What Is Hkcmd.exe? Everything You Need To Know About

As a user, it’s important to know about programs or files like hkcmd.exe that can end up as liabilities if left unaware. Wondering what is hkcmd exe? Everything you need to know about is ahead…

Your computer has dozens of applications, modules, or extensions you probably have no idea of. A common mystery that many users are unaware of is hkcmd.exe. If this looks like a random arrangement of letters that don’t make sense, you might want to read ahead…

Have you ever seen the following image when you clicked on windows task manager?

If you were ever curious about what this file meant, what does it do, or whether it is safe or not-

You came to the right place! Considering you never knew this file existed until it flashed in front of your face may make you wonder “do I need hkcmd.exe?” the answer to this question gets answered ahead but for now…let’s tell you a bit about hkcmd.exe itself –

Contents

What Is Hkcmd.exe Module And What Does It Do?

Hkcmd.exe is a file that helps control keyboard shortcuts for Intel graphics drivers on the windows operating system. The ‘exe’ means it is an executable file and is generally referred to as the graphics hotkey interceptor.

After gaining a general idea of what is the hkcmd.exe module the next general query is what does hkcmd.exe do? And is hkcmd.exe safe? To answer both of these questions, hkcmd.exe is a safe and valid program that the users can choose to run or not.

People often wonder what the program is hkcmd.exe, it’s a software component that controls video-related hotkeys and is a part of Intel’s common User Interface, which accompanies its drivers for graphic cards. This hotkey module is usually launched with the Intel 810 and 815 graphics driver chipsets.

If all these computer terms are getting too difficult for you, consider it as just an extension that helps you use your keyboard to control videos and graphics through quick controls. You may not always need this function, so many users just end up disabling it because, as mentioned before, it can be a liability as hackers most commonly use hkcmd.exe as a way to install malware into your software.

So this begs the question, “Can I disable the hkcmd module startup?” we’ve got your answer right here –

Can I Disable The Hkcmd Module Startup?

Yes, you can disable the hkcmd module startup.

Now, you are probably wondering, “is Hkcmd module necessary to startup?” After you consider disabling it. To answer this question, no, your hkcmd module is not necessary to startup. So you can disable it without much worry.

The last thing you can worry about with this is “what happens if I disable hkcmd module?” since hkcmd comes with Intel drivers, removing them may cause stability issues. There’s no real reason to remove it because you’ll need to uninstall Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator, which can reduce multimedia performance.

But, what if you suspect you have a virus?

Malware Causing Security Threats

Since the threat of malware is something that is discussed multiple times in this article, you need to know how to identify the camouflaged virus infection.

It’s easy to figure out if you have windows 8 because the module has been replaced with Igfxhk.exe on the more recent Windows versions, so, if you see hkcmd.exe in your Task Manager, it might point towards an infection.

Common Problems Due To Hkcmd

Since you’re already considering disabling hkcmd.exe here are some problems you are dodging so you can feel more confident in your decision:

100% CPU power usage that slows down systems performance.
BSOD or system crash
Every time the system is booted, the file attempts to connect with Microsoft’s servers. Even though this may not be a huge problem, sometimes, users can have issues accessing the web.

How Do I Disable/Enable The HKCMD.exe?

As mentioned above, you’ll also need to uninstall Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator. So, here are simple steps to follow!

Hold Win + R, and the Run window will pop up
Type appwiz.cpl, and click Enter to reach the Programs and Features interface.
Here, you can find and uninstall Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator.

Now, hkcmd will not be visible in the task manager unless it is malicious. To enable it again if there’s no virus, just reinstall Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator.

Conclusion

When you wondered what is hkcmd.exe? Everything you need to know about was catered for you in this article, so you won’t have to suffer from the shock of watching the file pop up out of nowhere.

Now that you know what is hkcmd.exe, its uses, and how to disable it, we hope you have a better user experience from now on.

Read more – Bluehost Review – User Experience Guide

FAQ’s

hkcmd.exe is it a virus?

No, hkcmd.exe is not a virus, but it can be camouflaged as one to infect your systems.

should I disable hkcmd module on startup?

Yes, you can disable the hkcmd module startup without much worry.

What hkcmd.exe is used for?

The hkcmd.exe program stands for “Hotkey Command” and is used to control video-related hotkeys. And it is a part of the common User Interface, which accompanies its drivers for graphic cards.

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