midisrv.exe

Windows ProcessMicrosoft Corporation

Also called midisrv, windows midi service, midi service

WindowsSystem Component

Windows MIDI service host. Apps use it for MIDI devices. audiodg.exe is the audio engine graph, not this service.

What you need to know

midisrv is the MIDI service, not audiodg.

midisrv.exe hosts Windows MIDI Service. audiodg.exe isolates playback enhancements and the mix graph. Ending midisrv does not mute speakers the way ending audiodg does.

Safe?: Yes, with MIDI
Same as audiodg?: No. audiodg is the audio graph
Should I end it?: MIDI apps can lose devices

Feex says

If a keyboard vanished and midisrv is gone, I start Windows MIDI Service. I do not disable enhancements on audiodg as my first MIDI step.

What is midisrv.exe?

midisrv.exe is the MIDI service, not audiodg.exe. The audio engine graph mixes speakers and enhancements. This host talks to MIDI devices and clients.

What does it do?

It enumerates MIDI ports and brokers MIDI messages. It does not run APOs. Windows Audio starts audiodg.exe for that.

Why is it running?

A DAW, a piano app, or a MIDI device opened a client. A PC that never uses MIDI may still start the service after a device plug-in.

Is it safe?

Usually safe

System32 midisrv.exe is Microsoft. A midisrv.exe in a VST folder is not the Windows MIDI service. audiodg.exe is still the graph.

A legitimate copy normally runs from:

C:\Windows\System32\midisrv.exe

Windows MIDI Service host
Audio graph: audiodg.exe
Expected publisher: Microsoft Corporation

Can I end it?

MIDI devices can drop

Ending midisrv.exe disconnects MIDI clients until the service starts again. Speakers can keep working through audiodg.exe.

Can I remove it?

Do not delete midisrv.exe. Disable a MIDI device in Device Manager if you want that port gone. Do not delete audiodg.exe to "fix MIDI."

Should it start with Windows?

Windows MIDI Service can start on demand. It is not a music Startup shortcut.

Normal resource behavior

These are contextual labels, not universal averages.

CPU: Low except while devices flood events
Memory: Small
Disk: Low
Network: None for a local cable

File information

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

Common problems

No sound from a soft synth, MIDI still lights up

The synth output is audiodg / the audio device. This service only carried MIDI.

People end audiodg to reset a keyboard

Unplug the MIDI device and restart Windows MIDI Service. The graph is playback.

Troubleshooting

Diagnose before you change anything destructive.

services.msc > Windows MIDI Service

Start it, then reopen the DAW. Ending audiodg.exe is a sound test, not a MIDI repair.

Device Manager on the MIDI interface

Update that device. Do not replace midisrv.exe.

Technical details

midisrv.exe technical details
Image name	midisrv.exe
Service	Windows MIDI Service

Sources and verification

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

Microsoft Learn: About MIDI · Windows MIDI APIs and MIDI services
Microsoft Learn: MIDI Services · MIDI service layer versus playback
Microsoft Support: sound problems · audiodg is the graph, not MIDI
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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