What Is Medal.tv? Is It Safe to Disable at Startup?
Medal.tv is a game clipping and sharing app for Windows. It is usually safe if installed by you, and it is optional to run at startup.
- Verdict
- Optional at startupMedal.tv is a legitimate game capture app, but it does not need to start with Windows unless you want instant clipping and overlays ready all the time.
- File name
- medal.exe
- Publisher
- Medal B.V.
- Platforms
- Windows
- Reviewed
What Is Medal.tv?
Medal.tv is a Windows app for recording, clipping and sharing gameplay moments. It can run in the background so it is ready to capture clips, upload highlights and show its in-game features when you launch a game.
The main process is commonly medal.exe, published by Medal B.V. If you installed Medal yourself for game clips, this is normally the expected app.
Is It Safe?
Usually, yes. Medal.tv is a legitimate gaming utility, not a Windows component. It is generally safe when it comes from the official installer and the file is signed by Medal B.V.
Because it is not part of Windows, you should verify it if anything looks off. In Task Manager, right-click medal.exe and open its file location. Then check the file's Properties and look at the Digital Signatures tab. If the file is in an unusual folder, has no valid signature, or you do not remember installing Medal, treat it as suspicious and scan it.
Also note that game capture apps can use noticeable CPU, memory, disk and sometimes GPU resources while recording, clipping or uploading. That can be normal behavior, but constant heavy usage when you are not gaming is not ideal.
Should I Disable It at Startup?
For most people, yes, it is safe to disable at startup. Medal will still work when you open it manually.
Leave it enabled only if you want its background capture features available as soon as Windows starts, or if you rely on hotkeys and automatic game detection without opening the app first. If you only clip occasionally, disabling startup is usually the better choice.
Disabling Medal at startup will not harm Windows or your hardware. It only means Medal will not be ready in the background until you launch it yourself.
Why Is It Using High CPU or Memory?
Common reasons include active game recording, instant replay buffers, video encoding, clip uploads, updates, or an overlay running while a game is open. Resource use may also rise right after a gaming session while Medal processes or uploads captured clips.
If usage stays high when you are not recording, fully exit Medal and reopen it. Check whether uploads are stuck, whether a game overlay is still attached, or whether the app is updating. If the problem keeps happening, update Medal or reinstall it from the official source.
How to Disable or Remove It
To disable startup on Windows, open Task Manager, go to Startup apps, find Medal.tv and disable it. You can also use Settings > Apps > Startup if Medal appears there.
If you want to remove it completely, uninstall Medal from Installed apps in Windows Settings. If you still want the app but not the background behavior, disable startup first before uninstalling.
If you see medal.exe running but cannot find a normal installed app entry, check the file location and signature before deleting anything.
Where Kudu Helps
Kudu can show whether Medal is linked to a startup entry and let you disable that entry without digging through Windows menus. In Performance Monitor, you can see if medal.exe is using high CPU or memory and end the process by PID if it is stuck.
If the file location or behavior looks suspicious, Kudu's Malware Scanner can help check for persistence and suspicious rules-based matches. If you uninstall Medal, Kudu can also help clean leftover temporary app caches, but it will not remove clips or personal files unless you review and choose them.
Frequently asked questions
- Will disabling Medal.tv at startup stop it from working?
- No. It just stops Medal from launching with Windows. You can still open it manually whenever you want to record or clip gameplay.
- Is medal.exe a Windows system process?
- No. It is not part of Windows. It is a third-party game capture app and can be disabled at startup without affecting the operating system.
- Why does Medal.tv use resources when I am not playing a game?
- It may be uploading clips, checking for updates, keeping a replay buffer ready, or leaving an overlay component active. If that keeps happening, exit the app and verify the file location and signature.
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Kudu’s Startup Manager lists Run keys, Startup folder entries, scheduled tasks, Launch Agents, and XDG autostart items in one place. On Windows it also shows each item’s boot time impact.
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