What is WatchDog.exe?
The genuine WatchDog.exe file is a software component of
Motorola Phone Tools by
Motorola.
Motorola Phone Tools is a utility software for managing Motorola phones through a PC. Watchdog.exe runs a process that detects when a phone is connected to the computer using a USB port. This is not an essential Windows process and can be disabled if known to create problems. Motorola Phone Tools lets users transfer photos, videos, documents and contacts between the phone and PC, or from phone to phone. The program can be also used to create ringtones, download drivers, updates, and help troubleshoot Motorola phones. Motorola Phone Tools is available for the Windows platform. Motorola was an American telecommunications corporation that began in Chicago, Illinois as Galvin Manufacturing Corporation in 1928. In 1943, the company went public and the name was changed to Motorola in 1947. At this time, Motorola's primary business was manufacturing and selling televisions and radios. With Explorer 1, Motorola began providing radio equipment for NASA for decades including during the 1969 moon landing. In 2011, Motorola split into two separate companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions, after having lost $4.3 Billion from 2007 to 2009.
Watchdog stands for Motorola Phone Tools
Watchdog
The .exe extension on a filename indicates an executable file. Executable files may, in some cases, harm your computer. Therefore, please read below to decide for yourself whether the WatchDog.exe on your computer is a Trojan that you should remove, or whether it is a file belonging to the Windows operating system or to a trusted application.
Click to Run a Free Scan for WatchDog.exe related errors
WatchDog.exe file information
WatchDog.exe process in Windows Task Manager The process known as
WindowsService1 or
kwatchdog Application or
NVMS1000 belongs to software
mobile PhoneTools or
KACE Management Appliance or
WindowsService1 or
NVMS1000 by
Dell (
www.dell.com) or
PrintMIB or
Acer (
www.acer.com).
Description: WatchDog.exe is not essential for the Windows OS and causes relatively few problems. WatchDog.exe is located in a subfolder of "C:\Program Files (x86)"in most cases
C:\Program Files (x86)\mobile PhoneTools\ or
C:\Program Files (x86)\Greatis\RegRunSuite\. Known file sizes on Windows 10/8/7/XP are 36,864 bytes (22% of all occurrences), 1,521,560 bytes and
10 more variants.
It is a service (WB13WatchDog) running invisible in the background.
WatchDog.exe is not a Windows core file. There is no description of the program. The program has no visible window. WatchDog.exe is able to monitor applications, record keyboard and mouse inputs, connect to the Internet and manipulate other programs. Therefore the technical security rating is
39% dangerous, but you should also take into account the user reviews.
Uninstalling this variant: If you encounter difficulties with WatchDog.exe, you may want to safely remove the program using the
uninstall program of
RegRun Security Suite Platinum or
mobile PhoneTools (Control Panel ⇒ Uninstall a Program), search the support area on the
Regrun website or
update the program.
Recommended: Identify WatchDog.exe related errors
If WatchDog.exe is located in a subfolder of "C:\Program Files\Common Files", the security rating is
47% dangerous. The file size is 77,824 bytes (20% of all occurrences), 51,712 bytes and
7 more variants. The program is not visible. The file is not a Windows system file.
If WatchDog.exe is located in a subfolder of the user's profile folder, the security rating is
68% dangerous. The file size is 23,040 bytes (66% of all occurrences) or 85,504 bytes. The program has no visible window. WatchDog.exe is not a Windows system file. There is no description of the program. The process starts when Windows starts (see Registry key: MACHINE\Run, User Shell Folders, TaskScheduler). WatchDog.exe is able to monitor applications.
External information from
Paul Collins:
There are different files with the same name:
Important: Some malware camouflages itself as WatchDog.exe, particularly when located in the C:\Windows or C:\Windows\System32 folder, for example
Trojan.Gen or
Trojan.Gen.2 (detected by Symantec), and
UDS:DangerousObject.Multi.Generic or
Trojan-Downloader.MSIL.Agent.vic (detected by Kaspersky). Therefore, you should check the WatchDog.exe process on your PC to see if it is a threat. We recommend
Security Task Manager for verifying your computer's security. This was one of the
Top Download Picks of
The Washington Post and
PC World.