In this post, we are going to discuss the msosync.exe process and see how you can fix msosync.exe errors on your Windows 11/10 computer.
What is msosync.exe?
Msosync.exe is a process linked to Microsoft Office. Its primary function is to manage the cache associated with the Microsoft Office apps. It ensures you can quickly open and view your computer’s Excel, Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and OneDrive document files. So, it is the Office Document Cache (ODC) synchronizer and Microsoft Office cache manager program.
The program is located at the below location:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OfficeX
In the above path, X is the version of Office you have installed on your computer and are currently using.
However, the Msosync.exe program has problems and issues that users have reported facing. Some users have reported that the Msosync.exe process consumes high CPU usage in the background even when the system is idle, deteriorating their computer’s performance.
Many users have also reported getting msosync.exe errors like MSOSYNC.EXE application errors. Some reported to be getting msosynce.exe – Bad Image errors too. Now, whether the process is safe and if you should disable it, let us find out below.
Is Msosync.exe safe?
Yes, the Msosync.exe process is a completely safe program provided that Microsoft Corporation signs the file.
However, in a few instances, attackers can also trick you by replicating the process and running malicious code on your computer. So, if you notice suspicious activities related to the process, you can check the identity of the process. For that, right-click on the program file and click on Properties. Next, go to the Digital Signatures tab in the Properties window and make sure it is signed by Microsoft Corporation. If not, remove the program from your computer as it is potentially harmful.
Can I Disable Msosync.exe?
Since Msosync.exe is related to Microsoft Office and manages cache to quickly open Office documents, you should not disable it ideally. However, if you are experiencing errors or issues with the process, like high CPU usage, you may choose to disable the process temporarily.
Fix Msosync.exe high CPU usage or errors on Windows PC
To fix MSOSYNC.EXE application error, msosynce.exe Bad Image error or msosynce.exe High CPU usage on Windows 11/10, you can follow these suggestions:
- Start with standard troubleshooting approaches.
- Update Microsoft Office.
- Perform an SFC scan.
- Download missing DLL file
- Close the msosync.exe task.
- Repair Microsoft Office.
- Reset OneDrive (if applicable).
1] Start with standard troubleshooting approaches
To begin with, you can apply some basic troubleshooting methods that might help you fix the problem. First, try rebooting your computer and checking if the issue is resolved.
It could also be a malware infection that is triggering the problem. Hence, run a malware scan on your computer and remove any detected malicious program or file from your PC.
The next thing you can do is disable OneDrive or whichever cloud service you are using. It might be causing high CPU usage of Msosync.exe.
Read: Office Click-To-Run High CPU usage in Windows.
2] Update Microsoft Office
If your Microsoft Office app is not up-to-date, you might experience this issue. Hence, if the scenario is applicable, you can update Microsoft Office to its latest version and then check if the problem is resolved.
To update Office, open any Office app like Excel or Word and then click on the File menu. Next, choose the Account option and then click on the Update Options drop-down option. Now, click on the Update Now button and let it install pending Office updates. Once done, you can restart your PC and check if the problem is resolved. If not, you can move on to the next fix.
3] Perform an SFC scan
If you are getting a DLL error with msosync.exe, it is caused due to corrupted or missing DLL files. Hence, in that case, you can run a System File Checker (SFC) scan on your computer.
To perform the scan, open Command Prompt as an administrator and then enter the below command in it:
SFC /scannow
After the scan, restart your computer and check if the problem is resolved.
4] DLL file missing
If the error still persists, you can also try manually downloading the missing DLL file that is mentioned in the error message. There are many third-party websites to do so. However, these websites can be malicious, so it is not recommended to download DLL files from any of the third-party websites. You can restore the missing DLL file from another computer or from the official Microsoft website only.
Read: Office is taking a long to install or you’re on a slow connection.
5] Close the msosync.exe task
If the problem persists, you can manually close the msosync.exe task from Task Manager. To do that, open Task Manager using Ctrl+Shift+Esc and then select the msosync.exe process. After that, click on the End task button to close it. You should now stop receiving the msosync.exe error now.
6] Repair Microsoft Office
If the above solutions didn’t work, you can try repairing Microsoft Office and checking if the issue is resolved. The error might be caused by corruption in your Microsoft Office package.
Open the Settings app using Win+I and then move to the Apps > Installed apps section. Now, select the Microsoft Office app and click on the three-dot menu button present next to it. After that, click on the Modify option and then choose Quick Repair or Online Repair. Finally, press the Repair button to start the process.
Once done, check if the msosync.exe errors are resolved.
See: Office application Unable to start correctly error 0xc0000142.
6] Reset OneDrive (if applicable)
If the msosync.exe error is caused when you are trying to upload and save files on OneDrive, you can reset OneDrive to fix the error. It might be some corrupted settings or user data linked with OneDrive which is causing the error. Hence, if the scenario is applicable, reset OneDrive using the below steps and check if the error is gone:
Firstly, use the Win+R hotkey to evoke the Run command box. After that, enter one of the below commands in the Open box:
%localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\onedrive.exe /reset
The above command depends on the location of the onedrive.exe file on your computer. It will reset OneDrive and related settings on your PC. Once done, you can check if the error is fixed.
See: Opening Office files crashes or freezes Explorer in Windows.
Why is WinWord EXE disabled?
If you are getting WINWORD.EXE errors on your Windows PC, the installation of Microsoft Office is likely corrupted. Other reasons for the error include user profile issues, such as corrupted user profiles. Antivirus interference, corrupted DLL files, outdated or missing Office components, and malware infection can also cause the error.
Where is WinWord EXE located in Windows 11/10?
The default location of the WINWORD.exe file on Windows 11/10 is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16. This path will differ based on the version of Office you are currently using. So, replace Ofice16 with the version you have installed. In case you find the WINWORD.exe file in some other location on your PC, it is likely to be malware. In that case, you can remove it from your PC.
Now read: Fix Microsoft Office SDX Helper High Disk or CPU Usage.
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