What is Runtime Broker? And why it’s required in my PC
Runtime Broker is an official Microsoft core process that was introduced in Windows 8 and the same is continued for Windows 10 too. It is used to keeping watch on universal apps (Metro apps for Windows 8 users) you got from the Microsoft store that they are declaring all of their permissions that is essential for running of the application (such as- Location access, Microphone access, camera access and etc.). It always keeps running in the background but occupies very less memory nearly 20-40 MB but when you install any universal application its memory usage will suddenly get hiked up because it works like a middleman hooking your universals apps with the trust and privacy settings you have configured.
Memory usage by Runtime broker
When any of the Universal apps are not running in your PC then Runtime broker uses very less memory in the background but we launch any of the universal apps the memory usage by Runtime Broker hikes up to nearly 500-700 MB of background memory usage. But yes launching of multiple universal apps will also consume the same memory as memory consumed by the launch of a single universal app.
Is Disabling Runtime broker possible?
You can’t disable it and even you should not even try to because it protects your PC security and privacy when Universal Apps is running in the background. And even if doesn’t cause any problem in working on your PC. It manages important safety and privacy permissions and it is required for PC safety and security. But there is a way to disable Runtime Broker for a few moments to restart the Runtime Broker processes.
- Open “Task Manager” in your PC by pressing WIN + X and select Task manager in that.
- Then find Runtime Broker under the sub-option Processes.
- Right, Click on the Runtime Broker option occurring in the menu index.
- Then select End Task option in the menu bar occurred after right click on Runtime Broker option.
- Restart your PC and then refresh it twice or thrice and then check the memory usage by Runtime broker and this time it will get back to default space as before.
After a few moments, it will re-launch itself automatically. But till the time it re-launches itself, Universal application will not able to access its trust settings which can affect your privacy and protection of PC. But while Runtime Broker re-launches there are chances that Universal apps may not run properly or efficiently.
Disabling Tips and Suggestion
A new feature was added in Windows 10 which wasn’t in Windows 8 i.e. Tips and Suggestions, which shows the notification of increasing windows productivity. This service behaves like a universal app causing high memory usage. Turning this service off can reduces the burden on the CPU.
- Open System Settings on your PC.
- On the left side highlighted part select “notification and actions”.
- On the right pane, un-tick the box next to option “Get tips, tricks, and suggestions as you see Windows”.
Disabling Tips and Suggestion will help you to reduce memory usage by Runtime Broker.
Tips and suggestions always take some extra memory when it occurs on the screen which increases load CPU performance and causes problems and lagging of your PC due to more memory usage then required.
Misbehaving Universal apps
There are some possibilities that the universal app that you have launched is misbehaving and causing Runtime Broker to use more resources that normally it takes which will cause high CPU and Memory usage. Read more- pimpandhost internet archive wayback
- You have to sort out which app is misbehaving and causing the issue. To avoid misbehavior of apps you should always update all the apps on your PC.
- Or uninstalling the unrequired or trash apps which are just occupying the memory in your PC because sometimes they also cause problems in the background.
- If the above-mentioned steps don’t work the start uninstalling Universal Apps one by one until you sort out what exactly which app is misbehaving and causing the issues.
- And if every process fails then make sure that you report your problem to the developer so that your problem will get resolved as soon as possible.
Could the virus also attack Runtime Broker?
It is an official window component so there are very fewer probabilities that Runtime Broker getting attacked by the virus. But yes to make sure that your PC’s Runtime Broker isn’t replaced by any of the viruses you can even follow these steps to check it out.
To ensure that your Runtime Broker isn’t replaced by any Virus you can checkout Runtime Broker underlying file location.
- Open “Task Manager” in your PC by pressing WIN + X and select Task manager in that.
- Then find Runtime Broker under the sub-option Processes.
- Then Right-click on the Runtime Broker option.
- Now the new menu option will occur in that select “Open File Location” option.
- And check whether the file is stored in the Windows\System32 folder, If it is stored in the same then you can be sure that no virus has replaced your Runtime Broker service.
- And to make sure that Virus doesn’t attack your PC you should always keep scanning your PC using a preferred virus scanner.
Conclusion:-
It is a very important service installed as Windows component in Windows 8 and Windows 10 to keep a check on the Security and Privacy permission to the users by Universal applications installed in your PC and making any changes in it can make your PC misbehaves. Yes, sometimes it occupies a large amount of space so to resolve this kind of problem I have mentioned above the solution to tackle it.