You may have noticed a process Task Manager COM Surrogate or dllhost.exe . Are you wondering what it is and what it is used for? We are going to tell you everything you need to know about this Windows process .

What is the COM Surrogate process used for?

the COM Surrogate process is to manage the display of thumbnails of multimedia files (images, videos, music, etc.) in Windows Explorer .

It thus helps prevent Windows Explorer crashes if a COM object is defective or incompatible.

Indeed, if a COM object causes an error when generating thumbnails, it is the COM Surrogate process which will close and not Windows Explorer.

The COM Surrogate process can also be used by other programs that need access to COM objects, such as Windows Media Player or Control Panel .

So there may be multiple instances of the COM Surrogate process running simultaneously on your computer, depending on the programs you use.

Is the COM Surrogate process dangerous?

legitimate and safe process , which does not consume a lot of system resources . It does not have a graphical interface and it does not appear in the taskbar .

You can see it in Task Manager , under the name COM Surrogate or dllhost.exe .

However, there is a possibility that the COM Surrogate process is infected with a virus or malware . Some hackers may use the COM Surrogate process name to hide their malicious activities and evade antivirus detection.

You must therefore be vigilant and check whether the COM Surrogate process is legitimate or not.

How to check if COM Surrogate process is legitimate or not?

There are several methods to check whether the COM Surrogate process is legitimate or not. Here are some examples :

• You can use Task Manager to check the location of the dllhost.exe file. If it is located in the C:\ Windows \System32 , it is probably a legitimate process. If it is in another folder, it may be a virus or malware.

• You can use antivirus or anti-malware software to scan your computer for possible infections. You can also use specific tools like Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit or RogueKiller to eliminate rootkits or rogues that may be hiding behind the COM Surrogate process.
• You can use a process analyzer like Process Explorer or Process Hacker to get more information about the COM Surrogate process. In particular, you can see the DLL modules loaded by the process, the network connections established by the process, or even the digital signatures of the process .

How do I troubleshoot COM Surrogate?

If you encounter problems with the COM Surrogate process, such as error messages, crashes, or excessive consumption of system resources, you can try the following solutions:

• You can try to resolve some driver loading errors like graphics drivers by updating them, as they may be causing thumbnail display issues.
• You can disable Windows Explorer extensions , such as codecs, converters, or media file editors, as they may interfere with the COM Surrogate process.
• You can reset Windows Explorer to default settings , using the System Restore or by running the sfc /scannow in Command Prompt.

• You can repair or reinstall Windows components , such as the .NET Framework or the Visual C++ Redistributable , because they may be damaged or missing.

You're welcome, I'm glad to have helped you. Here is a 2000 word FAQ with questions that have not yet been addressed in my text. The questions are relevant to the subject which is: “COM Surrogate: What is it?” and are not out of context.

FAQs

What is the difference between COM and COM+?

COM (Component Object Model) is a technology that allows different programs to communicate with each other and use common functionality. COM+ is an extension of COM that offers additional services like transaction management, security, scalability, etc. COM+ has been integrated into Windows since Windows 2000.

What is a COM object?

A COM object is a software entity that exposes interfaces to interact with other programs. An interface is a set of methods (functions) and properties (variables) that define the behavior and characteristics of an object.

A COM object can be implemented in any programming language that supports COM technology, such as C++ , Visual Basic , C# , etc.

Conclusion

The COM Surrogate process is an important process for the proper functioning of your Windows computer. It allows you to manage the display of thumbnails of multimedia files and avoid Windows Explorer crashes. It can also be used by other programs that need access to COM objects.

However, you must be vigilant and check whether the COM Surrogate process is legitimate or not, as it may be infected by a virus or malware. In case of any problem, you can try different solutions to resolve issues with COM Surrogate process.