What is Wlrmdr.exe & What Does It Do?
Here's why you need a password expiration reminder
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Key notes
- The Windows logon reminder service is a feature that helps you improve your computer security and prevent unauthorized access to your Microsoft account.
- You can disable password expiration if you don’t need the associated service or it’s causing issues with your PC.
If you’re a Windows user, you know the importance of passwords in securing your privacy. Well, the wlrmdr.exe file is an important process. It plays the role of reminding you to change your password before it expires.
It may not look like a necessary process, but once your password expires, you’ll have difficulty logging into your device. If you’ve seen the wlrmdr.exe file in your system, we unpack it in this article.
What does the wlrmdr.exe file do?
The wlrmdr.exe process can be found in the C:\Windows\System32 folder. It is part of the Winlogon service and should not be terminated or disabled unless you know what you’re doing.
When you start a computer, Windows loads several programs automatically and silently in the background. One of these programs is wlrmdr.exe. It belongs to Windows Logon Reminder Service, which helps users remember to change their passwords regularly.
If you have ever forgotten your password or lost your login credentials, getting back into your system can be a real pain.
Usually, when you forget your password, you can reset it using an alternative method. However, if you don’t remember your username, it becomes impossible to log on to Windows.
This is where Windows Logon Reminder comes into play. Aside from reminders, other roles it plays include:
- Ensures that users don’t use weak passwords and that they change them as soon as possible.
- Enhances the security of users’ accounts. Regular password changes could throw off any unauthorized parties who may have gotten a hold of some credentials.
- It keeps hackers from accessing sensitive information on your PC if they were able to gain remote access.
- Helps prevent accidental shutdowns. This is done by displaying an extra warning in addition to the normal prompts when shutting down or restarting your PC.
Is the wlrmdr.exe file necessary in Windows?
Although the wlrmdr.exe file is not essential for Windows, it is important nonetheless. Still, it should be removed if known to cause problems.
If your PC is running slower than usual or your computer freezes for no apparent reason, this may be due to wlrmdr.exe. The wlrmdr.exe process is not a virus or malware. But it can be an indicator that your computer is infected with malware.
In some cases, malicious programs can use this process to gain access to your computer and steal data from it.
If you suspect your computer might be infected with malware, we recommend scanning it. You can use Windows Defender or other third-party antiviruses.
Once you have successfully removed all traces of the wlrmdr.exe file, we recommend disabling your device’s password expiration if you forget to change it.
In case you’re interested in notifying users of password expiration in Active Directory, we have an interesting article that details how to go about it.
As an application, wlrmdr.exe is harmless. It can be deleted at your convenience and will not cause problems with your PC’s function.
Let us know if you have encountered any issues with this file in the comment section below.
