mom.exe

Microsoft Monitoring Agent

Service/Agent ProcessSafeMonitoring/Management

CPU Usage

0.5-5%

Memory

50-200 MB

Location

Program Files\Microsoft Monitoring Agent

Publisher

Microsoft Corporation

Quick Answer

mom.exe is safe. It's the Microsoft Monitoring Agent service that collects performance data and forwards it to your monitoring server or cloud.

Is it a Virus?

✔ NO - Safe

Must be in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Monitoring Agent\Agent\mom.exe

Warning

Multiple processes

MMA may spawn separate collector and worker processes per monitored object

Can I Disable?

✔ YES

Disable via Services.msc or stop the MMA service when not monitoring

What is mom.exe?

mom.exe is the executable for the Microsoft Monitoring Agent (MMA) used by System Center/Azure Monitor to collect, process, and forward performance data from Windows hosts. It runs as a background service and interacts with the MMA console to report health and inventory metrics.

The agent operates as a service with a modular data collection framework, pulling Windows performance counters, event logs, and custom counters, then batching and sending data to a central management server or cloud workspace.

Quick Fact: MMA supports agent-based monitoring for on-premises and hybrid environments; it can work with multiple collectors and can be extended with plug-ins.

Types of Monitoring Agent Processes

Main Service: Orchestrates MMA operations and coordinates data collection
Data Collector: Gathers performance counters and inventory data
Heartbeat/Worker: Maintains connectivity and schedules data transfers
Plug-in/Extension: Optional components for additional integrations
Alert/Notifier: Sends alerts and health notifications to the manager
Cache/Utility: Handles caching and intermediate data processing

Is mom.exe Safe?

Yes, mom.exe is safe when it is the legitimate Microsoft Monitoring Agent binary installed from official Microsoft sources (e.g., Windows Updates or the MMA installer).

Is mom.exe a Virus or Malware?

The real mom.exe is NOT a virus. Malware may imitate names; verify digital signature and path.

How to Tell if mom.exe is Legitimate or Malware

File Location: Check that mom.exe resides at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Monitoring Agent\Agent\mom.exe or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Monitoring Agent\Agent\mom.exe. Other paths are suspicious.
Digital Signature: Right-click mom.exe → Properties → Digital Signatures. Should show "Microsoft Corporation" as the signer.
Resource Usage: Normal MMA usage is modest; sustained high CPU/memory even when monitoring is idle is suspicious.
Behavior: The agent runs as a service and only performs data collection when configured. Unexpected network activity or startup without MMA installed is a red flag.

Red Flags: If mom.exe is located outside the standard MMA folders (e.g., Temp, AppData), runs when monitoring is not configured, has no valid signature, or repeatedly uses disk/network resources, scan with antivirus immediately. Beware of similarly named files.

Why Is mom.exe Running on My PC?

mom.exe runs when the Microsoft Monitoring Agent is installed and configured to collect and forward data. It may run continuously in the background to maintain monitoring coverage.

Reasons it's running:

Active Monitoring Enabled: The MMA service is configured to collect metrics from the host and send them to the management server.
Background Data Collection: Collectors run in background to capture performance counters, logs, and inventory even when users are not active.
Service Startup: The MMA service is set to start automatically on boot or when the system starts.
Scheduled Transfers: Data is batched and sent on a schedule, triggering mom.exe activity at intervals.
Multiple Monitored Objects: Each monitored agent or gateway can spawn sub-processes to collect data from multiple targets.

Can I Disable or Remove mom.exe?

Yes, you can disable mom.exe. If monitoring is not needed, you can stop or uninstall the MMA agent. This will stop data collection and remove the service from the host.

How to Stop mom.exe

Stop MMA Service: Open Services.msc, locate Microsoft Monitoring Agent, and click Stop
Disable Startup: Set the MMA service startup type to Disabled in Services.msc
Prevent Background Runs: In the MMA console, disable data collection tasks or stop the agent from running
Stop Related Tasks: Open Task Scheduler and disable MMA-related tasks if present
Uninstall MMA: Windows Settings → Apps → Microsoft Monitoring Agent → Uninstall

How to Uninstall MMA

✔ Windows Settings → Apps → Apps & Features → Microsoft Monitoring Agent → Uninstall
✔ Control Panel → Programs → Uninstall a program → Microsoft Monitoring Agent → Uninstall
✔ Restart the computer after uninstallation

Common Problems: High CPU or Memory Usage

If mom.exe is consuming excessive resources, try targeted actions to reduce footprint without disabling essential monitoring.

Common Causes & Solutions

Overly broad monitoring: Reduce the number of counters and logs collected. Disable unused adapters in MMA configuration.
Too many monitored objects: Limit the scope of monitoring targets or group them; adjust sampling rates.
Misconfigured data collection: Review MMA configuration files and ensure correct counters and collectors are enabled.
Outdated MMA version: Update MMA to the latest version from Microsoft.
Conflicts with antivirus: Temporarily disable antivirus real-time scanning for MMA directories or add exceptions.
Resource leakage in extensions: If you have custom extensions, disable or update them to reduce resource usage.

Quick Fixes:
1. Open Services.msc and stop the Microsoft Monitoring Agent service
2. In MMA settings, reduce the data collection scope and disable unnecessary counters
3. Restart MMA service to apply changes
4. Update MMA to the latest version
5. Ensure antivirus exclusions for MMA directories

Frequently Asked Questions

Is mom.exe a virus?

No, the legitimate mom.exe from Microsoft Monitoring Agent is not a virus. Verify the path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Monitoring Agent\Agent\mom.exe and Digital Signature from Microsoft Corporation.

Why is mom.exe using so much CPU?

High CPU can be caused by heavy counters, many monitored objects, or misconfigured collectors. Check MMA Task Manager, reduce counters, and update MMA.

Can I delete mom.exe?

You can uninstall the Microsoft Monitoring Agent if you no longer need monitoring. This will remove MMA-related data collection services.

Can I disable mom.exe?

Yes. Stop the MMA service or disable startup. You can re-enable it later if you need monitoring.

Why is mom.exe running at startup?

If MMA is installed and configured to monitor the system, the agent runs on startup to ensure continuous monitoring.

What should I do if mom.exe is missing?

If mom.exe is missing after an upgrade, reinstall the Microsoft Monitoring Agent via the official installer or restore from backup. Check event logs for startup errors.