What is smss.exe?

Smss.exe is the Windows Session Manager SubSystem in Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7. This file is part of Microsoft Windows Operating System. Smss.exe is developed by Microsoft Corporation. It’s a system and hidden file. Smss.exe is usually located in the %SYSTEM% sub-folder and its usual size is 81,920 bytes.

Smss.exe is responsible for handling user sessions on your system by starting the system thread and other critical tasks. The smss.exe process is responsible for launching winlogon.exe and csrss.exe processes, and setting system variables. After winlogon.exe and csrss.exe have been launched, smss.exe waits until they end. If there are no errors, the system shuts down normally. However, if Winlogon or Csrss end unexpectedly, the smss.exe process makes the system hang and stop responding.

Important: Smss.exe should be located in the C:\Windows\System32 folder. If you find it anywhere else, it could be a virus, trojan, or worm. Scan your computer with Auslogics Antivirus to make sure it's not infected.