Quick Answer
open-hardware-monitor-exe is safe. Open Hardware Monitor is a legitimate utility that reads sensor data from your PC to show temperatures, voltages, and fan speeds in real time.
Is it a Virus?
NO - Safe
Must be in C:\Program Files\Open Hardware Monitor\OpenHardwareMonitor.exe
Warning
Sensor readings handled in a single process
Open Hardware Monitor uses a single process to read many hardware sensors; ensure you trust the source
Can I Disable?
YES
Close the application or remove it from startup to stop monitoring
What is OpenHardwareMonitor.exe?
open-hardware-monitor-exe is the executable for the Open Hardware Monitor utility. It reads real-time sensor data from your PC, including CPU and GPU temperatures, voltages, fan speeds, and load. The app presents these readings in a simple list and gauges, helping you monitor hardware health without vendor software.
This single-process application uses a dedicated hardware access library to poll sensors and present readings in real time with a lightweight GUI, delivering continuous monitoring with minimal system impact.
Quick Fact: Open Hardware Monitor supports a wide range of sensors across many chipsets, providing live readouts without heavy software requirements.
Types of Open Hardware Monitor Processes
- Main UI Process: Single interface window that displays sensor data
- Sensor Polling Thread: Background thread that reads sensors periodically
- Data Exporter: Optional exporter for logs or external tools
- Driver Interfaces: Interfaces to access hardware sensors (SMI, MSR, etc.)
Is open-hardware-monitor-exe Safe?
Yes, open-hardware-monitor-exe is safe when obtained from official sources or trusted repositories and is digitally signed by the Open Hardware Monitor Project.
Is open-hardware-monitor-exe a Virus or Malware?
The legitimate Open Hardware Monitor executable is not a virus, but always verify the file path and digital signatures to avoid tampered copies.
How to Tell if open-hardware-monitor-exe is Legitimate or Malware
- File Location: Must be in C:\Program Files\Open Hardware Monitor\OpenHardwareMonitor.exe or C:\Program Files (x86)\Open Hardware Monitor\OpenHardwareMonitor.exe.
- Digital Signature: Right-click OpenHardwareMonitor.exe -> Properties -> Digital Signatures. Should show a valid signature from "Open Hardware Monitor Project".
- Resource Usage: Normal usage is 1-5% CPU and 10-60 MB memory. Constant high usage or unusual network activity is suspicious.
- Behavior: The program should run when opened and close cleanly; background services should not launch without user action.
Red Flags: If the executable is located in Temp or AppData, lacks a valid signature, or shows persistent background activity with no UI, scan with antivirus and verify source.
Why Is open-hardware-monitor-exe Running on My PC?
Open Hardware Monitor runs to collect and display real-time sensor data from supported hardware. It may run as a background task to provide continuous monitoring even when the main window is closed.
Reasons it's running:
- Active Monitoring: The app actively reads sensors to show temps, voltages, and fan speeds.
- Background Data Collection: Sensor polling occurs in a background thread to keep UI responsive.
- Startup Behavior: If installed for startup or set to run at logon, it will start automatically.
- Alerts and Logging: Some configurations enable logging or alert exporters for hardware issues.
- Driver Support: It uses vendor-specific interfaces to fetch sensor data (SMI, MSR, etc.).
Can I Disable or Remove open-hardware-monitor-exe?
Yes, you can disable open-hardware-monitor-exe. You can close the app, disable startup, or uninstall Open Hardware Monitor if you no longer need it.
How to Stop open-hardware-monitor-exe
- Close UI: Click the close button on the window or press Alt+F4
- Exit from Tray: Right-click the system tray icon and choose Exit
- Disable Startup: In Task Manager > Startup, disable Open Hardware Monitor
- Stop Background Services: If any background service exists, disable it via startup configs
How to Uninstall Open Hardware Monitor
- ✔ Windows Settings > Apps > Apps & Features > Open Hardware Monitor > Uninstall
- ✔ Delete installation folder if leftover
- ✔ Consider alternatives: HWiNFO, HWInfo, etc.
Common Problems: Sensor Readouts Not Displayed or High Resource Use
If open-hardware-monitor-exe shows missing sensors or uses unusual resources:
Common Causes & Solutions
- Missing sensor drivers: Install or update sensor drivers or enable WMI access; ensure hardware supports sensors.
- Access permissions: Run as Administrator or adjust UAC; ensure Open Hardware Monitor has access to hardware sensors.
- Outdated version: Update to the latest release from official source.
- High CPU from polling rate: Lower the polling interval in settings or disable unused sensors.
- Conflicting monitoring software: Close other hardware monitoring tools to avoid conflicts.
- Corrupted installation: Reinstall Open Hardware Monitor to fix corrupted files.
Quick Fixes:
1. Update to latest version from official site
2. Restart the application or reboot the PC
3. Run as Administrator if needed
4. Check sensor availability in Settings
Frequently Asked Questions
Is open-hardware-monitor-exe safe to use?
Yes, when obtained from trusted sources; verify the path C:\Program Files\Open Hardware Monitor\OpenHardwareMonitor.exe and digital signatures.
Why are some sensors not showing in Open Hardware Monitor?
Some hardware sensors are not exposed by vendor drivers or require specific permissions; ensure drivers and firmware support sensor reporting.
Can I customize which sensors are displayed?
Yes, use the Settings to enable or disable specific sensors and choose how readings are shown.
Does Open Hardware Monitor slow down my PC?
Typically it uses minimal resources (1-5% CPU, 10-60 MB RAM) but heavy polling or many sensors can increase load.
How do I update Open Hardware Monitor?
Download the latest release from the official Open Hardware Monitor site and replace the existing exe; no data loss as it’s a self-contained portable app.
Is there a portable version?
Yes, Open Hardware Monitor can be used as a portable app in some releases; check the official page for portable builds.