Quick Answer
Tracerpt.exe is a legitimate Microsoft tool. It processes ETW trace data from the Windows Performance Toolkit to produce HTML, CSV, and XML reports for performance analysis.
Is it a Virus?
✔ NO - Safe
Must be located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\[version]\[arch]\Tracerpt.exe
Warning
ETW trace processing in progress
Tracerpt.exe is typically invoked by ETW sessions or trace post-processing scripts
Can I Disable?
✔ YES
Tracerpt.exe is a reporting tool; disable by stopping trace collection or removing Windows Kits components if no longer needed
What is tracerpt.exe?
Tracerpt.exe is a diagnostic utility from the Windows Performance Toolkit that processes ETW trace data captured during performance investigations. It aggregates ETW events from ETL sources and converts them into human-readable reports (HTML, CSV, XML) to help identify CPU bottlenecks, I/O activity, and subsystem behavior.
Tracerpt.exe reads ETW trace files produced by Windows Performance Toolkit tools, summarizes events, and outputs per-provider statistics, CPU usage, I/O, and activity timelines. It supports HTML/CSV/XML report formats and is typically invoked after a trace run to produce actionable performance insights.
Quick Fact: Tracerpt.exe originated with ETW reporting in the Windows Performance Toolkit to turn raw trace data into actionable performance reports.
Types of Tracerpt Processes
- Tracerpt Main Process: Executes ETW trace processing and report generation (single instance per run).
- Summary Generator: Aggregates events into high-level metrics like CPU usage, I/O, and waits.
- HTML/CSV Reporter: Produces report artifacts in HTML, CSV, and XML formats suitable for sharing.
- ETW Event Parser: Parses ETW provider data (CPU, disk, network, memory) from ETL streams.
- Log Loader: Reads and validates trace files before analysis.
Is tracerpt.exe Safe?
Yes, tracerpt.exe is safe when it originates from official Microsoft Windows Kits installations.
Is tracerpt.exe a Virus or Malware?
The real tracerpt.exe is NOT a virus. However, malware may disguise itself with similar names.
How to Tell if tracerpt.exe is Legitimate or Malware
- File Location: Must be in C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\10.0.19041.0\x64\Tracerpt.exe or a closely related path within the Windows Kits directory. Any tracerpt.exe outside this path is suspicious.
- Digital Signature: Right-click the executable in File Explorer -> Properties -> Digital Signatures. It should show "Microsoft Corporation".
- Resource Usage: Normal usage is 0.5-4% CPU and 5-20 MB memory during a report run. Constant high usage without trace activity is suspicious.
- Behavior: Tracerpt.exe should run in response to a trace processing task or a generated ETL; persistent background activity without traces is a red flag.
Red Flags: If tracerpt.exe appears in unusual folders (like Temp or AppData), runs without any trace sessions, lacks a valid signature, or consumes resources constantly, scan with antivirus. Beware of similarly-named files like “Tracerpt.exe.bak” from untrusted sources.
Why Is tracerpt.exe Running on My PC?
Tracerpt.exe runs as part of Windows Performance Toolkit workflows to summarize ETW traces into readable reports. It may start automatically when a trace is completed or when a script requests a report.
Reasons it's running:
- Active ETW Trace Sessions: ETW traces are being collected or processed, prompting tracerpt to generate a report from the captured data.
- Background Diagnostics: Automated health checks or performance scripts may invoke tracerpt to produce post-run reports without direct user interaction.
- Background Analysis: ETW data is saved to ETL files and tracerpt runs to summarize and export findings in HTML/CSV/XML.
- Development and Debugging: Developers using the Windows Performance Toolkit may run tracerpt during debugging of trace collection workflows.
- Scheduled Reporting: Scheduled tasks or CI pipelines may trigger tracerpt as part of automated performance reporting.
Can I Disable or Remove tracerpt.exe?
Yes, you can disable tracerpt.exe from running in certain workloads. It is part of the Windows Performance Toolkit; you should not uninstall it if you rely on Windows performance tools. You can prevent auto-start by stopping trace sessions, removing Windows Kits components, or disabling related scheduled tasks.
How to Stop tracerpt.exe
- End Active Tracerpt Process: Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), Processes tab, select Tracerpt.exe, and click End Task.
- Stop Trace Sessions: Use logman stop <trace_name> /ets or stop the ETW session via Event Viewer/Windows Performance Toolkit utilities.
- Prevent Startup: Open Task Manager > Startup tab, locate any Windows Kits related startup entries, and Disable them.
- Stop Background Reports: In Windows Settings > Privacy & Security > Diagnostics & feedback, ensure ETW background reporting is not forcing tracerpt tasks.
- Uninstall Windows Kits (optional): Windows Settings > Apps > Apps & Features > Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) or Windows Kits > Uninstall. This removes tracerpt.exe but may affect other tools.
How to Uninstall Tracerpt-Related Components
- ✔ Windows Settings → Apps → Apps & Features → Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) or Windows Kits → Uninstall
- ✔ Control Panel → Programs → Programs and Features → Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) → Uninstall
- ✔ If you rely on other Windows Performance Toolkit tools, consider selectively re-installing only the required components later
Common Problems: ETW Processing Delays or High Resource Use
If tracerpt.exe is slow or seems to consume resources, several common causes and fixes apply to ETW reporting workflows.
Common Causes & Solutions
- Large ETW trace files: Trim traces or export smaller ETW dumps; re-run tracerpt on a smaller dataset to reduce processing time.
- Multiple concurrent trace sessions: Ensure only one tracerpt run processes a given set of ETL files; close other sessions or scripts.
- Corrupted ETL data: Validate or re-capture traces; use a known-good ETL file and re-run tracerpt.
- Outdated Windows Kits: Update to the latest Windows 10/11 SDK to ensure compatibility and performance improvements.
- Insufficient permissions: Run tracerpt.exe with elevated privileges or adjust permission on ETL files and output directories.
- Disk I/O bottlenecks: Move ETL outputs and reports to a faster drive, or free up disk space and reduce concurrent disk activity.
Quick Fixes:
1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and identify any running tracerpt processes
2. Stop unnecessary ETW sessions using logman or ETW management tools
3. Delete or archive large ETL trace files and re-run on smaller data
4. Update Windows Kits: Settings > Apps > Windows Software Development Kit → Update
5. Ensure output directories have write permissions and adequate disk space
Frequently Asked Questions
What is tracerpt.exe?
Tracerpt.exe is a Microsoft Windows Performance Toolkit utility that processes ETW trace data and generates readable reports (HTML/CSV/XML) to aid performance analysis.
Is tracerpt.exe a virus?
No, tracerpt.exe is not a virus when it is located under the Windows Kits path (for example, C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\...). Verify the signature and location to be sure.
Where is tracerpt.exe located?
Tracerpt.exe is typically found under C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\bin\<version>\x64 or \x86\Tracerpt.exe, depending on your SDK installation.
How do I use tracerpt.exe to generate reports?
Capture ETW traces with tools like xperf, then run tracerpt.exe on the resulting ETL files to produce HTML/CSV/XML reports for analysis.
Can tracerpt.exe run without ETW traces?
Tracerpt.exe will not produce meaningful reports without ETW trace data; it may exit quickly or do minimal work if no ETL inputs are provided.
How do I disable tracerpt.exe?
Disable trace collection, stop any scheduled ETW tasks, and optionally uninstall Windows Kits components if you do not require performance tooling.