Sysmon (System Monitor) 64-bit
sysmon64.exe is safe. Sysmon is a Microsoft Sysinternals utility that runs as a Windows service to monitor and log detailed system activity for security and forensics.
sysmon64.exe is the 64‑bit Sysmon executable from Microsoft Sysinternals. When installed, it runs as a Windows service and collects detailed, tamper‑evident logs of system activity, including process creation, network connections, file creation, and driver loads, writing to the Windows Event Log for security monitoring and forensics.
Sysmon uses the ETW framework to capture events defined by its configuration and writes structured logs to the Windows Event Log for analysis. It runs in the background and does not present a UI by default, enabling detailed incident response.
Quick Fact: Sysmon provides deep, configurable visibility into system events and is commonly used in SOC and IR workflows.
Yes, sysmon64.exe is safe when it is the legitimate Sysmon binary from Microsoft and installed from an official source.
The real sysmon64.exe is NOT a virus. Malware may disguise itself with similar names.
C:\Sysmon\Sysmon64.exe or C:\Sysinternals\Sysmon64.exe. Any sysmon64.exe elsewhere is suspicious.Red Flags: If sysmon64.exe is located in unusual folders (like Temp or AppData), runs without installation, lacks a valid signature, or logs to unexpected channels, run antivirus/EDR scans and verify installation from an official Sysinternals source.
Sysmon64.exe runs after you install Sysmon to monitor system activity and to log events to Windows Event Logs for security and forensic use. It may run as a service even when no user is logged in, depending on configuration.
Reasons it's running:
Yes, you can disable sysmon64.exe. Stopping and uninstalling Sysmon will remove its monitoring, but you should coordinate with security policies before disabling.
If sysmon64.exe is not logging as expected or the logs are missing, check installation, configuration, and service status.
Quick Fixes:
1. Confirm Sysmon service is running (sc query sysmon)
2. Check Event Viewer for Sysmon logs (Applications and Services Logs → Microsoft → Windows → Sysmon)
3. Verify config.xml path and contents
4. Restart Sysmon service after config changes
5. If issues persist, reinstall Sysmon with a fresh config
No, the legitimate sysmon64.exe from Microsoft Sysinternals is not a virus. Confirm the file is located at C:\Sysmon\Sysmon64.exe and signed by Microsoft to reduce risk.
Sysmon starts after installation to monitor and log system activity for security and forensics. It runs as a background service and writes to the Windows Event Log.
Yes, you can stop and uninstall Sysmon, but this removes detailed system monitoring. Use elevated commands to stop the service and run the uninstall command.
Sysmon writes events to the Windows Event Log, typically under Applications and Services Logs → Microsoft → Windows → Sysmon. You can view them with Event Viewer.
Open an elevated prompt, navigate to the Sysmon folder, and run: <code>Sysmon64.exe -u</code>. Then remove the installation directory if desired.
Yes. Supply a custom config.xml to define which events to log and which to suppress. Reinstall or update the service to apply the new configuration.