What is GearSec.exe? Is GearSec.exe spyware or a virus?

How to fix GearSec.exe related problems?
1. Run Security Task Manager to check your GearSec process
2. Run SpeedUpMyPC to fix related speed issues
3. Run Spyware Doctor to remove persistent malware

Process name: DVD & CD copy engine

Product: GEAR.wrks Toolkit

Support: Help link [1][2] ☒   Update link [1][2] ☒   Uninstall tool ☒  

Company: Gear Software

File: GearSec.exe

Security Rating: 1


"GearSec.exe" is an engine which is used to copy DVDs, CDs and other media. GEAR Software's recording engine is used in several other products as well. http://www.neuber.com/taskmanager/process/gearsec.exe.html 

Get more detailed information about GearSec.exe and all other running background processes with Security Task Manager.

Note: Any malware can be named anything - so you should check where the files of the running processes are located on your disk. If a "non-Microsoft" .exe file is located in the C:\Windows or C:\Windows\System32 folder, then there is a high risk for a virus, spyware, trojan or worm infection! Check it out!


Click to Run a Free Scan for GearSec.exe speed issues.


Users Opinions

Average user rating of GearSec.exe: 4 based on 206 votes. Read also the 179 reviews.

2856 users ask for this file. 128 users rated it as not dangerous. 14 users rated it as not so dangerous. 44 users rated it as neutral. 9 users rated it as little bit dangerous. 11 users rated it as dangerous. 17 users didn't rate it ("don't know").


All comments about GearSec.exe:
rate1 supports handling of dvd's used by several programs  
rate1 It is part of DVDxCOPY or other DVD burning software.   Span
rate1 DVD burning software  See also: Link   Brett Ulrich
rate3 It is installed with DVD X Copy   Twackedontwack
rate1 PART OF ITUNES! trust me really i installed itunes and then this is in my task list  See also: Link  
rate1 Part of DVD X Copy - leave alone  
rate3 part of itunes  
rate1 part of DVD copy program   devildog
rate1 this is used by the program group of Davideo  
rate1 Part of PowerQuest (Symantec) Drive Image 7.0  See also: Link  
rate3 sneaks in unawares, but don't know how or when!   ZA
rate3 part of MixMiester Pro 5 (required to record DJ mixes to CD)   igntion-mix
rate1 Used in DIFFERENT DVD copy programs besides xcopy  
rate1 GData DaViDeo Prozess   samsamsen
rate4 Gear Software's Recording Engine may not be a virus, adware or spyware, but it slowed my system considerably. It makes Windows Media Player jumpy and unstable, and even when WMP is not playing, my system was bogged down.   MeanderingMan
rate1 Controls which application can use Gear.wrks CD writing engine   John Markus
rate1 Part of PowerQuest (Symantec) Drive Image 7.0  
rate0 Have cd burning software and no problem until XP SP2   Roger
rate1 Installed with iTunes  
rate3 This file is not a virus. Lots od CD/DVD recording software uses this file. It looks like a good tool for recording, but if slows down the system a lot! In fact, it's easy to solve this problem! Go to the "Control Panel" -- "Administrative Tools" -- "Services". Find a service called GEARSecurity. Right-click on it and select "Properties". On the "General" tab click the "Stop" button, and set the "Startup type" to Manual. Click OK, and you should have no more problems with that again.   Max Damage
rate3 It starts as a service !??? Why !? to be able to handle the writing of files on a DVD disk in a more secure way ?   Dexter P.
rate5 Knocked out my system every time I started it. Hard to remove, but maybe diff. ver.?   cardoxx
rate1 Definitely part of Drive Image 7, that uses the Gearsec library   hucklberry
rate0 Don't have itunes, yet it exist here!   Abu
rate1 Runs with Norton Ghost 9.0   MrBugman
rate2 PowerQuest Drive Image 2000   Wolle
rate1 Installed with Norton Ghost   Anuller
rate1 Part of Norton Ghost 9.0  
rate1 Part of Norton Ghost   zeugene
rate3 probably itunes  
rate0 Installed with Movie Clone (DVD copy software). Has little or no detrimental effect on my system.  
rate1 it is part of trial program GEAR PRO MASTERING edition 6.05 .   Cheese
rate1 Comes with ITunes and PowerQuest Drive Image. Harmless, can be deactivated to save resources. If you use the burning function of these programs, dont deactivate it.   sgtSummoner
rate3 when I close this file windowsXP shuts down  
rate3 no idea where it came from - don't have DVD software or Drive Image installed on that machine...   Richard
rate3 Think it's part of Norton Ghost as well   TylerD75
rate0 ok, even they (Gear sw) says it is part of itunes. See link for more info (apparently you may be able to replace the service with drivers)  See also: Link   d-con
rate1 Part of DVD X-Copy Platinum Install  See also: Link   Lenyon73
rate2 think i got it with nero software   lurch
rate3 I do have a problem with media player jumping and it did start after Norton Ghost was installed. I just noticed gearsec.exe tonight - due to its 147 byte size I thought it was possibly bad - but I am afraid to disable it because I use ghost regularly.   ßèmìTgìß ©
rate3 Had itunes, gearsec.exe didn't show up until I installed Norton Ghost 9.0   d-con
rate3 Installed along with i-tunes  
rate1 Part of PowerQuest (Symantec) V2i Protector  
rate3 Installed with Acoustica MP3 CD Burner, ....   MMCE
rate1 Appeared after installing Norton System Works Premiere   Retsisrepus
rate1 It apart of itunes. itunes come wen u install real1   Anonomuos
rate1 On my sytem it is a part of Mix Meister Pro   OZgur
rate1 Go to Microsoft.com. They have a link to GEAR. On GEAR, they explain all about it and tell how to fix the problem.   John G
rate1 Definitely part of Symantec DriveImage 7, but March 1, 2004 update patch removed the 'gearsec.exe startup issue' immediately after it was installed.  See also: Link   Chuck
rate5 i installed dvd Xcopy on my computer slowed and seems to have corrupted some files... windows alert: gearsec encountered problems will shut down.. my mouse dosnt click right and even my virus scan shuts down..???... i am uninstalling this junk..  See also: Link   hologram
rate1 Norton Ghost 9.0 instlls this file, its for Volume backups etc.. .  See also: Link   NICKTHEDISK
rate1 NORTON GHOST  
rate3 Made by Gear Software lisc. to 3rd. party cd burining s/w manuf.  See also: Link   RAG
rate0 Seems to come with Norton Ghost, my guess is it's for the CD backup part of the program.  See also: Link   Knight Chat X
rate3 In Windows XP, click start-- Run --- type services.msc and then choose the gearsec.exe service, goto properties, and disable it, then restart, it no longer starts up   Storm
rate3 Comes with Norton's Ghost under SystemWorks2005   Kay
rate0 maybe and probably it's installed when i installed symantec livestate system recovery!  
rate1 Uninstalled PowerQuest (Symantec) Drive Image 7.0 and it went away.   Brcobrem
rate3 I Just did a fresh install of Windows XP to verify, it definitely installed with NortonGhost 9.. It is possible other applications may install it, but it installed with NortonGhost 9 in this case, and this was after installing 20+ basic popular programs and carefully monitoring. After Ghost, gearsec popped in memory. I say disable the service via computer management untill you really need it.   A. Kuilan
rate3 Installed w/ Norton Ghost, but Ghost runs just fine w/o it enabled. And since it gets in the way of Win Media Player, I disabled it in Services.   Sundrops
rate0 I don't have Norton Ghost, or itunes. But I have DVD Xcopy Express. Slowed my computre down.   Gunner
rate0 It could have installed with either Norton Ghost or iTunes, but after Ghost my computer slowed down considerably. Especially when booting but I don't know if this is the file that caused it   Yosef
rate1 Installed as part of iTunes   Andy
rate4 PowerQuest drive image, description missing, autostart   axel
rate1 Norton Ghost 9.0 installs this file, its for Volume backups etc   Futureline
rate1 It is part of Norton Gost 9.0   Dameem
rate1 Part of Norton Ghost 9.0. Required for writing to optical drives   PCDania
rate1 it is used by drive image 7   funkmasterta
rate1 Was installed by the latest Version of Norton Ghost (aka PowerQuest Disk Image) Has no over all effect on my system. But then I only have ghost running when I need it.   Tyson
rate1 Installed with norton ghost 9, does not seem to cause me any probs on windows 2000   smile
rate1 Installed with Norton Ghost 9.0   osok
rate1 File installed and used by Norton Ghost possibly others. It shows up with very little resource usage for me so it doesn't bother me.   phl
rate1 might be part of ITUNES, NORTON GHOST or NERO.. anyway.. doesn' disturb  
rate1 just some program that operates with a few other programs... nothing scary though  
rate1 I think I got it when I installed Daemon Tools 3.47 www.daemon-tools.cc. I ran a rigorous virus scanning on the file with NOD32 which it passed with no remarks. I have stopped and disabled the service and Daemon Tools appears indifferent to this action. This is implausibly not a virus. Hence if you check the properties of the file, it says under the version tab that it is copyright by GEAR Software. www.gearsoftware.com which seems to be an authentic and established company. There are many programs of which append files to the windows directoy, just not exe files. So don't worry mates :)   ZyaX
rate3 get one thing clear. its a module that tons of other major software company use under liscence. if you think that your application not gonna burn dvd or cd then go ahead and disable it.  
rate3 Never noticed this running process until I installed Norton Systemworks Premiere which uses alot of resources along with norton internet 2005 security   wd
rate1 I am not running itunes or norton ghost, i am running dvdxcopy on 3pc's and it is on all of them. it did slow my startup but it is a safe file.   arebbrown
rate3 I have Drive Image 7 but not Ghost, itunes, Xcopy so I'm guessing either DVD burning software or Drive Image 7   Milburn King
rate1 comes with Norton Ghost 9... not necessary to start automaticaly, disable it and set it to start manual   renaudoo
rate1 Probably part of iTunes. Had it just after installing iTunes.   Tokke
rate1 It appeared after loading Norton Ghost 9.0   hubba-stank
rate2 part of symantec LiveStateRecovery 3.0   muehli
rate2 seem harless but keep eye on anyway   team mopar
rate1 Installs by winamp v5 (can not confirm, but that's the last software I installed before I've noticed this file hangin in the memory under SYSTEM user)  
rate1 I have Norton Ghost on my computer and it was there and when I installed it my dads is apeared there as well so it is Norton Ghoast 9.0 for sure.   Michael Buckley
rate0 Since installing Caere Omnipage Pro 10 it fails to load on Boot Up.   Michael
rate0 every 15 seconds when my isp checks my router gearsec open one port   bolFreeOfChile
rate1 Comes with PowerQuest (Symantec) Drive Image 7.0   Fokke
rate1 its a part of DVD Decrypter   tqila
rate1 Ghost 9.0   Axl
rate3 Installed with Norton Ghost V9. I t was not their before. Takes resources uneeded disable   Administrator
rate3 gearsec.exe (if there are anything EXCEPT capital letters, delete or disable - download the most current version of gearsec, there are many different versions, but the best and most up to date will cost you)  See also: Link   Dan
rate3 Norton Ghost 10.0 seems to be the source here.   skeeter
rate1 This part of Norton Ghost 9. Dont worry !   EraseR
rate1 Installed on my system along with Norton Ghost 9   SmAcK
rate1 after i installed ghost 10  
rate1 Installed with iTunes   nixlan
rate1 CD/DVD Burning-PlugIn used by many applications of all kinds. Comes also with PowerQuest's DriveImage-7+ and Norton's Ghost-9. (Same Programm/Different Names - Symantec just bought it from PowerQuest). Only needed if you intend to burn directly with the application which has installed it. (I.E. Processing backups with DI-7 or NG-9 directly to CD/DVD rather than HDD.) If you always use your own burning application anyway then you wont need it. Prevent it from auto-starting via msconfig in this case to save ressources.   KEN
rate1 It seems it found it's way to my pc after i installed norton ghost.. but it uses your resources   Walied Youssry
rate1 Runs with Notron Ghost   Figu
rate0 Symantec Ghost 9.0 installs it in %SystemRoot%System32 folder  See also: Link   Paul
rate3 I have no idea where it came from. I then kept getting "Gearsec" error messages. Gear emailed me a fix, but it does not seem to work. I have now disabled it   Hugh Sawyer
rate1 Installed with MixMeister Pro 4.  
rate1 Norton Ghost 9.0 installed this file on my system but it doesn't slow down anything. It's surely Norton GHOST 9.0!   RaidER
rate1 Comes with Norton Ghost 9.0   Humjaba
rate1 safe but set it to manual in services.   bigfukoffmofo
rate1 It began to show after I installed DVD Decrypter. I´ve scanned the file and so on and it doesnt seems to be dangerous at all.   Henrik Rundqvist
rate1 it use by Norton Ghost 9.0   matth
rate2 Belongs to Drive Image 7 -- Install .Net-Framework 1.1 and the Framework SP1 and the message is gone   Kai
rate3 It is part of norton ghost & also drive image (from POWER QUEST). Drive image was bought by   Frank
rate1 It apears with te instal·lation of Symantec Norton Ghost 10.0  See also: Link   Suso
rate1 Norto Ghost 9   Corl
rate1 Part of Norton Ghost 9   Pfiffy
rate3 I do not have itunes, or real. I do have ghost installed, and I have "gearsec.exe."   hw
rate1 Gear Software, installed with MixMeister Pro Software   PassinBy
rate2 Installed with Norton Ghost 9.0. Required for writing to optical drives.   Hyperion
rate1 Installed Norton Ghost 9.0 and noticed gearsec.exe for the first time. Only using about 1,000k. Not a big deal for me, I have 1GB of RAM with an AMD64 3700+ cpu.   Boat_House_Jeff
rate4 Installs with Audibla Manager, can cause certain problems during CD burning   Udo
rate4 Installed together with mixmeister. however it's active even when MM isn't running.   MTF
rate1 Installed by Symantec LiveState Enterprise v6.0  See also: Link   r00t
rate3 Installed itself with Norton Ghost ver10. Bloody nuisence. Use other software for burning CD/DVDs.   Conner
rate2 Installed with acoustica SW   ShadowCaster
rate4 I don't even have Norton Ghost or a DVD drive or burner.. what the heck? I am using Disc Juggler though to burn fake dvd images on CDR for dreamcast.. hmmm   hydrallus
rate3 Gearsec.exe seems to be installed after Norton Ghost 9.0. It's harmless as far as I've gathered, but does slow the CPU up a bit.   Me
rate1 It Is part of Symantec Ghost and LiveStae Recovery developped by Gear Software and serves for CD acess  See also: Link   Lugosh
rate1 The gearsec.exe driver (and associated GEAR Security service) were part of GEAR Software's older driver set which allows the GEAR CD/DVD Engine to recognize and work with CD and DVD drives on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 and Windows XP. The GEAR CD/DVD Engine is not only used in GEAR Software's products, but also in many 3rd party applications such as Apple's iTunes for Windows, Cakewalk's Pyro, Audible's AudibleManager and DiscWelder by Minnetonka Audio, to name a few.  See also: Link   Jim
rate1 Runs with Ghost 10   drokliss
rate1 Any DVD adds this file also its in all three of the DVD burners I use.   El Conquistador
rate3 came with norton ghost 10   Per
rate1 Part of Symantec Ghost 9   SickDucker
rate4 Installed with iTunes. Uninstalling iTunes made my DVD burner (HP 640c) unusable!   David
rate2 I have gearsec.exe, and I also have iTunes, Norton Ghost, and several DVD Burning apps.   Walt D in LV
rate1 Deffinatly part of MixMiester Pro   Rmachines.co.nr
rate1 Used with Virtual DAEMON 4 for CD/DVD emulations.   PTC
rate1 Part of iTunes & Drive Image Burn Software... may be other Programs too.   weasel
rate4 Most prog running on Win start up can be disabled with msconfig ;)   Morpheous
rate3 installed with Nero burn   Apple
rate5 When I stopped the process, a trojan I was working on removing dissappeared. (SpySheriff)   Seth
rate1 Part of norton ghost 9 or 10   Jeremy
rate1 Comes with Norton Ghost  See also: Link   Simon
rate1 Norton Ghost 10   ffrreeaakk
rate1 Comes with Symantec LiveState Recovery server   ZPrime
rate3 PowerQuest Drive Image 7 (Now Symantec Ghost / Drive Image)   Mant
rate1 it installed with norton ghost 9.0   kitbag
rate3 Gearsec was apparently installed by Drive Image 7   Allan R
rate5 I reimaged a client's PC, made a backup with norton ghost. and installed ghost on the machine. A WEEK later, after installing NERO, they told me the computer won't stay on for 5 minutes without freezing. Sure enough, it was GEARSec.exe.   Gitcypher (a.k.a. E Dot J)
rate2 Drive image was bought over and became Norton Ghost 9 so this file is with both products   Stuart Halliday
rate1 It is part of Norton Ghost 9.0   topino
rate1 Part of Norton Ghost 9 & 10, Required for writing to optical drives.  See also: Link   Brian P
rate2 Seems to get installed w/ Symantec LiveStateRecovery - Stopped & turned to Manual w/o side effects   Exchsrvr
rate1 its a part of MixMeister Fusion to record you mix to cd  See also: Link   Jai
rate1 Part of PowerQuest Drive Image 7.0   Schmeusser
rate3 Part of Ghost. While Ghost isn't too bad, I don't use Symantec products, because every one I used reinstalled itself and the services run even if you disable them.   Shinobi
rate1 Installed by Norton Ghost 9 (which is Norton Protector renamed)   J_M
rate3 Used by CD/DVD programs, and imaging software such as Symantec Ghost and Nero/Alc etc.   Fabio
rate3 Seems to be affiliated with most diskmanager/burning softwares... And in some cases makes you cry, when yorur HDD gets corrupted because of it.   Petri
rate1 Installed with MixMeister Studio to burn to CD's   Tom "not unusual" Jones
rate1 it's part of Norton Ghost, but if you disable it, NG works the same   luigi
rate0 03-09-2007 - I have Nero6 (came pre-instld on system), I a few months ago my boot-time encreased aftr instl of Ghost9, a search shows gearsec.exe located in my C:\Windows\System32 folder, and no other place.   Sizz
rate5 it seems that is part of the SpySheriff mentioned above (changes homepage c:/secure32 )  
rate1 Part os PowerQuest Drive Image 7.0   Smiley
rate4 apparently installed with iTunes, screws up playback and system stability   christian
rate1 Yep, it's used by Norton Ghost 10.   anonymous
rate5 Its a keylogger, it will cloen itself in ur computer and take all your information.   your mom asshole
rate3 The gearsec.exe driver (and associated GEAR Security service) were part of GEAR Software's older driver set which allows the GEAR CD/DVD Engine to recognize and work with CD and DVD drives on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 and Windows XP.  See also: Link   Phil Swinney
rate1 comes with Norton Ghost   ben-k
rate3 Part of symantec BackUp EXEC (ie Norton Ghost for PRO)   LorDZ
rate1 not itunes i have itune installed and dont have the service   william
rate1 this file is largely used with imaging programes expecially norton ghost, and alot of dvd-cdrw programs   Jamie mcp, mcse, mcsa, A+CS&H
rate0 service created by norton ghost 12,wen unistall dont remove   atheism
rate1 Usually needed by Quicktime   stelios
rate2 This program comes with itunes, sonic record now cd burner, norton ghost, various dvd burners, and many other programs. Usually not a virus.   Jesus
rate1 not dangerus seems to instal with norton ghost 9 scaned with kaspersky avast and win defender antivirus systems its OK  
rate1 It's an file used by very much programs not 1 as many here suggest.   Izealia
rate1 Installed with Norton Ghost 9   kevin
rate0 machine debug manager  
rate4 Not dangerous/spyware, but Russians are hacking through it, checked sec. IP breaches = Russian IP's. Set service to stop/manual, security breaches stopped, browser speed increased x2.   ...
rate1 Came on with convertXtoDVD   JohnL

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More process information

Is GearSec.exe spyware or a virus, trojans, adware or worm? Is there a known GearSec.exe error?


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GearSec.exe
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