KMService.exe: what is it - a virus or harmless software?

Users who purchase fixed computer terminals or laptops with an already installed system and related software products are often faced with the fact that the active running process KMService.exe is constantly visible in the Task Manager. What is this service? Not everyone knows this, but most people even consider it a virus. In fact, it's only partly true.

KMService.exe: what kind of process?

The process itself, which surprises everyone so much with its presence, is not a virus. It is a service that initially appears in system processes after the activation of unlicensed MS Office 2010.

The situation is that many users (if not the absolute majority) do not want to (or can not) spread money for an office package. In turn, the installed "Office" after a certain time begins to require the activation of the package. Here, a special application comes to the rescue, the result of which is the appearance of the background process KMService.exe. What is this software? It's simple!

KMService.exe: what is this in terms of software?

Since the user does not have an activation code for the "Office", for its normal operation, the built-in protection against using unlicensed copies must be somehow deceived.

To do this, you can use the utility mini-KMS Activator, which allows you to activate Office 2010 VL, install keys or reset the status of the trial version (Trial). In other words, the activator informs the office package security system that money has been paid for it, and generates a license. Typically, after running the utility in its portable form, the application file and its accompanying components are saved in the path C: \ Windows \ KMService.exe or in the file folder of the root directory of the system of the same name (although other variants are possible).

Types of files and their location after launching

If we talk about saving the utility items along with the executable file after starting or installing the main application, they can not always be in the main folder of the system.

So, for example, sometimes you can see the option of saving the path C: \ Windows \ actofvl \ KMService.exe (in the updated version of the utility).

And it is the main EXE file that is responsible for the constant monitoring of the status of the "Office" license for a certain period, producing its reactivation without user participation. In this case, despite the file location on the path C: \ Windows \ actofvl \ KMService.exe, many users completely ignore the fact that the launch of the same process can also be seen in the so-called "Task Scheduler".

Another thing is when the user encounters such an executable file in the System32 directory when the hidden objects are displayed. This already indicates that this file is a virus that masquerades as an activator. As a rule, the program itself never stores anything in this system folder. Apparently, you can not remove this object manually - you will have to use an antivirus scanner.

Why does the antivirus work?

Often at the stage of the first launch of the portable version, regular antiviruses (Windows Defender) also issue a warning about a possible threat.

A message appears in the system tray that the applet to be launched contains a modified HackTool: Win32 / AutoKMS (or KeyGen). This is normal, since almost all antiviruses (with rare exceptions) are configured in such a way as not to let key generators (keygen) enter the system, installing attributes of potentially dangerous or unwanted software for them, although in reality in the body of the program (in the program code) There is no virus threat.

This is where the license protection works (especially if the process is started for KMService Srvany.exe, which really can be a virus).

But there are other varieties of malicious code and programs. The most famous threat, capable of masking the KMService.exe process, is the infamous HKTL_KEYGEN virus. But to determine whether this is a virus, you can even yourself by the size of the file. There are several modifications with the sizes 151,522 bytes, 151,622 bytes, 151,606 bytes, 155,648 bytes and 77,824 bytes.

How legitimate is the application of the program?

We continue to consider the process KMService.exe. What is it, we have already figured out. Let us now look at some legal aspects.

From the point of view of international law, since the software product MS Office 2010 is protected by copyright and intellectual property rights, not to mention a lot of other legal documents and norms, it is certainly against the law to apply this utility. Use it only at your own peril and risk. But when did this stop our user? Moreover, it is impossible to check the actual activation of the office package online, even with all the resources available to Microsoft Corporation.

New version of the activator

The utility in question is somewhat outdated. Today you can find a more extended version of the program called KMSAuto Net.

The updated version can activate not only the "Office", but also generate licenses for all known modifications of the Windows systems themselves. In addition, the application is built in such a way that neither the antivirus, nor the built-in firewall does not react, and the utility runs without problems. And it is released exclusively as a portable version, which completely excludes the response from the protection when trying to install.

Conclusion

As it is already clear, the situation with the emergence of such a process among system services is not catastrophic. However, depending on the location of the executable itself, which the user can trace quite simply, you will have to make a decision to remove the threat, especially if it installed the office package and did not activate it using one of the versions of the KMS utility.