What Is ESET Security? Is It Safe to Disable at Startup?

What Is ESET Security?

ESET Security is ESET's antivirus and internet security software. On Windows, egui.exe is the ESET graphical user interface process, which shows notifications, status and access to settings while the main protection components run in the background.

If you installed ESET yourself, seeing ESET Security on the computer is normal. It is not a Windows component, but it is legitimate third-party security software from ESET spol. s r.o.

Is It Safe?

Usually, yes. A genuine egui.exe from ESET is safe.

Because malware can use familiar names, check a few basics if you are unsure:

• In Task Manager, right-click egui.exe and open its file location.
• Check that the file is inside ESET's program folder, not a random temp or user download folder.
• Open the file's Properties and look for a valid digital signature from ESET.

If egui.exe is running from an unusual location, has no valid signature, or ESET was never installed on the device, treat it as suspicious and investigate further.

Should I Disable It at Startup?

No in most cases. Keep it enabled at startup.

ESET is security software, and its startup components help make sure real-time protection, alerts and update-related functions are available after sign-in. Disabling its startup entry may not fully uninstall ESET, but it can reduce visibility into protection status or interfere with how the suite starts for your user session.

If you no longer want ESET, the better option is to uninstall it cleanly rather than disabling bits of it at startup. If you already use another antivirus product, avoid running overlapping security suites unless you know they are compatible.

Why Is It Using High CPU or Memory?

Short spikes are normal during:

• malware definition updates
• scheduled scans
• first scan after installation or a major update
• scanning large archives or many small files

If usage stays high for a long time:

• wait for any active scan or update to finish
• open ESET and check scan history, scheduled tasks or quarantine activity
• restart the computer once
• update ESET to the latest available version
• review whether another security tool is scanning the same files at the same time

Do not end ESET processes just to lower CPU use unless you are troubleshooting briefly and understand the risk. That can leave the system unprotected.

How to Disable or Remove It

If your goal is to stop using ESET, uninstall it from the normal apps list instead of only disabling startup.

On Windows:

• Settings > Apps > Installed apps, then uninstall ESET
• or use the older Programs and Features control panel

On macOS, remove it using ESET's uninstaller or the app's documented removal method rather than dragging pieces to the Trash.

If you only want fewer pop-ups or background activity, check ESET's own notification, scan scheduling or startup options first.

Where Kudu Helps

Kudu can show whether ESET has a startup item linked to your sign-in and lets you disable or re-enable supported startup entries if you are testing. Its Performance Monitor can also show whether egui.exe or other ESET processes are the ones using CPU or memory.

If the file location or behavior looks wrong, Kudu's Malware Scanner can help check for suspicious persistence or known bad patterns, but it complements your main antivirus rather than replacing it.

Download Kudu Free →