Question What is OsfInstaller.exe? Causes high CPU load. OK to uninstall it?

[omega3]

From time to time OsfInstaller.exe pops up in task manager as a running process, and causes high cpu load. I always know it loads cause than the fans of my Dell XPS 13 become very noisy. It's not a virus I think cause neither McAfee nor HitmanPro detect it as malware.

When I stop the proces, after a while it always comes back even the same day.

So what exactly is OsfInstaller.exe? The source path of the .exe is C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\VFS\ProgramFilesCommonX86\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE16

So it seems having something to do with MS Office, which I have, but can I uninstall or delete this OsfInstaller.exe file even when using MS Office like Word etc? What can I do best to stop this from popping up all the time?

Hope people here can help! Thanks in advance.

 

[UsandThem]

My Googling didn't return much info on "OsfInstaller.exe", which is rather interesting if it is actually part of Microsoft Office. I figured there would be quite a few threads on Answers.Microsoft.com, but there wasn't much on it anywhere (mostly on sketchy looking sites).

I don't use Office anymore on my PC, so I'll let someone who does chime in if that is a legit process and not some type of PUP / malware.

 

[JackMDS]

Maybe this can Help.

https://www.freefixer.com/library/file/osfinstaller.exe-283353/

 

[corkyg]

It is a Microsoft file that is part of Office 2016. I believe it is because that version of Office is partly on line.

 

[omega3]

It is a Microsoft file that is part of Office 2016. I believe it is because that version of Office is partly on line.

Not sure if I understand you. What do you mean with that last sentence and would that be the reason this file spikes my CPU load, see my question above? Thanks.

 

[corkyg]

I mean that this version is designed to work online with others, and is always subject to program updates, etc. That file is the tool that gets it done.

 

[omega3]

I mean that this version is designed to work online with others, and is always subject to program updates, etc. That file is the tool that gets it done.

If I would delete Osfinstaller.exe, what would happen?

In the same folder I also see following files starting with "osf". I still have no clue what these are and if I can disable or delete them. Also weird that some start with capital "O" in their name and others with lowercase so those are no typo's of mine:

osfbgt.dll
OsfInstaller.exe
osfInstaller.exe.manifest
OsfInstallerBgt.exe
OsfInstallerConfig.xml
OsfInstallerConfigOnLogon.xml
OsfTaskengine.dll

Folder path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\VFS\ProgramFilesCommonX86\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE16

 

[corkyg]

If you delete it, it will most likely rewrite itself as long as Office16 is installed.

 

[omega3]

If you delete it, it will most likely rewrite itself as long as Office16 is installed.

What's the best way to ask MS about this and getting a reply? Do they have a support email address for Office and do they ever reply?

 

[corkyg]

https://support.office.com/