How to Remove Google Chrome Software Reporter Tool (software_reporter_tool.exe)

In this guide, we will show you the steps to remove the Google Software Reporter Tool from your PC. Google Chrome is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most popular web browser of all time. In fact, this is usually the first application that many of the users install on their laptop or PC. The reason for the same is hardly anyone’s guess. The support for tons of extensions and cross-platform further adds to its usefulness. However, there’s one thing for which Chrome’s infamous for, and that’s hogging too much of system resources.

There are a number of processes and applications related to Chrome that constantly run in the background. And this what makes your system slow. Although most of these processes are required for the proper functioning of the applications, there are some which you could disable without much fuss. And Google Software Reporter Tool is one such application. Disabling it will definitely have a positive impact on your CPU. But before we list down the steps to do so, let’s check out what is the use of this tool.

What is Google Chrome Software Reporter Tool

Google Chrome Software Reporter Tool comes pre-installed along with the Chrome browser. It usually runs once a week and checks for all the apps and software that might conflict with the proper working of the Chrome browser. It then sends these reports to Google so that the Silicon Valley giants could further work on it to improve the user experience.

However, the problem is when the tool runs, it takes up a considerable amount of system resources and RAM. In some cases, the Disk Usage might shoot up to 100%. The tool takes near about 20 minutes to complete its job and during those 20 minutes, it might be quite difficult to use your device normally. So the best bet, in this case, is to disable or remove the Google Software Reporter Tool.

How to Remove Google Chrome Software Reporter Tool

We will be sharing three different methods to remove the said tool. But before that, keep a note of the tool’s location, which is:

C:\Users\<Name>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\SwReporter\VERSION\software_reporter_tool.exe

Software Reporter file

Here the Name will be your username and Version will the tool’s version number. So one simple workaround that you might guess is to just delete all the contents inside the software reporter tool’s folder. Although that could be done, it’s of no use as such. This is because when Chrome updates the next time, the tool and its associated files will again be placed there. Well then what else could be done? Let’s check out three different ways of disabling or removing the Google Chrome Software Reporter Tool.

Method 1: Remove Inherited Permissions

In this, we will be removing all the inherited permissions of this tool so that it may no longer function. To do so, follow the below steps:

Head over to the SwReporter folder that is present in the User Data folder (path is given above).
Right-click on it and select Properties. Go to the Security tab and click on Advanced.
Now click on the Disable Inheritance option. In the next popup that appears, click on Remove all inherited permissions from this object.
That’s it. You have now successfully revoked the permissions from the Google Software Reporter Tool and hence it should be disabled. Now let us check another method of doing the same thing.

Method 2: Using the Group Policy Editor

You could also make some modifications to Chrome’s registry editor files to achieve the same. To do so, follow the below steps:

Open the Registry Editor by entering regedit.exe in the Run dialog box.
When it opens, enter the below location in its address bar:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome
Right-click on the Chrome key and select New > DWord (32-bit) Value.
Name this file as ChromeCleanupReportingEnabled and enter 0 in the Value data field.
That’s it. This should disable the Chrome Software Reporter Tool. Well, there is one more method through which you could do the same, mentioned below.

Method 3: Deleting Chrome Software Reporter Tool’s Contents

As mentioned before, this is only a temporary fix. The next time you update Google Chrome, the file will again be back to its default state. So only go for this method if the above two methods didn’t work out for you.

Open Notepad, click on Open and browse to the software_reporter_tool.exe file. You could also copy-paste the above address in the location bar situated at the top.
Now change the file type from Text Document option to All Files. This shall make the software_reporter_tool.exe file visible.
Open the file and remove all its contents (Ctrl+A to select all the contents followed by Delete). The contents will be in a non-readable format, that’s not an issue. Just remove all the contents and save the file. That’s it.

Conclusion

With this, we conclude the guide on how to remove the Google Software Reporter Tool. Although this tool does its job only to help improve the browser, however, the way its function is not of everyone’s liking. And if you echo this thought as well, then the above three methods we mentioned will definitely come in handy. With that said, here are some other iPhone Tips and Tricks, PC tips and tricks, and Android Tips and Tricks. that you should have a look at.