

Reasons it's running:

• Active Terminal Session: You have an open terminal or SSH session running Midnight Commander; MC is active in one or more panes.
• Shell or Script Invocation: A shell script or batch file calls mc to manage files automatically as part of a workflow.
• Remote File Operations: MC accesses a mounted SFTP/FTP filesystem or a remote shell, causing MC to appear in the process list.
• Background Command Execution: MC may be used in background tasks through terminal multiplexers like tmux or screen.
• Startup or Login Scripts: An automation scenario starts a terminal session that launches MC when a user logs in or starts a session.

Can I Disable or Remove midnight-commander?

Yes, you can disable mc.exe. It runs per-terminal; closing the terminal or terminating the process stops it. Uninstalling is straightforward if you no longer need it.

How to Stop mc.exe

• Exit Midnight Commander: Press F10 to quit MC and return to the shell
• Close Terminal: Close the terminal window or tab that is running MC
• Terminate the Process: In Windows Task Manager, locate mc.exe and End Task
• Prevent Startup: If MC starts via startup scripts or an automation tool, remove the call from the script or startup task
• Disable in Shell Profiles: Edit shell startup files (e.g., .bashrc, .bash_profile) to remove any mc invocations

How to Uninstall Midnight Commander

• ✔ Windows Settings → Apps → Apps & Features → Midnight Commander → Uninstall
• ✔ If installed via Cygwin/MSYS2, use the package manager (e.g., pacman -R midnight-commander) and remove related cygwin/msys packages
• ✔ Delete the Midnight Commander directory (e.g., C:\Program Files\Midnight Commander) if leftover files remain after uninstallation
• ✔ Optionally remove any shortcuts or environment PATH entries referencing mc.exe

Common Problems: High CPU or Memory Usage

If mc.exe is consuming excessive resources during file operations or in idle state, diagnose with targeted checks and apply optimizations specific to Midnight Commander.

Common Causes & Solutions

• Too many active panels or background shells: Close unused panels or background editor/viewer subprocesses; exit MC and relaunch with fewer panels
• Large or remote file operations: Limit transfers to smaller batches; use external tools or options to limit buffering
• Outdated MC or incompatible terminal: Update Midnight Commander to the latest stable version; ensure your terminal supports 256-color mode
• Heavy or faulty extensions/plugins: Disable non-essential external viewers or editors integrated with MC; revert to built-in viewers
• Locale or encoding mismatch: Set proper locale (e.g., LANG=en_US.UTF-8) and ensure terminal renders Unicode correctly
• Insufficient permissions or quotas: Run in a directory with adequate permissions or free up disk space; verify file system quotas

Related Processes