High CPU Usage can bring bad effects to your PC. This might be caused by the Software Reporter Tool in the Google Chrome browser. For reducing high CPU usage, you can disable it. This is how you do it quickly and safely.

What is a Software Reporter Tool?

Software Reporter Tool is a small executable file that runs simultaneously with the Chrome browser on Windows PCs. This executable is not available on Macs. As said in the name, it functions by keeping tabs and reporting any third-party programs which pose an issue on Chrome and reports it to Google.

Although this seems to be a useful utility, often random spikes can be seen in the CPU usage due to this tool. If you find out that the Software Reporter is, in some way, causing any issues to your system, you can try disabling it.

Is the Software Reporter Tool Similar to a Virus?

Many users tend to confuse Chrome’s Software Reporter Tool with a harmful virus present on their PCs. The Software Reporter is not a virus but a completely legitimate application that is a built-in part of Chrome’s Clean-up program. It is just a lightweight application that collects data about third-party programs, and extensions installed on your PC using the Chrome Browser.

Chrome contains a built-in Clean-up tool that detects harmful software on your PC and removes it. The Software Reporter Tool is an extension present on this feature. It can collect information on the harmful software and unsafe system settings on your PC and send a report to Google about them.

Although the Software Reporter tool functions like an antivirus, it is not similar to one. To give complete protection to your PC always use a full-fledged antivirus program.

Is removing the Software Reporter Tool Essential?

The Software Reporter Tool, as said above, is not a harmful application but a safe tool that does not bring any threat to your PC or data. However, in some computers, this tool can cause high CPU usage.

In addition, this tool can sometimes flag legit add-ons and extensions as malware, thereby resulting in app conflict.

To overcome these issues, you can disable the tool and stop it from running. You can disable the Software Reporting Tool either temporarily or permanently. Whatever method you want to choose, below are the quick, easy and safe ways to do so.

1. Updating Google Chrome to the Latest Version

If Google Drive is your default browser and you use it daily, then refraining from disabling the tool would seem better. Nevertheless, the problem of high CPU usage has to be solved. For this, check whether there is a new update available for Chrome and install it.

Doing this might sometimes resolve the issue because new updates often come with bug fixes and performance enhancements. Usually, Chrome is set to auto-update when a new version is available. But you can also check for one, just to make sure.

Follow the below steps to update Google Chrome:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click More. (three-dots menu) in the top-left corner.
3. Then, click Help.
4. Select About Google Chrome.

If there is a new update available, Chrome will install it after scanning for one. After installing, relaunch the browser and check whether the high CPU usage issue of the Software Reporter Tool is resolved.

2. Disabling Chrome Background Apps

This is another easy method to disable the Software Reporter Tool. As Chrome contains many background apps running even after the browser is closed, disabling them might help in reducing high CPU usage. Stopping the background apps from running when Chrome is closed will prevent any apps associated with the browser. This will naturally prevent the Software Reporter Tool from running as well.

Follow the below steps to disable Chrome background apps:

1. Launch the Chrome browser.
2. Click the More icon (three-dot menu) in the top-left corner.
3. From the context menu select Settings.

4. Click on Advanced on the Settings page to expand the advanced settings section.
5. Open the System tab in the left pane.

6. Toggle the switch for Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed to turn it Off.
7. Then, open the Reset and clean up tab that is in the left pane.
8. Click on Clean up computer.

9. Uncheck the Report details to Google about harmful software option in here.
10. Relaunch the browser.

After relaunching, the Software Reporter Tool will not be running anymore.

3. Using Registry Editor to Disable Software Reporter Tool

Using this method, you can disable the tool permanently. You can modify the Chrome policies in the Registry Editor to do this. The registry hack will completely stop the tool from running in the background.

Follow these steps in order to do it:

1. Press the Win + R keys to open Run.
2. Type regedit and click OK. This will open the Registry Editor.
3. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the below location.

4. Check whether the Google > Chrome key (folder) exists here. If it does exist, then skip to the Step 7.

If the folder does not exist, then two more keys with the names Google and Chrome should be created.

5. Right-click on Policies and select New > Key. Then rename this key as Google.
6. Then right-click on the Google key and select New > Key. Rename this key as Chrome.
7. Right-click on the Chrome key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

8. Then, rename the new value as ChromeCleanupEnabled.
9. Right-click on the ChromeCleanupEnabled.
10. Select Modify.
11. In the Value data field, type 0 and click OK to save the changes.

Finally, close the Registry Editor and relaunch the browser. As the Software Reporter Tool is disabled, high CPU usage problem caused by the tool will be resolved as well.

4. Using Group Policy Editor to Disable Software Reporter Tool

This method is effective for use on systems in an organizational environment. The system administrator can disable the Software Reporter Tool on all the systems using the Group Policy Editor. This will in turn result in reducing high CPU usage.

As Chrome does not contain any built-in feature for this policy, it should be added manually and then changes should be made in the Group Policy Editor.

The Group Policy Editor is available only on the Pro, Education and Enterprise edition of the Windows Operating System. If you are using the Home edition, first you will have to install the Group Policy Editor in Windows Home.

Follow the below steps to disable the Software Reporter Tool using GPedit:

1. Download the Google Chrome Policy Template.
2. Extract the Zip archive when the download is complete. It will extract into the policy_templates folder.
3. Open the policy_templates folder.
4. Go to Windows > Admx.

5. Copy the Chrome.admx and google.admx files.
6. Then, press the Win + E keys to open the File Explorer and go to the following location.

7. Paste the copied files into the PolicyDefinitions folder.

Next, you need to copy the required language files for the policy. Follow the next steps for this:

8. Go to C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\ and find the language folder. If you have installed Windows English, then you will see the en-US folder.
9. Let’s assume that you have installed Windows English. Navigate to the Policy_templates\Windows\Admx\en-US folder.
10. Copy the Chrome.adml and google.adml files from here.

11. Go to the C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\en-US folder and paste the copied files there.
12. Open the Group Policy Editor after the files are successfully copied.
13. Press the Win + R keys to open Run.
14. Type gpedit.msc and click OK to open the Group Policy Editor.
15. Find the following location in the Group Policy Editor.

16. In the right-side pane, double-click on the Enable Chrome Cleanup on Windows policy.

17. Then, select the Disable option in the pop-up dialog. Click Apply and OK to save the new changes.

Doing this will disable the Software Reporter Tool and prevent it from running on your PC. To restore the function, open the modified policy and click the Enabled option.

5. Deleting the Software Reporter Tool Executable File

If none of the above methods seem to work, you can manually delete the executable file to prevent it from running. Follow the below steps for this:

1. Open the File Explorer.
2. Type the following in the address bar. This will open the Software Reporter Tool Folder.

1. Open the folder associated with the version of your Chrome Browser.
2. Select the software_reporter_tool.exe file.
3. Press F2 to open the rename option. You can also right-click on the file and select Rename.
4. Then, rename the file as Software_Reporter_Too.txt and click OK to confirm.

As the tool is renamed, Chrome will not be able to execute the Software Reporter Tool anymore. But remember that Chrome will download the tool again every time there is a new update. Therefore, you will have to rename the tool after each new update to disable it and prevent it from running which will help in reducing high CPU usage.

Fix High CPU Usage by Disabling the Software Reporter Tool Safely.

The Software Reporter Tool is in truth a very useful utility software. But it may cause some unusual spikes and a raise in CPU usage. This will in turn affect the system resources and their accumulation as well. Therefore, if you find the tool causing these problems, the best option is to disable it thereby reducing high CPU usage.

If you keep finding issues in CPU usage even after disabling the Software Reporter Tool, you can then look for other factors that affect this issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can affect my CPU usage?

In addition to the Software Reporter Tool, other processes can affect CPU usage as well. If disabling the tool does not resolve the problem, then look for other factors like background apps, third-party extensions, incorrect hardware acceleration configuration etc.

What is High CPU Usage?

CPU usage is the amount of performance of your CPU. If the CPU Usage is 100%, it means the CPU is performing tasks more than its capacity. Although this is OK, it can slow down the running of programs on your PC.

When is CPU Usage high?

Some high-performance tasks like playing games, having many browser tabs open, running a video editing application, performing an antivirus scan or running a streaming application can result in a high spike in CPU usage.