What’s ngen.exe (Microsoft Common Language Runtime native compiler)? Is it safe or a virus?

ngen.exe is a native image generator tool developed by Microsoft Corporation.

It is a command-line utility that is used to improve the startup time of .NET applications by precompiling assemblies into native machine code. This precompilation reduces the need for just-in-time compilation during application startup, resulting in faster execution.

Ngen.exe is particularly useful for optimizing the performance of large and complex .NET applications. It allows developers to create and maintain native images of their applications, providing a performance boost by eliminating the overhead of JIT compilation.

Below are 4 simple steps you can take to see if the ngen.exe process is safe or malware.

Researched by Carl @ SpyShelter Labs

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More about ngen.exe on WINDOWS

Who makes ngen.exe (Microsoft Common Language Runtime native compiler)?

We’ve found Microsoft Corporation should be the publisher of ngen.exe.

How do we know? Our SpyShelter cybersecurity labs focuses on monitoring different types of Windows PC executables and their behaviors for our popular SpyShelter Antispyware software. Learn more about us, and how our cybersecurity team studies Windows PC executables/processes.

What does it mean if someone is the publisher of a PC .exe (executable or process)?

The publisher of an executable is the entity responsible for its distribution and authenticity. Most processes/executables on your PC should be signed. The signature on the executable should have been verified through a third party whose job it is to make sure the entity is who it says it is. Find an unsigned executable? You should consider scanning any completely unsigned .exe on your PC.

Last updated: February 9, 2024

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