Chrome's insane amount of CPU usage has bothered users for years. Even after launching hundreds of solutions and countermeasures, users still face 100% disk usage on Windows 10 due to it.
So why is Google Chrome such a sweet tooth for RAM? That's because Chrome considers all of your tabs as a separate process.
In this way, Google can prevent browser infection with viruses and malware infections, by isolating the particular tab or process.
But that is not the only reason; A quick look at Google Chrome's task manager shows evidence that there are other factors at play, such as enabled extensions, open tabs, third-party tools, etc.
However, the deadliest of all is right under the Google Chrome process in Windows 10 Task Manager called “software_reporter_tool.exe”.
What is Software Reporter Tool in Google Chrome?
Software Reporter Tool, part of the Google Chrome Cleanup Tool, is a process that reports any additional software that may try to interfere with the browser's operation.
To achieve that, Software Reporter Tool frequently scans the PC for software and files that may be problematic for Google Chrome.
The browser then scans the results to determine if the user needs to be overly aware of the software.
Based on the results, Chrome then prompts users to run the Chrome Cleanup Tool to remove any unwanted software
Where is it?
The process can be located in the Windows task manager, in the Google Chrome process. Right click on it and choose “Open File Location” to access the source file.
You will not always find the process in the task manager, as it is not always active. Alternatively, you can directly find Google Chrome's Software Reporter Tool at the following path in Windows 10 -
C:\Users\<Name>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\SwReporter\VERSION\software_reporter_tool.exe
Problems with software_reporter_tool.exe
Contrary to what some users might think, Software Reporter Tool is neither malware nor virus. In fact, the source file located on the hard drive is digitally signed by Google with the file description as Chrome Cleanup Tool.
However, as we all know, that is not our only concern. As the tool frequently scans the system, it has been associated with taking too much memory from the PC.
Also, many users have seen that software_reporter_tool causes slow gaming performance on their PC.
Lastly, many users have privacy concerns about the practice of scanning user files without their consent.
Accumulate all concerns and you will find the right reasons to remove the tool completely.
How to disable Software Reporter Tool from Google Chrome?
Deleting the file, or even the folder, might seem like a good idea, however, it won't do much good. Google will automatically reintroduce the software in the next Google Chrome update.
The best way to deal with the chrome tool is to lock the user permissions of the entire folder, which will prevent Google from accessing the “SwReporter” folder, restricting it from running the reporter tool software.
Here's how to stop Google from running software_reporter_tool.exe:
- Go to the SwReporter folder located in the system storage.
- Right click on it and choose properties.
- Go to the Security tab - Click advanced options.
- Now select the “Disable Inheritance” option.
- Choose “Remove all permissions inherited from this object” in the new pop-up window and hit apply.
If this process doesn't work, here's an alternative that uses Group Policy Editor in Windows 10:
- Type regedit.exe in Windows Run to open Registry Editor.
- Paste the given location in the address bar “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome”
- Right-click the Chrome key and select New > Dword Value (32-bit).
- Name it “ChromeCleanupReportingEnabled” and keep its value 0.
If the exact address isn't available, you can find the folder manually and keep adding values as you go.
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