Coh32.exe is a process associated with Norton Antivirus (NAV) and Norton Internet Security (NIS) from Symantec Corporation. As the name suggests, these two tools protect your computer from malware and also help in removing them if your PC is infected.
This process is an essential process and is required for the smooth functioning of Norton security tools. It is recommended that you do not disable or remove this process, as doing so will prevent the above-mentioned two Norton security tools from working properly.
By default, the file is located in the C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\COH\ folder. The most common reported file sizes of coh32.exe are – 1,227,600 bytes, 1,234,528 bytes, 1,230,432 bytes, 1,234,272 bytes, and 1,250,656 bytes.
Issue
The most common issue reported is that this process frequently reports high CPU usage (even up to 100%) and causes frequent system freeze ups. In addition to slowing the computer’s performance, many Windows users have complained that the file causes exe errors, such as the one listed below.
Coh32.exe – Application Error
The instruction at “0x004be849” referenced memory at “0x00000000”. The memory could not be read.
Cause
It is believed that high CPU usage and exe errors occur when coh32.exe is corrupt.
Resolution
To resolve the above-mentioned issues, uninstall and reinstall your Norton software. Here’s how you can do this:
- Download the Norton Removal Tool
- Save the Norton Removal Tool on your desktop.
- Double-click on it to run it to uninstall your Norton product.
- Restart Windows after Norton software is uninstalled.
- Run the Norton uninstaller tool again to ensure all the traces of Norton software are gone from your computer.
- Restart Windows again.
- Reinstall Norton software and update the program.
In case coh32.exe continues to report high CPU usage or causes exe errors after you have reinstalled your Norton software, you may want to consider installing another antivirus software, one which is reliable but doesn’t consume huge system resources.