msmdsrv.exe

What you need to know

Does this name prove the file is safe?

No. Verify the running file, its digital signature, publisher and behavior. The name alone is not enough.

A filename alone cannot establish that a running file is safe. Check the full executable path and digital signature, confirm the signer against the publisher, and investigate unexpected behavior with Windows Security or vendor guidance. A familiar folder or a valid signature alone is not a guarantee.

What the catalog records

Recorded role and behavior

Powers tabular data models, in-memory analytics, and DAX queries for Power BI reports. It runs automatically in the background whenever Power BI Desktop is open, and higher memory usage is normal when loading or refreshing large datasets.

Inspect the running instance

In Windows PowerShell, this read-only query lists matching process IDs, creation times and executable paths on this PC.

Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_Process | Where-Object { $_.Name -eq 'msmdsrv.exe' } | Select-Object ProcessId, ParentProcessId, CreationDate, Name, ExecutablePath | Format-List Copy

No result or an inaccessible path is inconclusive. Protected processes may restrict access, and process IDs can be reused. Keep personal paths local.

Use the file-identity guide to compare signatures and product metadata. A filename alone cannot establish safety.

Identify the actual running file

A filename alone cannot establish safety. Compare the actual path, product metadata and digital signature with the software you installed.

Investigate a problem safely

Compare repeated observations for the same PID while the symptom occurs. A single CPU peak or memory reading is not a diagnosis.

Save work and use the associated application controls to reproduce the symptom. Confirm the product identity before following its official update or repair guidance.

Evidence and corrections

The role and publisher are catalog associations. The references explain file checks, not the product association or your file's safety.

For corrections, send the article URL and public product documentation through Feex contact. Keep personal paths and credentials private.

Related

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Sources and verification

Editorial ownership: Feex. No independent review date is recorded. How we research.

• Microsoft Sysinternals: Sigcheck · File-version and digital-signature inspection method.
• Microsoft Sysinternals: Process Explorer · Process-tree, module and handle inspection method.
• Microsoft Support: Virus and threat protection · Windows Security scanning guidance.
• Microsoft: Get-CimInstance · Read-only local process-query method.
• Microsoft: Win32_Process properties · Documents process IDs, executable paths, creation dates and parent-ID reuse.

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