# osk.exe

Windows Process: Microsoft Corporation

Also called osk, on-screen keyboard, on screen keyboard

Windows, System Component

On-Screen Keyboard. It is the accessibility keyboard in System32. It is not TabTip.exe, the touch keyboard.

## What you need to know

osk is the accessibility on-screen keyboard, not TabTip.

osk.exe is Ease of Access On-Screen Keyboard. TabTip.exe is the Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel under Common Files\ink. Ending osk does not dismiss TabTip. The reverse is also true.

- **Safe?**: Yes, in System32

  **Same as TabTip?**: No. TabTip is the touch keyboard

  **Can I end it?**: The accessibility keyboard hides

Feex says

If the floating accessibility keyboard is stuck, I end osk. I do not kill TabTip unless the tablet touch keyboard is the one on screen.

## What is osk.exe?

osk is the accessibility on-screen keyboard, not TabTip. System32\osk.exe is Ease of Access. TabTip.exe is the finger keyboard in the ink folder. Swapping those names is wrong.

## What does it do?

It shows a clickable keyboard for accessibility or a missing physical keyboard. It does not host handwriting the way TabTip does.

## Why is it running?

You turned On-Screen Keyboard on, pressed a hotkey, or a kiosk policy started it. Tablet mode by itself usually starts TabTip, not osk.

## Is it safe?

Usually safe

System32 osk.exe is Microsoft. An osk.exe in a "keyboard skin" zip is not. This is still not TabTip.exe.

A legitimate copy normally runs from:

`C:\Windows\System32\osk.exe`

- Ease of Access On-Screen Keyboard
- Touch keyboard: Common Files\microsoft shared\ink\TabTip.exe
- Expected publisher: Microsoft Corporation

## Can I end it?

Hides the accessibility keyboard

Ending osk.exe closes On-Screen Keyboard. TabTip can stay. Turning the feature off in Accessibility is the lasting switch.

## Can I remove it?

No

Do not delete osk.exe. Turn On-Screen Keyboard off under Accessibility. Uninstalling "touch keyboard" components does not remove this System32 file, and you should not delete System32.

## Should it start with Windows?

Accessibility can start it at sign-in. That is not TabTip's touch-keyboard setting.

## Normal resource behavior

These are contextual labels, not universal averages.

- **CPU**: Low

  **Memory**: Small

  **Disk**: Low

  **Network**: None

## File information

| Executable name        | osk.exe                     |
| ---------------------- | --------------------------- |
| Common legitimate path | C:\Windows\System32\osk.exe |
| Publisher              | Microsoft Corporation       |
| Signature expectation  | Signed by Microsoft Windows |

## Common problems

### Keyboard covers the screen after they ended TabTip

They hid the touch keyboard. This accessibility OSK is a different window. End osk or toggle it in Accessibility.

### A kiosk still shows osk after they disabled the touch keyboard icon

Taskbar touch keyboard is TabTip. OSK is Ease of Access. Two switches.

## Troubleshooting

Diagnose before you change anything destructive.

### Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard > On-screen keyboard

That toggle is this exe. Time & language > Typing > Touch keyboard is TabTip.

### If both keyboards appear, close them by name

osk.exe vs TabTip.exe in Task Manager. Do not delete either file from System32 or the ink folder.

## Technical details

Technical details

| Image name | osk.exe                           |
| ---------- | --------------------------------- |
| Role       | Ease of Access On-Screen Keyboard |

## Related

These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link.

[TabTip.exe: Windows Process](https://feex.it/wiki/process/tabtip.exe)[What is a Windows process: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/what-is-a-windows-process)[How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager)

## Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research).

- [Microsoft Support: On-Screen Keyboard ](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/use-the-on-screen-keyboard-osk-to-type)· osk.exe is the accessibility keyboard
- [Microsoft Learn: touch keyboard ](https://learn.microsoft.com/windows-hardware/design/component-guidelines/touch-keyboard)· TabTip is the touch keyboard, not OSK
- [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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Quick facts

The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article.

- **Type**: Windows Process

  **Publisher**: Microsoft Corporation

  **Executable**: osk.exe

  **Typical path**: C:\Windows\System32\osk.exe

  **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole

Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026

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Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/process/osk.exe/)

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