DataExchangeHost.exe

Windows ProcessMicrosoft Corporation

Also called dataexchangehost, data exchange host

WindowsSystem Component

Data Exchange Host. It helps clipboard and drag-and-drop between apps, including some packaged apps and the desktop.

What you need to know

This brokers data between apps. It is not RuntimeBroker.exe (capabilities) and not the clipboard history UI.

DataExchangeHost.exe is a Windows data-exchange broker. You see it during share or drag operations. Ending it mid-drop can lose the payload.

Safe?: Yes, in System32
Why is it here?: A share, drop, or clipboard hand-off
Should I end it?: An in-flight drop may fail

Feex says

If I dragged a file into a Store app and this host appeared, that is the broker. I would not end RuntimeBroker to fix a failed drop.

What is DataExchangeHost.exe?

DataExchangeHost.exe is the Windows Data Exchange Host in System32.

What does it do?

It moves shared payloads between callers so a packaged app and a desktop app can exchange files or text. It does not store clipboard history. That is a different feature.

Why is it running?

A share charm, a drag, or an interop API started it. A quiet copy can linger briefly after the drop.

Is it safe?

Usually safe

System32 DataExchangeHost is Microsoft. The same name in a packer folder is not.

A legitimate copy normally runs from:

C:\Windows\System32\DataExchangeHost.exe

Share / drag broker
Not RuntimeBroker.exe
Not TextInputHost clipboard UI

Can I end it?

May fail the drop

Ending it during a transfer can cancel the share. After the drop, a leftover copy can be ended if it is stuck.

Can I remove it?

Do not delete DataExchangeHost.exe. Interop between Store and desktop apps will get worse.

Should it start with Windows?

On demand. Not Startup Apps.

Normal resource behavior

These are contextual labels, not universal averages.

CPU: Low
Memory: Follows payload size
Disk: Temp exchange files
Network: None for a local drop

File information

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

Common problems

Stuck after a huge drop

End this host if the dialog is already gone. Then retry a smaller share.

Confused with clipboard history

Win+V UI is Input Experience. This host is the broker.

Troubleshooting

Diagnose before you change anything destructive.

Retry the share after ending a stuck host

The calling apps stay running.

Do not replace the broker

System file.

Technical details

DataExchangeHost.exe technical details
Image name	DataExchangeHost.exe
Role	Share and drag broker

Sources and verification

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

Microsoft Learn: sharing data · Share and exchange
Microsoft Learn: Windows · Primary Windows documentation
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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