ApplicationFrameHost.exe

Windows ProcessMicrosoft Corporation

Also called applicationframehost, application frame host

WindowsSystem Component

Application Frame Host. It draws the title bar and window frame for Microsoft Store and other packaged apps.

What you need to know

This is the window frame for Store apps. Ending it closes those windows.

ApplicationFrameHost.exe hosts the title bar for packaged apps. Ending it can close Calculator, Settings, and Store at once. It is not the Store installer.

Safe?: Yes, in System32
Why so many Store apps die if I end it?: It owns their frames
Is it the Store?: No. It is the window chrome

Feex says

If I need to close one Store app, I end that app. Ending Application Frame Host is how you take down every framed UWP window in the session.

What is ApplicationFrameHost.exe?

ApplicationFrameHost.exe is Application Frame Host. Packaged Win32 and UWP apps that use the Windows frame get their caption buttons from this process.

What does it do?

It sits between the app and the Desktop Window Manager so the title bar can look like the rest of Windows. Classic Win32 apps that draw their own chrome do not need it.

Why is it running?

A Store app, Settings, or another packaged window is open. You should not see a busy frame host with zero Store apps running.

Is it safe?

Usually safe

The legitimate host is in System32. An ApplicationFrameHost.exe in a cracked game folder is not the Windows frame host.

A legitimate copy normally runs from:

C:\Windows\System32\ApplicationFrameHost.exe

Expected publisher: Microsoft Corporation
Killing it closes framed packaged apps
Not the Microsoft Store client itself

Can I end it?

Closes Store-style windows

Ending Application Frame Host tears down the windows it frames. Use it only if a ghost Store window is stuck, then reopen the app.

Can I remove it?

Do not delete ApplicationFrameHost.exe. Packaged apps will open without a usable frame.

Should it start with Windows?

It starts when a framed packaged app needs it. It is not a Startup Apps leftover from a vendor.

Normal resource behavior

These are contextual labels, not universal averages.

CPU: Low unless a window is resizing or a GPU glitch hits DWM
Memory: Grows with the number of framed apps
Disk: Low
Network: None by itself

File information

ApplicationFrameHost.exe file information
Executable name	ApplicationFrameHost.exe
Common legitimate path	C:\Windows\System32\ApplicationFrameHost.exe
Publisher	Microsoft Corporation
Signature expectation	Signed by Microsoft Windows

Common problems

Blank Store app window

Restart the app first. If every packaged app is blank, restart ApplicationFrameHost, then DWM if the desktop is also wrong.

People end it to close Xbox Game Bar

End the Game Bar process. The frame host is shared.

Troubleshooting

Diagnose before you change anything destructive.

See which apps are framed

Process Explorer shows the windows. One broken app is not a reason to kill the shared host forever.

Graphics driver after a bad update

Frame host issues after a GPU driver change are often DWM. Roll the driver before you repair System32.

Technical details

ApplicationFrameHost.exe technical details
Image name	ApplicationFrameHost.exe
Role	Packaged app window frame

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Microsoft Learn: App windows · Packaged app windowing
Microsoft Support: Windows · Public support naming
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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