What is the "perfhost.exe" process on windows 7? Is the "perfhost.exe" process a virus? Can I terminate the "perfhost.exe" process?

"perfhost.exe" process represents "x86 Performance Counter Host" program. "perfhost.exe" process is created by the service: "Performance Counter DLL Host".

"perfhost.exe" process is normally running under the parent process "services" as shown in the process tree below:

Boot
   wininit
      services
         perfhost

On the Processes tab of "Task Manager", "perfhost.exe" process may be listed as:

Image Name                 Memory   Description
--------------------   ----------   -----------
perfhost.exe              2,636 K   x86 Performance Counter Host

Additional information about "perfhost.exe" process:

Command line:
   C:\windows\SysWow64\perfhost.exe

Programe file information:
   Name: perfhost.exe
   Location: C:\windows\SysWow64\perfhost.exe
   Description: x86 Performance Counter Host
   Version: 6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255)
   Size: 20992 bytes
   Last modified: 7/13/2009 9:14:28 PM
   Company Name: Microsoft Corporation
   
Some data files used:
C:\Windows
C:\Windows\SysWOW64

Some registry keys used:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Nls\Sorting\Versions
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\SESSION MANAGER

Some DLL libraries used:
C:\windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
C:\windows\SYSTEM32\wow64.dll
C:\windows\SYSTEM32\wow64win.dll
C:\windows\SYSTEM32\wow64cpu.dll
C:\windows\SysWow64\perfhost.exe
C:\windows\SysWOW64\ntdll.dll
C:\windows\syswow64\kernel32.dll
C:\windows\syswow64\KERNELBASE.dll
C:\windows\syswow64\msvcrt.dll
C:\windows\syswow64\RPCRT4.dll

"perfhost.exe" process is not a virus. You should not terminate "perfhost.exe" process.

⇒ "policyHost.exe" Process on Windows 7

⇐ "Locator.exe" Process on Windows 7

⇑ System Service Processes on Windows 7

⇑⇑ Windows 7 Processes Tutorials