OpenWith.exe

Windows ProcessMicrosoft Corporation

Also called openwith, open with

WindowsSystem Component

Open with dialog. Windows starts it when a file type has no app or you chose Open with. It is not the app you pick.

What you need to know

This is the Open with list, not notepad.exe or WINWORD.EXE.

OpenWith.exe is the association picker. Ending it cancels the choice. It does not change file types until you pick and confirm.

Safe?: Yes. You opened Open with
Is it the editor?: No. The app you pick is a different exe
Should I end it?: The dialog closes

Feex says

If Open with is on screen, I pick an app. I do not end notepad.exe unless I already opened a file in it.

What is OpenWith.exe?

OpenWith.exe is the Windows Open with executable.

What does it do?

It lists registered apps for a file extension. The program you choose starts as its own process.

Why is it running?

A double-click had no default, or you used the Open with menu. It should exit after you choose.

Is it safe?

Usually safe

System32 OpenWith.exe is the Microsoft association dialog. An OpenWith.exe attached to email or sitting in Downloads is not that dialog and should not be run.

A legitimate copy normally runs from:

C:\Windows\System32\OpenWith.exe

Association UI
Chosen app is a different image
Defaults live in Settings

Can I end it?

Cancels Open with

Ending OpenWith.exe closes the list without writing a new default. notepad.exe or WINWORD.EXE only start if you already picked them.

Can I remove it?

Do not delete OpenWith.exe. Unknown extensions lose the supported picker. Change defaults in Settings > Apps instead.

Should it start with Windows?

On demand. Not Startup Apps.

Normal resource behavior

These are contextual labels, not universal averages.

CPU: Low
Memory: Small
Disk: Registry association reads
Network: Store suggestions if shown

File information

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

Common problems

Wrong default after a pick

Settings > Apps > Default apps. OpenWith already exited.

Loop of Open with

The file type has a broken association. Fix defaults, do not delete OpenWith.

Troubleshooting

Diagnose before you change anything destructive.

Settings > Default apps

The lasting map.

Do not replace OpenWith

System file.

Technical details

OpenWith.exe technical details
Image name	OpenWith.exe
Role	Open with dialog

Sources and verification

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

Microsoft Support: open with · File associations
Microsoft Learn: Windows · Primary Windows documentation
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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