What is appsvc32.exe doing on my computer?

The appsvc32.exe file is otherwise known as the Symantec Application Core Service and is responsible for executing the background processes that make Symantec’s associated software (in particular the Norton Antivirus product line) run properly.

An example of a component that can be displayed by the appsvc32.exe file is the Norton toolbar. The Anti-spam component is also displayed by the appsvc32.exe file through the Norton toolbar. The Browser Privacy is another component managed by the appsvc32.exe file. It is used to avoid giving out computer and user information to visited websites.

Another component embedded on the Web browser is the Anti-phishing toolbar. This prevents the user’s personal information to be sent out over the Internet. In case the user’s personal information is about to be sent out over the Internet, a message will appear that can notify the user about this. It is also used to avoid identity theft.
Non-system processes like appsvc32.exe originate from software you installed on your system. Since most applications store data on your hard disk and in your system's registry, it is likely that your computer has suffered fragmentation and accumulated invalid entries which can affect your PC's performance.

In Windows Task Manager, you can see what CPU, memory, disk and network utilization is causing the Application Core Service process. To access the Task Manager, hold down the Ctrl Shift Esc keys at the same time. These three buttons are located on the far left of your keyboard.

The appsvc32.exe is an executable file on your computer's hard drive. This file contains machine code. If you start the software Norton Internet Security on your PC, the commands contained in appsvc32.exe will be executed on your PC. For this purpose, the file is loaded into the main memory (RAM) and runs there as a Application Core Service process (also called a task).

Is appsvc32.exe harmful?

This process is considered safe. It is unlikely to pose any harm to your system. The appsvc32.exe file should be located in the folder %program filescommon%\symantec shared\appcore. Otherwise it could be a Trojan.

Can I stop or remove appsvc32.exe?

Many non-system processes that are running can be stopped because they are not involved in running your operating system. appsvc32.exe is used by 'Norton Internet Security'. This is an application created by 'Symantec Corporation'.

If you no longer use Norton Internet Security, you can permanently remove this software and thus appsvc32.exe from your PC. To do this, press the Windows key R at the same time and then type 'appwiz.cpl'. Then find Norton Internet Security in the list of installed programs and uninstall this application.

Is appsvc32.exe CPU intensive?

This process is not considered CPU intensive. However, running too many processes on your system may affect your PC’s performance. To reduce system overload, you can use the Microsoft System Configuration Utility (MSConfig) or the Windows Task Manager to manually find and disable processes that launch upon start-up.

Use the Windows Resource Monitor to find out which processes and applications write/read the most on the hard drive, send the most data to the Internet, or use the most memory. To access the Resource Monitor, press the key combination Windows key R and then enter 'resmon'.

Why is appsvc32.exe giving me errors?

Most appsvc32 issues are caused by the application executing the process. The surest way to fix these errors is to update or uninstall this application. Therefore, please search the Symantec Corporation website for the latest Norton Internet Security update.