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With each version of Windows that has been released, there has been an improvement in features, interface, and overall performance. However, this doesn’t take away the fact that whatever version you’re using, there are some common OS problems.
If Microsoft were to improve its software, it’d need user feedback. That’s where the Windows System Quality Monitor or wsqmcons.exe comes in. Do you need it? Find out here.
What is Windows SQM?
Windows SQM, also known as Windows Consolidator, is a data collection and analytics solution that helps developers, and Microsoft understand how people use Windows apps.
It is a feature that helps Microsoft improve Windows and is designed to collect information about how you use Windows and other Microsoft products and services, including how you interact with the websites you visit.
Other benefits include:
- Quality monitoring – Getting feedback allows you to measure, monitor and analyze the quality of your software portfolio, especially if you’re a developer.
- Tracking – As a developer, you will also be able to track software quality attributes like security incidents, product defects, and customer issues to better respond promptly.
- Report generation – The data collected on software will help you keep an analysis and performance report on your software to check whether it is improving or deteriorating.
Collecting this information helps keep your PC running at peak performance. The main purpose of SQM is to help Microsoft improve its software products and services.
For example, the data collected by SQM help Microsoft understand the reliability issues most relevant to its customers so that it can prioritize fixes.
Microsoft can include such features in upcoming updates by generating suggestions for new features or improvements.
How can I disable the wsqmcons.exe file?
To disable the wsqmcons.exe legitimate file, you need first to check its location. If it’s in the C:\Windows\System32\ directory, it is in the correct location.
Still, you may want to opt out of the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP). If so, go with solutions 1 and 2.
However, if it is in any other location, it is most likely a virus, and you should perform the steps from solution 3.
1. End process from Task Manager
- Hit the Windows key, type Task Manager in the search bar, and click Open.
- Navigate to the Processes tab, and find the wsqmcons.exe process.
- Right-click on it and select End task.
2. Disable process from Task Scheduler
- Hit the Windows key, type Task Scheduler in the search bar, and click Open.
- Click on Task Scheduler Library and find Customer Experience Improvement Program on the right pane.
- Right-click on it and select Disable.
- Recent Windows 11 update lets you disable profanity filter in voice typing
- Microsoft wants Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11 or Copilot + PCs
- Windows 11 KB5055627 update makes File Explorer more fluid
- A few keyboard settings are moving from Control Panel to Settings app in Windows 11
3. Scan for viruses
- Press the Search icon, type Windows Security, and click Open.
- Select Virus & threat protection.
- Next, press Quick scan under Current threats.
- If you don’t find any threats, proceed to perform a full scan by clicking on Scan options just below Quick scan.
- Click on Full scan, then Scan now to perform a deep scan of your PC.
- Wait for the process to finish and restart your system.
As an alternative, you may use an efficient antivirus solution that can deliver enhanced security and detection rate for malware threats.
The software below can offer machine learning tools for detecting and removing all kinds of threats, plus secure your online data from phishing attacks.
⇒ Get ESET Internet Antivirus
4. Perform a System File Checker
- Hit the Windows key, type cmd in the search bar, and click Run as administrator.
- Type the following commands and press Enter after each one:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealthsfc /scannow
Do I need wsqmcons.exe?
In today’s advanced world of technology, most people are wary of any company collecting their data. It’s a valid concern as your data can get into the hands of unauthorized parties.
There is also the possibility of hackers exploiting users by sending out trojans, malware, and viruses with similar names to the wsqmcons.exe file, especially if you don’t have a comprehensive antivirus.
You have nothing to worry about for Windows SQM, as it doesn’t collect any personal information. It does not collect any content from your files or emails or record what you type while writing a document or email message.
Windows SQM only collects non-personal device data such as hardware settings, application usage patterns, and reliability information.
Its main role is to provide feedback on the quality and reliability of your PC by collecting telemetry data from users. This data helps improve future versions of Windows by highlighting issues that are most important to you.
In addition, SQM provides detailed information about app usage for Windows Store apps that are distributed through the Windows Store. This includes how frequently apps are opened and how long they’re used.
Developers can then use this information and make improvements based on that information. Since this is a Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) opt-in program, you can always opt-out if you don’t want to participate in such surveys.
Now that you know you can give feedback on the software you use in Windows, it’s a personal decision on whether you should disable wsqmcons.exe or not.
Also, learn about twdsuilaunch.exe and whether you should remove it from your PC.
Leave a comment below for any comments or queries.
Claire Moraa
Windows Software Expert
Claire has a knack for solving problems and improving the quality of life for those around her. She’s driven by rationality, curiosity, and simplicity, and always eager to learn more about Microsoft’s products.
With a background in teaching and reviewing, she breaks down complex topics into easily understandable articles, focusing mostly on Windows 11, errors, and software.
The genuine wsqmcons.exe file is a software component of Microsoft Windows by .
Windows represents a range of operating system families developed by Microsoft. Windows SQM consolidator is tasked with collecting and sending usage data to Microsoft. Wsqmcons.exe is a file that runs the Windows SQM consolidator, and is deemed a safe file for your PC.
Windows is a series of graphical operating systems developed, marketed and supported by Microsoft. It is available in several different versions, with the latest being Windows Server 2016 for server computers and Windows 10 for PCs, tablets, smartphones and embedded devices. The Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program collects information about how customers use Microsoft programs and about some of the issues they encounter. Windows SQM Consolidator helps gather this information and relays it to Microsoft.
The Microsoft Corporation founded in 1975 is one of the world’s largest technology companies that develops, supports and sells personal computers, consumer electronics and computer software. The company is noted for several innovative products such as the Windows series of operating systems, Xbox range of video game consoles, Surface tablet computers, Microsoft Office Suite and Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers.
WSQMCons stands for Windows Software Quality Management Consolidator
The .exe extension on a filename indicates an executable file. Executable files may, in some cases, harm your computer. Therefore, please read below to decide for yourself whether the wsqmcons.exe on your computer is a Trojan that you should remove, or whether it is a file belonging to the Windows operating system or to a trusted application.
Click to Run a Free Scan for wsqmcons.exe related errors
Wsqmcons.exe file information
The process known as Windows SQM Consolidator belongs to software Microsoft Windows Operating System by Microsoft (www.microsoft.com).
Description: Wsqmcons.exe is an important part of Windows, but often causes problems. The file wsqmcons.exe is located in the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
Known file sizes on Windows 10/11/7 are 254,976 bytes (50% of all occurrences) or 183,296 bytes.
The file is a Microsoft signed file. Wsqmcons.exe is a Windows system file.
Therefore the technical security rating is 1% dangerous, however you should also read the user reviews.
Recommended: Identify wsqmcons.exe related errors
If wsqmcons.exe is located in the Windows folder for temporary files, the security rating is 64% dangerous. The file size is 254,976 bytes.
The program has a visible window. This process is launched automatically by the Windows Task Scheduler. It is not a Windows core file. Wsqmcons.exe is a file with no information about its developer.
wsqmcons.exe appears to be a compressed file.
Important: Some malware disguises itself as wsqmcons.exe, particularly when not located in the C:\Windows\System32 folder. Therefore, you should check the wsqmcons.exe process on your PC to see if it is a threat. We recommend Security Task Manager for verifying your computer’s security. This was one of the Top Download Picks of The Washington Post and PC World.
Best practices for resolving wsqmcons issues
A clean and tidy computer is the key requirement for avoiding problems with wsqmcons. This means running a scan for malware, cleaning your hard drive using 1cleanmgr and 2sfc /scannow, 3uninstalling programs that you no longer need, checking for Autostart programs (using 4msconfig) and enabling Windows’ 5Automatic Update. Always remember to perform periodic backups, or at least to set restore points.
Should you experience an actual problem, try to recall the last thing you did, or the last thing you installed before the problem appeared for the first time. Use the 6resmon command to identify the processes that are causing your problem. Even for serious problems, rather than reinstalling Windows, you are better off repairing of your installation or, for Windows 8 and later versions, executing the 7DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth command. This allows you to repair the operating system without losing data.
To help you analyze the wsqmcons.exe process on your computer, the following programs have proven to be helpful: ASecurity Task Manager displays all running Windows tasks, including embedded hidden processes, such as keyboard and browser monitoring or Autostart entries. A unique security risk rating indicates the likelihood of the process being potential spyware, malware or a Trojan. BMalwarebytes Anti-Malware detects and removes sleeping spyware, adware, Trojans, keyloggers, malware and trackers from your hard drive.
Other processes
aeg_launcher.exe tabnine.exe yytool.exe wsqmcons.exe kxescore.exe cef-bootstrap.exe sw24.exe devmgmtservice.exe cpuleveluphelp.exe mqtgsvc.exe itoo.exe [all]
Wsqmcons.exe is a system-installed file in Windows that is also called Windows SQM Consolidator. Microsoft needs SQM consolidator application that collects and sends user data to Microsoft. To run that SQM consolidator, we need another file that is considered safe for your PC and one such file is Wsqmcons.exe.
While installing windows in one’s system, if a user agrees to participate in the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program and to share his/her data, then after a certain time the program sends user experience data to Microsoft.
Quick Overivew
File Size and Location
Being an essential part of Windows OS, Wsqmcons.exe is by default located under C:\Windows\System32\ directory whereas the file size is about 90 KB. However, there might be more than one copy of Wsqmcons.exe that may be located under C:\Windows\servicing\LCU\ and C:\Windows\WinSxS\ folder and it’s not a virus.
This is how a genuine Wsqmcons.exe file looks like:
Quick overview:
| File name: | Wsqmcons.exe |
| File description: | Windows SQM Consolidator |
| File type: | Application (.exe) |
| File version: | 10.0.18362.476 |
| Copyright: | Microsoft Corporation |
| File Size: | 90.0 KB |
| Language | English |
Uses of Wsqmcons.exe
The windows operating system, marketed and distributed by Microsoft comes with different versions and is available for different devices like computers, laptops, tablets, and phones. The main function of Wsqmcons.exe is to collect the user’s experience and send the data to Microsoft to make further improvements to the Operating System. This program is called the Customer Experience Investment Program This data is collected by SQM. To help SQM, we have the Wsqmcons.exe file.
The Wsqmcons.exe is assigned with a task to run the Windows SQM consolidator. This program occasionally shows up in the task manager and then disappears as soon as the task gets completed. This file is totally safe and is not malware or a virus. In the task manager, we can see what CPU or another disc and network utilization is causing the Wsqmcons.exe to run. The task manager can be accessed by “Shift+ Esc+ Ctrl”. This program contains machine codes and thus as the PC is started, the commands automatically get executed. For this, the file is loaded into the RAM for a temporary time as an .exe program.
When can Wsqmcons be considered harmful?
If it’s located in the system folder, i.e. C:\Windows\System32\ it causes no harm. But, out of the system folder, Wsqmcons.exe is considered a Trojan file, and it’s too harmful.
Common Errors
Most of the timeWsqmcons.exe run smoothly without any error but few users have a complaint that they are receiving an error message like:
- “Windows SQM Consolidator is attempting to access the internet”
- “Windows SQM Consolidator has stopped working and shut down.”
Can Wsqmcons.exe be disabled and how?
Wsqmcons.exe when causing problems in your PC can be disabled or uninstalled. To uninstall Wsqmcons.exe we need to follow these steps
- Click on the Windows button on your keyboard
- Type Task Scheduler
- Click on Task Scheduler Library
- Now locate “Customer Customer Experience Improvement Program” on the right-hand side
- Now, right-click over the file name and choose Disable
Please note that if the “Customer Experience Improvement Program” is not enabled on your Windows 10 then it won’t be showing on the Task Scheduler Program.
How to Kill Wsqmcons.exe Process?
If you have noticed that Wsqmcons.exe is consuming Internet Data or high CPU or RAM resources then you may consider it to Kill I, here are the steps:
- Press Ctrl+Shfit+Esc
- Locate Wsqmcons.exe under the Process tab
- Here right-click on the file and choose the end task option from the drop-down.
Once the task is ended, you can go and check in the task manager time and again to find out if Wsqmcons.exe is still there or not. If it is, repeat the process, if it’s not then the file is successfully disabled.
Other similar files:
SSBkgdupdate.exe, Bootsect.exe, mshta.exe, APSDaemon.exe
wsqmcons.exe
Windows SQM Consolidator by Microsoft
This is a Windows system installed file with Windows File Protection (WFP) enabled.
Overview
There are 19 versions of wsqmcons.exe in the wild, the latest version being 6.3.9600.16384 (winblue_rtm.130821-1623). wsqmcons.exe is run as a standard windows process in the context of the SYSTEM account with extensive privileges. The process utilizes the Windows Task Scheduler to automatically launch the file as a process when a user logs into Windows. The average file size is about 289.05 KB. During the process’s lifecycle, the typical CPU resource utilization is less than 0.01%, the average private memory consumption is about 1.93 MB with the maximum memory reaching around 4.22 MB. Addionally, typically read and write I/O disk operations is about 5 Bytes per minute for reads and 18 Bytes per minute for writes.
What is wsqmcons.exe?
(Customer Experience Improvement Program) This scheduled task runs the Wsqmcons.exe program when you install Windows Vista. This scheduled task also runs the Wsqmcons.exe program daily if the user consented to participate in the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program. This program collects and sends usage data to Microsoft. The Wsqmcons.exe program is located in the System32 folder.
About wsqmcons.exe (from Microsoft)
“Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program collects information about how our customers use Microsoft programs and about some of the problems they encounter. Microsoft uses this information to ”
Details
| File name: | wsqmcons.exe |
| Publisher: | Microsoft Corporation |
| Product name: | Windows SQM Consolidator |
| Description: | Microsoft® Windows® Operating System |
| Typical file path: | C:\Windows\System32\wsqmcons.exe |
| Original name: | wsqmcons.exe.mui |
Behaviors
(Note, the behaviors below are for all versions of wsqmcons.exe, select a unique version for details.)
Scheduled tasks
- The job ‘OptinNotification’ runs on logon in the path ‘\Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\OptinNotification’
- The job ‘Uploader’ in the path ‘\Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\Uploader’
- The job ‘Consolidator’ in the path ‘\Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\Consolidator’
- Entry path ‘\Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\OptinNotification’
- Entry path ‘\Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\Uploader’
- Entry path ‘\Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\Consolidator’
Scheduled tasks startups
Set to load on user login (bypasses Windows UAC if enabled)
- Login entry path ‘\Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\OptinNotification’
All file variations of wsqmcons.exe
| MD5 | SHA-1 | File size |
| c3135d2f6ec4463f0d335d6785efebe9 | bc4029613d390d9b74e6ba4e34e75ef4c71084c1 | 364.5 KB |
| c720f842af3be60e151e033890ba13b8 | e2477420851c0261d8dec39e27275e3cef8b6ef3 | 323.5 KB |
| 1c3a8e71f3648a2a82f97b0316f9b167 | 4e5593f5946abb6c496e63ed67b853e4e52e1f18 | 367.5 KB |
| 74e4e2f05213f1b8760f62a7de33bdb8 | 85e0db4c9e249e3583d2b9ac8631e22d10d45dfd | 357 KB |
| 81cdadd8d5282c8bb5d248be48798b64 | 50a0c6c959127e4255e0ccddb6386f1e347faf3d | 316.5 KB |
| b57921c442c93f3287d9cbb96c70fb54 | 62c706380b65f09afc3016b484a8d73e6d93427b | 305.5 KB |
| eb833bb4df2cf5a4a7d1789c3add75dc | b45f1f120dff6b8d244641d6f5778cb3b414b21b | 352.5 KB |
| dc68f314a8df4af2a2bba58aec1aae95 | e469bf2938359086418708287051f6ff71bde0a3 | 337.5 KB |
| 3f54a35d12046a913e0b2046d8120259 | bcfd9004803996499cf7c3a3ed1ae916b6490111 | 290.5 KB |
| 4380007f990c42f393c008b7cf211403 | 4fa6624c608c42228999fc72c631bf958206846c | 284 KB |
| 4ffb7147bc7926ecc22edfd94d7cee09 | 13271b50cb5b874ac66a1f5e47f43990ed22874d | 274 KB |
| 5c7ce3b32eddd97b97d334c7019d00b8 | 22784af0bb296120d16724fda650cee7b721523d | 249 KB |
| 8fafca21fe9b20c420ce9d4dc50a7169 | 3f1a306db0c56ff1c3ac751f01786b4c0ae5cc2a | 287 KB |
| 22de9dff5565b00f230eac0c635daeb7 | beffcc112aee709b8083056973759eab54f4985f | 249 KB |
| f31d8ac1aab7190a1fb2a60938c18b7c | 3d622a08e5c58164b9836e396390515f5bd49970 | 287 KB |
| b228be444f037c34e36add2564cf064f | 18c81cbc0f8aebeee3430ecd9366b4d4ec460505 | 268.5 KB |
| e8b0a9ecb76aaa0c3519e16f34a49858 | aac2e1a1f031696c5328b19b4f7b88c77d7a2064 | 187.5 KB |
| 7bcd1ce9adcef4b570c38dbd243c1a0c | a4d994a19ad0994c7482c099e5af1ec8ecf491ee | 212 KB |
| f888457a33c6d156805066f39bd42447 | dab972b19d05e49ff9abbd138688193ac11d87fb | 179 KB |
Distribution by Windows OS
| OS version | distribution | |
| Windows 7 Home Premium | 26.25% | |
| Windows 8.1 | 19.50% | |
| Windows 7 Ultimate | 11.75% | |
| Windows 8.1 Pro | 8.00% | |
| Windows 8 | 7.00% | |
| Windows Vista Home Premium | 4.75% | |
| Windows 7 Professional | 4.25% | |
| Windows 8.1 Single Language | 3.75% | |
| Windows 8 Pro | 3.25% | |
| Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center | 2.00% | |
| Windows 8 Single Language | 2.00% | |
| Windows 7 Home Basic | 1.75% | |
| Windows 8 Enterprise | 0.75% | |
| Windows 8.1 N | 0.50% | |
| Windows 8 Enterprise N | 0.50% | |
| Windows 8.1 Enterprise Evaluation | 0.50% | |
| Windows 7 Starter | 0.50% | |
| Windows 8.1 Enterprise | 0.50% | |
| Windows 8.1 Pro Preview | 0.50% | |
| Windows Vista Home Basic | 0.50% | |
| Windows Developer Preview | 0.50% | |
| 24 other Windows OS version |
Distribution by country
United States installs about 46.87% of Windows SQM Consolidator.
Distribution by PC manufacturer
| PC Manufacturer | distribution | |
| Dell | 20.65% | |
| Hewlett-Packard | 18.36% | |
| ASUS | 17.59% | |
| Lenovo | 11.85% | |
| Acer | 11.28% | |
| Toshiba | 8.03% | |
| Sony | 4.21% | |
| Samsung | 1.91% | |
| GIGABYTE | 1.72% | |
| Intel | 1.53% | |
| Alienware | 1.15% | |
| Medion | 0.76% | |
| Gateway | 0.38% | |
| MSI | 0.38% | |
| Sahara | 0.19% |
What does the wsqmcons.exe file do?
The wsqmcons.exe process is also known as Windows SQM Consolidator and is a part of Microsoft Windows Operating System. This software is produced by Microsoft (www.microsoft.com). An outdated or faulty version of wsqmcons.exe can cause problems for your computer, ranging from slowness to error messages like these:
- Windows SQM Consolidator has stopped working. Windows is checking for a solution to the problem… (Windows 11, 10, 7)
- Windows SQM Consolidator has stopped working. A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available. (Windows 11, 10, 7)
- wsqmcons.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close.
- Access violation at address FFFFFFFF in module wsqmcons.exe. Read of address 00000000.
Special Offer
What you should know about wsqmcons.exe Windows SQM Consolidator
wsqmcons.exe is part of Windows. The file wsqmcons.exe is found in the C:\Windows\System32 directory.
Frequently occurring are file sizes such as 254,976 bytes (50% of all these files) or, as the case may be, 183,296 bytes.
This file is part of the operating system. Wsqmcons.exe contains Microsoft’s digital signature. This confirms its authenticity.
For this reason, 1% of all experts consider this file to be a possible threat. The probability that it can cause harm is high.
If you see this file on your hard drive or in Windows Task Manager, please make sure that it is not a malicious variant. It’s a fact that many trojans try to cloak their true identity by calling themselves wsqmcons.exe. With the above information or by using tools like Security Task Manager you can determine if, in your case, the file is an undesirable variant.
What do other computer users say about wsqmcons?
| wsqmcons.exe is part of Windows and Customer Experience Improvement Program. This program collects and sends usage data to Microsoft. Joshua |
Summary:
One user judges wsqmcons.exe to be an essential file that should not be touched.
One user considers it harmless.
source: file.net
How to uninstall the program
To remove Windows SQM Consolidator from your computer, please follow the manual instructions below.
- Click the Windows Start Button. You can find it in the lower-left corner of the taskbar.
- Type ‘uninstall‘.
- Click Add or remove programs.
- Now locate the program in the list of displayed applications.
- Click the program, and then click Uninstall.
How to check if wsqmcons.exe (Windows SQM Consolidator) was uninstalled completely
After uninstalling, restart your computer. Then open Windows Explorer and check if a folder with the software name still exists under C:\Program Files. Also, check the Registry for remnants of Windows SQM Consolidator. To do this, start Regedit, then look under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software for: Windows SQM Consolidator or the name of the producer. Keep in mind that only a computer professional should delete entries in the Windows Registry directly.