The Epic Games Store, launched in December 2018, is a digital video game store operated by Epic Games. It provides a wide range of games for macOS and Windows users. The store can be accessed through a website or a standalone launcher, which is necessary for downloading and playing games.
There are complaints that Epic collects users’ data and sells it to China. For this and other reasons, there is a genuine concern about whether it’s safe to have it on your system. The company admits that indeed, there’s some data tracking, but only to support useful functions.
What is Epicgameslauncher.exe?
EpicGamesLauncher.exe is part of a product referred to as an “Unreal Engine” that is developed by both Epic Games and Valve Corporation. The program is located in the “C:\Program Files (x86)\Epic Games\Launcher\Portal\Binaries\Win64\” folder. The known file sizes on Windows 10/11/8/7/XP are 13,179,660 or 3,187,088 bytes.
The extension on the file name suggests that it’s an executable file. There are executable files that can put your system at a high risk of damage. EpicGamesLauncher.exe is not a core component Windows’ functionality. Aside from that, the file often causes problems. It boots upon system startup and has no visible window.
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Should Epicgameslauncher.exe be Removed?
If you believe that the program contains some malicious files, download PC cleaning software.
Get rid of EpicGamesLauncher.exe if it’s using up too much CPU resources or too much RAM. There’s a likelihood that the file has been infected by a virus. Once it is launched, it starts sending data through open ports to a LAN or the Internet. EpicGamesLauncher.exe also monitors applications and records keyboard as well as mouse inputs.
Error Messages
Uninstall EpicGamesLauncher.exe if you encounter difficulties with it or start receiving error messages. These difficulties may be attributed to third-party applications running in the background. Luckily for you, we’ll show you how to disable these applications in the next section.
Some of the EpicGamesLauncher.exe-related error messages that users encounter includes:
- Epicgameslauncher.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
- EpicGamesLauncher.exe – Application Error. The application failed to initialize properly.
- EpicGamesLauncher.exe has stopped working.
- EpicGamesLauncher.exe is not a valid Win32 application.
How to Remove Epicgameslauncher.exe
It’s not easy to uninstall programs, especially malware, without the help of a third-party security tool. Blocking or limiting EpicGamesLauncher.exe is quite challenging. This is because the program folder shows on the activity of the child account but not in “Apps and Game Limits.” To uninstall this program successfully, you have to get rid of the software too.
Here’s how you can perform PC repair on Mac and Windows 10/11 by disabling background apps that could be interfering with the Epic Games Launcher:
Mac
- Restart your device.
- If you have the login window shows, hold down the Shift button, click on the Log In button. Once the Dock shows, release the Shift button.
- If you don’t have a login window, hold down the Shift button when the progress bar appears in the startup window. Release the Shift button when the desktop appears.
Note: Starting your Mac this way ensures that no unnecessary login items are started. So, if the problem is still there, you can conclude that login items are not the problem. On the other hand, if the issue has been resolved, you’ll know what was causing the problem. To isolate the reason for the problem, you can delete the login items and add them each at a time until you find out what the culprit is. Follow these steps to check the problematic login items:
- Open System Preferences.
- Click on Users & Groups.
- Choose the name of your account.
- Click on Login Items.
- Highlight all the items on the list.
- Click Delete.
- Restart the device.
Now it’s time to add back all the deleted login items, but you have to add one at a time.
- Go to System Preferences.
- Choose Users & Groups.
- Choose the name of your account.
- Click on Login Items.
- Add the first item from the list.
Repeat Steps 7-12, each time adding a new item until you have identified the cause of the problem. After you have identified it, ensure that you get rid of it before you can go on to add the remaining items on the list.
Windows 10/11
- Right-click on the taskbar.
- Select Task Manager.
- Choose the Startup tab.
- Disable all the applications that are enabled on the Startup tab.
- Restart your device.
Note: Doing this prevents all background apps from starting, making it safe for you to connect to the Epic Games Launcher. If the issue recurs, that means that background applications didn’t cause the problem. Try re-enabling the applications that you had disabled, one at a time until the issue resurfaces. This way, you can identify the culprit. Follow these steps:
- Right-click on the taskbar.
- Click on Task Manager.
- Select the Startup tab.
- Choose one application and enable it.
- Start the Epic Games Launcher.
Repeat Steps 5-10 as you keep enabling different applications. Continue with the process until you identify the application that is causing the problem. Once you do, delete it completely and re-enable all the other unproblematic applications.
Note that the steps above may disable your firewall and antivirus.
Conclusion
Malware camouflages itself as files that we know and are strategically located in the “C:\Windows” or “C:\Windows\System32” folder.
Epic Game Launcher is a legitimate program released by Epic Games. Its primary executable file is known as EpicGamesLauncher.exe. We understand how frustrating it can get when you run into connection or crashing problems, and so we are here to help. After reading this guide, you should be able to decide for yourself whether the program is a malware or a legitimate file belonging to a trusted application. Check the process on your computer to see if it’s a threat.