[Windows 10] What is “User OOBE Broker” Process Running in Task Manager? How to Disable it?
Recently an AskVG reader contacted me regarding this issue. A suspicious process “User OOBE Broker” was continuously running in background in his Windows 10 computer system. Whenever he checked using Task Manager, the process was always running in background.
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[PROBLEM] User OOBE Broker Process Running in Background
Following is reader’s comment regarding this weird issue:
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Hello VG, It’s been quite a while using Windows 10 with all the updates provided. So I decided to download and install a fresh copy of Windows 10. Two days ago, I did a fresh install of Windows 10 version 1909 (OS Build 18363.778). I noticed “User OOBE Broker” in Task Manager processes list on this Windows 10 version. When I right-clicked on it and selected properties, it’s linked in a directory “C:\Windows\System32\oobe”. Since using Windows 10 in the past, I’ve never seen that process before. The only thing that I can remember doing different on this copy of Windows 10 is enabling the Windows Sandbox to test out different apps etc. I’d like if you can give me some info or look into this as to why that process is now in Task Manager. Thanks in advance.
What is User OOBE Broker?
First of all, User OOBE Broker is not a virus, malware or suspicious process. It’s a system process which comes bundled or preinstalled with Windows 10 operating system. So don’t worry about the process running in background in your device. It’s used by Windows to perform system related tasks as mentioned below.
What does User OOBE Broker Process Do in Windows 10?
When you install Windows 10, it creates new user account for you and shows first run experience wizard to highlight new features and changes in the OS. User OOBE Broker process is used for that purpose.
OOBE stands for Out Of Box Experience and exists in Windows operating system since the good ol’ Windows XP era. It shows first setup wizard or screen where you configure various settings and create your user account.
How to Stop or Disable User OOBE Broker?
Following are different ways to disable or remove User OOBE Broker process from running in Windows:
A. If you don’t want Windows 10 to run this process in background, you can kill or end the process using Task Manager. Just press Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys together to launch Task Manager, go to Details tab, look for UserOOBEBroker.exe process, right-click on it and select End Task option. Windows will ask for confirmation by showing “Do you want to end UserOOBEBroker.exe?” message, click on “End Process” button. That’s it. It’ll immediately end the process and you’ll no longer see it running in background.
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B. You can also restart your computer system and after reboot, you’ll not see the User OOBE Broker process in Task Manager. You should try to restart your machine after disabling fast startup feature as mentioned in following article:
Fix Restart and Shutdown Problems in Windows 10 by Disabling Fast Startup Feature
C. If you see the process occasionally running in Task Manager, you can disable it using following steps:
1. Open Settings app from Start Menu. Alternatively, you can press WIN+I keys together to open Settings directly.
2. Now click on “System” item present in Settings app.
3. Now click on Notifications & Actions section present in left-side pane.
PS: Alternatively, You can also directly launch the Notifications & actions page using “ms-settings:notifications” command in RUN dialog box as mentioned here.
4. In right-side pane, uncheck or disable “Show me the Windows welcome experience after updates and occasionally when I sign in to highlight what’s new and suggested” option.
Restart your computer and Windows will no longer execute the process in your computer system.
D. You can also create a new user account which can also solve this issue.
E. Sometimes running sfc /scannow command can also remove User OOBE Broker process running from background. You can learn how to execute sfc /scannow command in METHOD 4 in following tutorial:
How to Remove or Uninstall 3rd Party Transformation Packs (or Skin Packs) in Windows?
Let’s know if you also faced this issue in Windows 10 and how did you solve it.
Also Check:
What are MusNotifyIcon.exe, MusNotificationUx.exe and MusNotification.exe Processes in Windows 10?
What are USOCoreWorker.exe and USOClient.exe Processes in Windows 10?
What are Sedsvc.exe, Sedlauncher.exe Files and REMPL Folder in Windows 10?
Thanks VG. But that has not fixed the problem. It still opens up in Task Manager.
A next problem is popping up with the latest version of Windows 10 version 2004
Every time I boot into Windows this “MoUsoCoreWorker” which is located in the System 32 folder keeps popping up. I keep seeing it in Task Manager. I know it’s a windows file and not a virus. It has something to link with Windows update.
The issue I’m having with it seems to keep my windows program from opening quickly. Lets say I open Firefox which will normally open within a short time, when it do open up Firefox will display a white screen as if it’s all frozen up & also Thunderbird my email client plus Onenote etc.
In my desktop PC there is a red light which displays when my HDD is constantly working and that tends to display as if the HDD is locked with the red light frozen. Not until I end the process of “MoUsoCoreWorker” in Task Manager does the HDD stop the solid light. Then it will display the light occasionally which I consider normal.
I don’t know if to delete that file or if there is a solution to stop that file from opening every time I boot into windows!
^^ Check following:
https://www.askvg.com/what-are-usocoreworker-exe-and-usoclient-exe-processes-in-windows-10/
Ummm yeah, end tasking OOBE is temporary it starts back up within a few minutes. this is far from any kind of helpful fix….
Hi. I want to block or disable or at most possible uninstall this oobebroker. 100% sure this causes a glitch on the system-it causes to disable from switching tabs and switching windows. whenever I disable oobebroker from task manager then the system operates to normal but as soon as this oobbroker restarts from the processes then the same glitch reappears, this happens over and over every few minutes. Is there a way to permanently disable oobebroker? thanks
No matter how many times I kill the process in task manager (either through processes or details), not even a minute later it pops back up. I understand what it is but what I don’t understand is why the “first time setup” process is running on a pc thats been set up for months. Also my “Show me the Windows welcome experience after updates and occasionally when I sign in to highlight what’s new and suggested” has been disabled from the first day I set up my pc, so that option does not work as this process keeps running even with that option unticked.
You name it, I’ve tried it, group policy/registry, blah blah blah, all useless steps for me which didn’t work, in the end to stop this annoying pointless exe process running every startup/randomly on it’s own, I simply took ownership from the trusted installer & gave it to my user account, then renamed the annoying little exe located in the system 32 folder from “UserOOBEBroker.exe” to “UserOOBEBroker.oldexe”, problem solved!
Finally shut it up & stopped it running.
No issues with my Windows 10 after doing so either.
None of the above Stop or Disable UserOOBEBroker.exe from starting up in task manager. The only way I have found to fully disable it is to reset Windows 10, even then, in a month or two it will re appear in the task manager. There is no escaping the endless loop. Using another OS is the only solution, windows has too many annoyances. Time for a change.