What is Seaport.exe

Are you a computer tech person, therefore, very picky about what runs on your computer? Do you periodically check all the process library currently running on your desktop computer or laptop? Have you in the recent times come across a process, which runs in the task manager known as 'seaport.exe'? If the answers to these questions is a resounding yes, then there are some more questions, which you will have to answer, before you get an answer to the question, 'what is seaport.exe'. Do you use or have any of Windows Live features, like Messenger, Mail, Live Writer, etc.? Have you downloaded anything to do with Windows Live recently? Are the answers to these questions also positive? Well, there is nothing to worry about. Having said that, we will now know what is it anyway and how did it land on your system.

Seaport.exe in Task Manager

Do you know how to enable task manager? Well there are two ways, you can either press Ctrl+ Alt+ Del simultaneously or right click on the task bar, and you will see the option 'Task Manager', click on it. You will come across the seaport.exe running in the task manager. So what is this .exe exactly? Seaport.exe is a part of Microsoft's Search Enhancement pack, which enables the detection, download and installation of up-to-date configuration files for Microsoft Search Enhancement applications. It comes bundled with Windows Live Suite, irrespective of what option was chosen by the user during installation.

The seaport.exe process information found in Services Administrator Tool, reads as "Enables the detection, download and installation of up-to-date configuration files for Microsoft's Search Enhancement applications. Also provides server communication for the customer experience improvement program. If this service is disabled, search enhancement features such as search history may not work correctly". In other words, it is nothing much but an automatic update for Microsoft Search Enhancement applications. It runs automatically and continuously on startup, regardless if any searches have been performed or browser windows have been opened or not. It also means that additional time is added to the boot-up process and the resource usage starts immediately.

The space used by seaport.exe is approximately 4.5 MB of RAM. For most of the users, this may seem as too much for a process, whose primary function is to download and install configuration files for a little used enhancement to the search function. In case, if someone does use search history, then the extra boot time, memory usage and network bandwidth becomes a overhead on the system. Along with this disadvantage, a user can come across seaport.exe application error and the browser may not be able to function properly, and crash all the time.

Is Seaport.exe Harmful

It is important to note that seaport.exe is not a virus, malware, trojan horse or any other software, which can prove to be harmful to your system. Although, it is not a malicious software, it uses a lot of system resource.

At the end of the day, you are the best judge of the fact, what is best to run on your system. If you are of the opinion, that you do not really need this application, provided by Microsoft, then you may want to delete seaport.exe. You will have to grow through the entire process of deleting the exe., as there is no add or remove button for it.