wermgr.exe

Windows ProcessMicrosoft Corporation

Also called wermgr, error reporting manager, wer manager

WindowsSystem Component

Windows Error Reporting manager. It queues and sends reports after WerFault.exe collected a crash. It is not the crashing app.

What you need to know

This ships or stores the crash report. WerFault.exe is the dialog you just saw.

wermgr.exe is the WER manager. It can run quietly after a crash to queue a report. Ending it does not un-crash the app.

Safe?: Yes, in System32
Same as WerFault?: No. This one manages the queue
Should I end it?: A pending report may drop

Feex says

If wermgr is busy after a game died, I would let the queue finish or turn off optional diagnostic data. I would not delete System32\wermgr.exe.

What is wermgr.exe?

wermgr.exe is Windows Problem Reporting / WER manager. WerFault.exe handles the live crash. wermgr.exe handles the queue.

What does it do?

It compresses reports, respects diagnostic settings, and can upload when policy allows. It does not scan for viruses.

Why is it running?

A crash just happened, or a scheduled WER maintenance task ran. Idle manager should exit.

Is it safe?

Usually safe

System32 wermgr.exe is Microsoft Windows Error Reporting. A wermgr.exe inside a "cleaner" toolkit is not WER and should not be run.

A legitimate copy normally runs from:

C:\Windows\System32\wermgr.exe

Queue manager
Fault host: WerFault.exe
Settings: diagnostic data

Can I end it?

Drops an in-flight report

Ending wermgr.exe stops that send. The crash already happened. Use diagnostic settings if you do not want reports to leave the PC.

Can I remove it?

Do not delete wermgr.exe. Turn off sending reports in Settings > Privacy > Diagnostics. That is not the same as deleting the manager.

Should it start with Windows?

WER or a task starts it. It is not a tray chat app.

Normal resource behavior

These are contextual labels, not universal averages.

CPU: Short while packing a dump
Disk: WER store
Network: If sending is on
Memory: Moderate

File information

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

Common problems

People disable wermgr to hide crashes

Fix the crashing app. Hiding the manager just loses the report.

Stuck upload on a metered link

Turn off optional diagnostic data. Do not delete the exe.

Troubleshooting

Diagnose before you change anything destructive.

Settings > Privacy & security > Diagnostics

That is the send switch.

Event Viewer still lists the fault

You do not need wermgr to see that an app died.

Technical details

wermgr.exe technical details
Image name	wermgr.exe
Role	WER queue manager

Sources and verification

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

Microsoft Learn: WER · Manager vs fault host
Microsoft: diagnostic data · What gets sent
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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